Vincent

"This is Vincent Baker. Put me through to Ryan," I ordered to the female voice on the other side of the line.?

My mind wandered to the bike-riding girl from this morning as I awaited Ryan's response. Her presence drew me in and piqued my curiosity at the same time.

I took a chance and got her paintings, though. They were here under my eyes. As a reminder of her clumsiness. I found myself grinning slightly in the corner of my mouth.?

"Vince, my man! What the hell are you doing these days?" Ryan greeted me, sensing his mocking smile on his face. "Forgot about me and the foundation?"?

"Cut the crap! We need to talk. I did it!" I told him shortly and then hung up the phone. He would not resist and would come here. This business was profitable for him, too.?

I knew Steven Glare from my teenage years and I knew what a loser he always was. My father was always pleading with him and watching everything he did. The bastard refused to give him the money, despite his dire need. Every single one of Steven's workers, including my father, received terrible treatment. That left my life with a far too terrible mark. Despite my father's passing, I was still here. He'd be proud of me, I was sure.

It didn't take ten minutes, and the phone rang again.

"Mr. Baker, Mr. Lee is here to see you," my secretary said in a formal tone.

"Let him in!" I ordered.

Ryan stormed in just as a tempest on a summer day.?

"I am here. Give me the good news!"?

I took a brief break and laughed as I watched him. I then requested two coffees from the secretary. "Wow, what a good woman you have here, man, and you, nothing, "he remarked as his eager eyes followed my assistant.

"Knock it off! That's not why I called you here. Steven Glare fell into my trap"

There was a brief period of abrupt silence. Ryan hardly comprehended what I was saying as he stared at me in confusion.

"Are you serious?"?

"Of course, I am. When have I ever joked about this? You know, I've been hunting him for a long time." So great was the satisfaction that I throbbed with delight.?

"What did you do to him?" Ryan asked curiously, already leaning back in his chair.?

"I gave him a bad idea, and he took it for granted. You know I've been wanting to get my hands on those spas of his for a long time. He trusted me blindly and fell for it like a na?ve, stupid child. Now I've got his company and... his daughter, Tiara." I related with great joy I had finally finished what my father had started.?

"Why his daughter? I don't follow," Ryan asked me, narrowing his eyes.

"Because I wanted to. And because I could. You know my father's past and how Steven refused him the money that would have saved her. Now the tables have turned and Steven has lost not only his money but also what was most precious to him, his daughter."

"I admire you, man. But what are you going to do with a wife? A woman you don't even know." Ryan pushed further.?

"I only saw her once, about ten years ago. That's when she was about twelve. She stirred nothing up. Anyway, don't think that if I have a wife, I will be faithful to her and to our marriage. It will be just for business," I continued, laughing to myself, proud of how far I had come. "This is just a very well thought out and put together plan. Nothing more"

"If you say so. I presume you will meet her soon, right?"

"I left that part in the hands of that useless Steven. I hope he doesn't screw it up."

I focused on the backyard of the consortium while thinking about Steven Glare and his millions. With stupid Steven's assistance, this commercial district's already rapid growth was about to speed up.

My imagination suddenly flashed back to the face of a little girl with freckles. Eyes as big as deep wells but sparkling like polished diamonds, a broad, innocent smile. Tiara Glare's visage.

In order to inherit the wealth from my mother's long-lost aunt, I needed her as my wife. Even though I was unaware of her existence, I needed the money to carry out more study at the foundation. Getting married was the only way I could get possession of it. Piece of cake! The will didn't specify how long I had to be wed or that I had to be in love with my intended life partner.

"So, how did you make this business profitable for you and wasteful for Glare?" Ryan's voice interrupted my train of so vivid thoughts.

"He was already in big trouble with the company and I offered to help him," I said, turning to face Ryan. "He doesn't know I'm Baker's son, the same Baker that he mocked all his life while working under him. I took the opportunity and when I saw he was sinking, I came up with the idea of setting up a shell company to get him out of the shit. Only when the time came, the company set up at my suggestion didn't produce any money to help him, so Belle Beauty Spa went into total bankruptcy. He didn't even get the chance to declare it before the IRS agents came after him for setting up a fraud. The stock dropped to a few cents per share, and I took advantage and bought it all," I finished in triumph and with a mad smile in the corner of my mouth.?

"Oh wow! Does Glare know who the buyer is?" Ryan asked.

