Chapter 3 - The Monday Morning Ambush
*Word count target: ~3,000 words*
My phone buzzed at 8:59 AM on Monday.
*“I’m at Window 4. Don’t keep a CEO waiting.”*
I was already standing twenty feet away, wearing the only tailored charcoal suit I owned—the one I usually reserved for bank audits and funerals. My hands were shoved deep into my pockets to hide the slight tremor in my fingers.
True to her word, Claire was there. She wore a sharp cream pantsuit that made her look like she was about to execute a hostile takeover of the entire state of Colorado. When she saw me approach, her pale green eyes scanned my suit with an approving nod.
"You clean up well, Mr. Cole."
"Desperation suits me," I replied dryly. "Are we really doing this? There's still time for you to find an actor from Central Casting."
"Actors are expensive and talk too much. You're stubborn, and you need money. Sign here."
Ten minutes later, amid the fluorescent lighting and the bored drone of a county clerk who clearly didn't care about our life choices, we signed our names. The ink was barely dry when Claire slipped the vintage diamond onto my finger—wait, no, I slipped it onto hers, while she slid a simple platinum band onto mine.
"Congratulations, husband," she said, her voice entirely devoid of emotion, though a faint smile touched the corner of her lips.
"I feel like I just signed a pact with a very stylish demon," I muttered.
Before I could process the sudden weight of the golden ring on my left hand, the heavy oak doors of the courthouse burst open. Flashbulbs flared. A swarm of reporters and photographers surged forward, microphones thrust into our faces like metallic spears.
"Miss Whitman! Is it true you're engaged?"
"Who is this man? Is he an employee?"
"Is this a publicity stunt to block Julian Whitman's takeover?"
I froze, caught in the blinding light. My instinct as a construction manager was to grab a hard hat and shield my face. But Claire didn't flinch. In a fraction of a second, she stepped closer, her hand sliding smoothly into the crook of my arm, her fingers gripping my sleeve with absolute authority.
She turned to the cameras, her expression radiant, calm, and utterly unassailable.
May you like
"Meet my husband, Ethan Cole," she announced, her voice ringing clear above the chaos. "And as for Julian... tell him to prepare his resignation speech."
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