The Temporary Wife: Luca and Valentina’s Story (The Windsors)
The Temporary Wife: Chapter 1

There’s a bead of sweat forming on the forehead of the man sitting in front of me, despite the chilly temperature in my office. I should put him out of his misery, but instead, I continue to stare him down.

“I… the fund… we… we’re so grateful for your continued investment,” he stammers.

As he should be. Between my family and all of our clients, we’ve got billions invested throughout the world, a far from insignificant portion of it in his firm.

“I never said I’d continue investing in you.” My voice is firm, devoid of any kindness despite my best attempts to insert some.

He starts to tap his foot, and I watch as that bead of sweat runs down his face, his breathing accelerating by the second.

“A-are you not satisfied by our performance? Our share price increased by twenty percent this year.”

My executive secretary, Valentina, walks in right at that moment, her timing as perfect as it always is. I’ve had my office checked numerous times to ensure that she does not, in fact, have a listening device in here. My security team even triple checked that our phone system doesn’t allow her to listen in either. I don’t know how she does it, but she’s always there before I even have a chance to ask for her.

I look up at her and take in the stoic expression on her beautiful face. They call her The Ice Queen behind her back, and it’s not hard to see why. Despite her obvious beauty, she’s cold as ice. I’ve witnessed her orchestrate the downfall of more than one famous company, and she does it without an ounce of compassion. She’s as devoid of emotion as I am, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Valentina places a folder in front of Jackson Smithson and smiles politely as she moves to stand beside my desk. I’ve always hated that smile of hers. There’s nothing overtly wrong with it, and it doesn’t exactly look fake, but it still rubs me the wrong way.

She looks into my eyes for a moment before placing a copy in front of me, too. My gaze drops to the pink sticky note on top of the stack of documents, and I grimace. It simply reads R&D. There’s no further context, but then again, when it’s her, that’s all I really need.

I glance up at her in mild irritation. She knows I hate the color pink, and I’m certain all of her stationery is pink just to spite me. It is, no doubt, her way of paying me back for the torment I’ve put her through in the last couple of years.

Valentina has gotten on my nerves from the second my grandmother appointed her as my personal assistant eight years ago. I’ve done all I can to get rid of her, but she’s always a step ahead of me. We’ve been locked in an endless war, and no matter what I do, I’m always on the losing end.

I tip my head toward the document on my desk. “Your share price increased by twenty percent, but your company’s profit tanked this year. Care to explain?”

Jackson’s chest expands as he breathes in deeply, almost as though he’s bracing himself for the verbal battle we’re about to engage in. How perfectly adorable.

“That would be because we chose to invest heavily into research and development this year. We’re creating some products that will revolutionize the finance industry as you know it.”

I smile at him. “The whole industry? Really?” That’s the best he could do? If nothing else, he should’ve chosen an emerging investment vehicle that falls outside of my area of expertise.

He nods vehemently, the gaze that is meant to look reassuring reeking of desperation instead. Valentina’s gorgeous warm hazel eyes meet mine, and she smiles yet again, irritating me even further as she places another sheet of paper in front of Jackson. It never made sense to me that a woman as cold as she is was blessed with such beautiful warm eyes.

“The R&D figures in your annual report were lower than they were last year,” she says, her voice soft and sweet, and oh so fucking deceptive. “I’m not sure I understand,” she adds hesitantly.

He turns to her like she’s a fucking lifeline, not knowing she’s a shark in her own right. Poor guy. I wonder if he’ll drown in his own shit before she shreds him to pieces.

“Oh, that’s because the R&D isn’t on this year’s report,” he says, his eyes wide with panic. “But it will be in our upcoming quarterly report.”

Valentina’s eyes widen innocently, and I bite back a smile. “But… if that’s the case, then how come the upcoming R&D investment isn’t in your retained earnings in this report? How are you funding your research?”

I turn toward Valentina and nod thoughtfully. “I wonder,” I murmur. “Do you have any theories, Valentina?”

She nods and looks into my eyes. “I’m no expert, but I’m somewhat worried that there is no money to invest in the R&D he’s speaking of — not unless we invest it in him. The inflated share price is caused by their dimwit of a CEO who continues to make outlandish social media statements in an obvious attempt at market manipulation. There’s no substance, and there will be a market correction when they fail to follow through on their infeasible theories.”

She’s a vicious fucking beast wrapped in the sexiest body I’ve ever laid eyes on. I lean back in my seat as I enjoy the show. I might despise Valentina, but she’s my right hand for a reason.

“M-my son, he’s a visionary,” Jackson says. “One of very few. He’s an industry disrupter, a genius. Sure, his claims can be outlandish, but you won’t regret investing in him.”

I stare him down and sigh. “Your son is a dreamer. He’s not after profit, Jackson. He wants to change the world, and it’s a noble pursuit, but it isn’t one I’ll fund. I’m not a fucking charity.”

More sweat gathers on his forehead, and for one single second, something akin to pity washes over me. Thankfully, it’s fleeting. “I gave you a chance to explain yourself, but instead, you spun a web of lies. He needs to step down as CEO, and you need to appoint someone who can actually make your company profitable again. You have three days to make a decision before I pull my entire investment.”

His face pales. “Luca, if you do that, we… we’d go bankrupt.”

I cross my arms and nod slowly. “Then I suppose you’d better think long and hard about your legacy.”

I rise to my feet, and he reluctantly rises too, his gaze pleading. “Three days,” I remind him as I see him out. He nods in resignation as he walks away, visibly in torment.

The door falls closed behind him, and Valentina looks up at me with raised brows, her eyes overflowing with contempt. She acts perfectly professional in front of others, but when it’s just the two of us, she makes a fucking mockery of me. I’m not entirely sure why I let her.

“Three days?” she repeats. “You’re a monster. He’s going to agonize over this decision for three whole days when you could’ve just called an emergency board meeting to replace that kid yourself. You are, after all, the largest shareholder. Instead, you made him come here and tortured him.”

I smile at her. “I’m not the one who called his son a dimwit and messed with him like he’s fucking prey. Besides, he built that company from the ground up. It’s up to him to decide whether or not he’ll let his son ruin it. Three days is enough time for him to replace a different investor. If he truly believes in his son’s vision, then that’s exactly what he’ll do.”

The edges of her lips tug up, and she shakes her head as she gathers the documents on my desk before straightening them. Eight years, and I still can’t truly read her.

I tear my eyes off her and glance at my father’s old pocket watch instead. “My grandmother is expecting both of us for our weekly family dinner tonight. You know she doesn’t like to be kept waiting. We’ll attend together, and we’ll finish our work afterward.”

Valentina nods, not even a hint of protest in her eyes. For years, she’s worked the same sixteen-hour days I have. Initially, I only made her work these insane hours in an effort to make her quit, but it’s become our usual routine.

She follows me to my car quietly. Ever since she was hired, I’ve tried to unravel the relationship between my grandmother and her, and I never could. Not even Silas Sinclair, our brilliant Head of Security, could figure out their connection. I have no idea why my grandmother appointed a young college drop-out as my assistant eight years ago, or why Valentina continues to be invited to events that are meant strictly for family. There’s something about Valentina Diaz that I thoroughly dislike, and it isn’t just the mystery she’s wrapped in.