"Of course, he doesn't. What are you, nuts? All he knows is that I was the right man at his wrong time. He asked for my help and I was there to help him"?

"So, what is the deal with his daughter? I presume you will not stay married for the rest of your life"?

"Tiara Glare is another story. She is just my personal vendetta. I'll satisfy my cravings with her, but I won't be able to leave her soon, to her despair. Her father needed money and sacrificed his daughter. I need a wife, but I'll tell you the reason some other time."?

"Okay, you know what you're doing! I, on the other hand, have an important meeting that I don't have to miss for the world. It will be good for your foundation. But let me admit that you pleasantly surprised me with what you said. I expected nothing less from you," Ryan concluded, and after shaking my hand, he walked out of the office.?

I remained by myself with my thoughts. And the kinds of visions I had! I had so many things swirling around in my head for the upcoming time period that I did not know where to start.

I might start interacting with my future bride. Unlike most men, I wasn't the least bit excited about getting married.

It was just a business deal. No woman was going to force her way into my heart, with or without my permission, because love was a feeling so foreign to me. I was certain that Tiara Glare wasn't overjoyed about marrying a man she couldn't even remember. In reality, she didn't think she knew me, in her opinion.

She was part of a different agenda, one that involved me. As far as I was concerned, she was no more than a pawn on the chessboard.

I still had the image of my father in my head. That face shattered by burdens. His pleading eyes filled with fear that he had nothing to feed us in the days when things went from bad to worse.

Because we lacked the funds to continue my mother's treatment, I could only see her consumed by cancer.

All of this kept me afloat, and I made a commitment to hold Steven Glare accountable. And the person who would suffer the most would be the woman in his life. I would crush him in the same manner, and I would force his daughter to marry me against her will. One eye for the other!

TIARA

I burst out in hysterical fits of laughter.

"Oh, my God. Oh, Lord. You always were such a zero-humor jerk. I thought you were dead serious for a minute!" It still wasn't very funny listening to him and watching him with no grimace on his face.?

"It's not a joke, Tiara. I wish it was, but it's not," he said in all seriousness, and I stopped laughing.?

"Who is this, Vincent Baker? I mean, I know who he is. All fucking universe does, but what's your business with him?" I asked in astonishment as my father pulled a document out of the briefcase, he had brought with him. He was one hell of a... "Is that?"?

"This is the contract you have to sign," my father replied nonchalantly and calmly considering the situation he was in and the situation he was putting me, his daughter, in.?

"The contract? Who said there was going to be a contract?" I suddenly snapped, placing my hands on my waist in protest.

"He did! You will stay married to him for as long as your mother's treatment lasts, and after you divorce, you will not be entitled to a cent of his estate. This is his request"

"I don't give a damn about his request. If he thinks I am after his money, I got news for him. I won't marry him. I am not a gold digger," I snapped in a rage so hard to control.?

"Tiara, this isn't about his money or the fact that you would marry for money. It's about your mother who, if you don't do it..."

"Shut up! Don't bring my mother into this. Don't manipulate me any way you want. Not now, at twenty-two. I'm not a child anymore!"?

Dad took a long sigh then put the contract on the table with his all too known pen. The same one with which he closed all his deals. Because that's what I was to him now. A business deal. He wasn't interested in my mother in the slightest. All he cared about was saving his stupid money.

"So, I'm going to marry none other than Vincent Baker, huh?" It was too preposterous to be genuine.

I looked with no particular interest at the contract in front of me and there was definitely his name, written black on white, Vincent Baker, along with his perfect signature. A man I had only read about in tabloids and heard about on TV and in posts on social media. The merciless, overpowering and tediously alluring owner of the Business Forum Empire, one of London's greatest existing corporations. He rose his corporation from nothing in ten years to the top, leaving his competitors and colleagues alike way behind. For him, business was everything and nobody and nothing stood in his way. He would eliminate anyone who dared to do it with little pomp and consideration.

Or that's what I kept hearing about him because people were talking about his achievements. Especially women.?

Suddenly, an inexplicable rage mixed with jealousy came over me. Why did a man like Vincent Baker want to marry a woman as anonymous as me? I mean, he wasn't the kind of man who lacked women and money. Something didn't add up here.?

"Essentially, yes," my father commented, still glaring at the contract waiting for me, so stop asking so many questions and sign the damn paper.?

"I wonder what his reasons are?" I voiced my thoughts from earlier, wanting to see my father's reaction. Or if he would at least have one.?

