Chapter 1 - The Unexpected Arrangement
By 4:30 on the last Friday before Christmas, my boss had survived seventy-two emails, a state senator’s dinner disaster, a penthouse delivery mistake, and a contractor who nearly cost him half a million dollars. Then Luca Moretti looked straight at me and said the one thing I never imagined hearing from the most feared man in Manhattan: “Come home with me tonight, Emma. As my girlfriend.”
Being Luca Moretti’s executive assistant meant making chaos disappear before anyone realized it existed. My hair was twisted into its usual practical knot, my glasses kept slipping down my nose, and the legal pad in my hands was covered in neat handwriting that looked far more controlled than I felt.
Everyone in Manhattan knew Luca as the ruthless head of Moretti Holdings, a man who bought buildings, moved millions, and could silence a room without raising his voice. But behind the polished reputation were whispers about the Moretti family, whispers involving old loyalties, dangerous favors, and a past much darker than real estate.
Nobody in the office ever used the word mafia.
Nobody needed to.
People said Luca’s father had ruled through fear, while Luca had inherited the same power and transformed it into something quieter and colder. Men supposedly walked into negotiations ready to fight him, then returned days later strangely cooperative.
My survival rule had always been simple: never ask questions that weren’t part of my job. Curiosity around Luca didn’t get rewarded with answers, and I had no intention of discovering what happened when someone pushed too far.
Then his office door opened.
“Emma. In here.”
Every assistant on the executive floor suddenly became very interested in their computer screens. I grabbed my legal pad, walked inside, and found Luca standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, Manhattan’s gray December sky behind him and a white-and-gold Christmas tree glowing nearby.
His tie was loosened, and his dark hair had been pushed back from his forehead. Anyone else would have thought he looked calm, but after working beside him for years, I recognized the tension in his jaw immediately.
Something was wrong.
“Is the Westchester security team confirmed for tonight?” I asked, flipping through my notes. “If it’s the guest list, I can have Sienna verify every arrival window again.”
“It’s not logistics.”
My fingers froze against the page because somehow, that answer frightened me more.
Luca leaned against his desk and folded his arms. “My family Christmas party is tonight.”
“I know. Your aunt called twice about the wine, your grandmother’s flowers arrived an hour ago, and Julian sent another message asking if you were finally bringing a date.”
“I am.”
Silence stretched between us until I finally managed, “All right.”
“With you.”
For several seconds, I honestly wondered whether seventy-two emails had finally broken my brain. Luca didn’t joke with employees, didn’t flirt with me, and certainly didn’t make spontaneous romantic invitations.
“I’m sorry?”
“I want you to come tonight as my girlfriend.”
My legal pad slowly lowered.
“Your fake girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
A nervous laugh almost escaped me, but one look at his face killed it. “Why would you possibly need me to pretend to be your girlfriend?”
His dark eyes never left mine. “My family has decided it’s time for me to choose someone.”
A chill slid down my spine. “Choose someone for what?”
He pushed away from the desk and walked toward me, stopping only a few feet away.
“Marriage.”
My mouth went dry as I stared at him. “And bringing me somehow fixes that?”
“For tonight.”
Something about those two words made my pulse race. “Luca, your family knows I work for you. They’ll know this isn't real.”
For the first time, his expression changed.
“They won’t after I tell them what I intend to tell them.”
My fingers tightened around the legal pad. “What exactly are you planning to tell your family?”
May you like
Luca stared at me for one long, unnerving second, and suddenly the enormous office felt too small.
“That you’re the only woman I would ever choose.”