"Would you like a lawyer's advice before you sign? Looks like a prenup."

"Of course, it is. It couldn't be otherwise. If the man's afraid I'll take his inheritance, why bother marrying me?" I asked doubtfully.

"He told me he has his reasons and that he doesn't intend to discuss them with you or me. But you can read everything before you sign if you don't trust him."?

"Oh, that is an understatement. Now why would I not trust a guy who buys himself a wife?" I asked teasingly, running my eyes over the letters that formed his name.?

"You could sign and hang in there for as long as it takes or you cannot sign at all and let your mother die. It is your choice, Tiara"?

The way he said it seemed to give me no choice. If I'd thought it through, I really didn't have any other option.?

"So, he's dragging you out of a smoldering fire and all he wants to do is blindly marry a woman he's never met in his life?" I asked rhetorically, because I might never get a straight answer to it. And asking it so out loud somehow made it sound worse than it already was.

A glimpse of a smile broke across his face. "Well, ninety percent of the profits would go..." I held my hand up in front of my face.?

"Stop explaining. I don't care what he does with the profits as long as he is paying for mother's treatment" This thing was going to blow up in his face. I would see to it that this would actually happen. If he thought I'd be submissive, he couldn't have been more wrong.?

And I really needed a good, competent lawyer before I signed. And that was if I could find one who didn't know him or play golf with him in his spare time.?

Perhaps an unscrupulous one who would know how to sell me as a product to an unknown man.

With that thought in mind, I exhaled heavily. This contract seemed like an enormous weight on my shoulders. It was as if it had a conscience of its own, one so loaded that it would derail my life forever.?

"That means you will sign?" my father asked impatiently to put the final stamp on my existence.

"Does mother know?" I answered with another question, far more important for me than whether I will sign or not. But for the look in his eyes, I immediately understood. "She doesn't... I knew it!"?

How stupid I was.?

But then father continued as if my question and concern didn't even exist.?

"He wants to see you first, so he said that when you feel prepared to stop by his office to have a cup of coffee. He would always be available for you"?

The nerve this Vincent guy had. When I felt prepared. Who did he take me for? How helpless did he think I looked??

"Oh really? I marvel that such a busy man makes time for me" I kept mocking this man's ways.?

"Actually, what he wants to know is if you're... suitable wife material."?

I tried to swallow and assimilate what my father had just said.?

"What exactly does that mean? If he thinks he has a choice, then he should choose someone else, not me."?

"The places where he wanders are of particular importance and he needs someone to represent him, if you know what I mean," father tried to explain but this Vincent's standards only pissed me off more.

"That's just too much! I am me and no one, not even Vincent Baker, can change me to his liking."

But because my father said nothing, I took the contract and shoved it in my purse. "I'm going to have a talk with this man full of himself," I said, enraged by his demands. "And I'll tell him what I think of his damn contract, while I'm at it"

TIARA

I left the apartment without even looking back or saying goodbye to my father. He was the one who destroyed my mother's life, but I won't let him destroy mine. I wasn't my mother.?

My target was obvious. Vincent Baker's lair. And if he thought he could buy someone as an object, he had another thing coming.?

Business Forum Empire, perhaps the most imposing building in the center of London. It looked like a mausoleum on the outside, so it surprised me when I entered the reception and everything looked so modern and fresh.

Still, I admired the beautiful columns and stylish design of the hall. But it infuriated me to think that someone had been paid to do everything to please this mogul.?

Everything here was at an absolute superlative, but I decided then and there that Vincent Baker was an idiot. I knew that before I got here, but now it's just been confirmed.?

I was right in front of the reception desk, watching every move of the secretary behind the counter. The pristine white suit was in perfect harmony with the interior. She was typing away at the laptop in front of her and for no reason in the world did she look up at me until she was done.?

"May I help you, Miss?" she asked in a thin tone that went annoyingly well with the outfit and the interior. I rolled my eyes. It was so predictable.?

"Yes, actually. I am here to see Vincent Baker. He is expecting me!" I replied, proud of how I was holding my head up and thinking it would help me get inside. I was wrong.?

She looked at me and blinked politely that I almost felt bad for taking this position. She was scanning me all over, so I kept an eye on her hands in case she had a panic button under her desk.?

"Is he? Let me check! May I ask your name, please?"?

"It's Tiara. Tiara Glare" I said it twice, feeling like I was in some spy movie. This was simply ridiculous. But when she heard my name, her entire posture changed. Even her face, with that formal, frozen smile, softened and looked more natural.?

"Oh, Miss Glare! Of course. I will let Mr. Baker's personal secretary know you are here" So he was really expecting me. I couldn't have done it any other way after reading that contract. He expected me to come.??

I took a small step back, watching the receptionist dialing a number. "Yes, Miss Tiara Glare is here to see Mr. Baker," she said in a formal tone and an equally formal voice answered on the other end of the line. She nodded and then hung up.

She immediately looked up at me, and with the same broad smile, she replied. "Mr. Baker is ready to receive you now. Top floor, please"

"Thank you," I said politely and turned meticulously towards the corridor that led to the elevators. I pressed the button to get it and as soon as I walked in, the doors closed behind me. It seemed like nobody went up to him?

Now that I was in the elevator and actually going to see this man, my nerves were cracking. What was I thinking when I came here? Couldn't I have torn up that contract and looked for another way to make the money my mother needed? I could have asked a bank for help, taken out a loan like everyone else in their right mind would do. Not to take the more twisted and less normal path.?

That's exactly what I was going to do. While I was here, though, I'll tell the billionaire a piece of my mind and go back to my apartment looking for ways to get my shit together and in debt myself.

As soon as the doors opened, another secretary appeared in front of me. She must have been his personal assistant. A tall, slender woman with long blonde hair. Suddenly, I felt so insignificant that I almost turned back. But her voice stopped me.

"Oh, Miss Glare, please, this way. Mr. Baker is waiting for you inside," she said in a warm voice.

I clutched my purse tightly and stepped towards the enormous doors in front of me.?

I could feel the ground slipping out from under my feet and I could barely stand, but I lifted my chin.

Vincent Baker was not supposed to see a woman with her nerves down. He was like a shark, feeding on people's fears.?

His name reigned on a golden plaque at my eye level. Vincent Baker. Even his name exuded power.

I took a long, deep breath and opened the door.

Vincent Baker stood facing his tall window, admiring the rainy London landscape. As soon as he heard my footsteps, he turned to me. And that was when I had a terrible shock.?

"You?" I asked in disbelief, remembering what had happened this very morning. "I can't believe it's really you who I have to..."?

I held his gaze from the entrance. I had seen him everywhere, in newspapers, magazines, on TV, and he was perhaps even more ravishingly handsome in person.?

His dark hair was a perfect sexy mess and his vivid blue-sky eyes were visible from across the room. God, I was literally staring.?

I took in every feature from his face. His manly cheekbones, his perfect nose, the two dimples from his cheeks. Even if he was not smiling, I just knew they were there. A few rebellious strands framed his tanned forehead.?

I couldn't restrain my eyes from dropping to his naughtily alluring mouth. God, this man was hot!?

Then my eyes got drawn to his powerful arms that sat folded together over his well-worked chest, swelling his biceps enough to feel a warmth throughout my entire body. God, I already hated my own thoughts that were so sinful.?

Damn hormones that kept drawing my attention to the fact that I hadn't had sex for six months since I broke up with Paul.?

Somehow, I had to put up that protective wall and do what I came here for. And so, I had done my first smart move. I crossed my arms over my breasts, which immediately rose to my cleavage. Great, Tiara. All the more reason for him to look at me like he was devouring me.?

"I can't say I'm as shocked as you are, Miss Glare," he finally said and his firm voice shook me completely.

"What the fuck does it mean that we're getting married?" I asked with uncharacteristic awkwardness and yet it existed there for a few minutes.?

?He just stared at me, but didn't react in any way. I was expecting him to react somehow to the incident from earlier this morning. My eyes wandered around the office when, by chance, I came across my paintings. They laid one on top of the other on a not very tall cabinet.

I was also expecting a damn answer, but my words hit his wall as they fell scattered on the floor. The more he stared at me and I stared at him, the more I realized he had a special beauty that he wasn't afraid to use as a weapon. Kind of like he was doing now.?

Even from across the room, I could feel the magnetism he gave off. It was terrifying, fierce, swirling. If he stayed in this posture much longer, I almost wished the ground beneath me would open up and hide me.?

The strength of his personality intimidated me more and more, and although I wanted to lower my gaze, I couldn't. The magnet in his eyes kept drawing me in.?

I thought if this man wanted to, he could rule the world. Finally, he smiled slightly, still holding my gaze. I was like on a roller coaster of emotions.?

"Just as the contract says, Miss Glare! Are you ready?"?