“My father imagined Windsor Finance being a company that would touch people’s daily lives. In this day and age, it means that we want people to use our bank, but also for other banks to run their e-commerce payments through our systems. The vision has shifted a little as technology continues to advance, but I want to adhere to my father’s ideology. He might not be there to see it all come true, but I still want to make it happen.”
He runs a hand through his hair and looks away. “When my dad ran this company, he’d only just turned it from The Windsor Bank into a little more than that. He wanted to offer mortgages, small loans, credit cards, but that’s not all. If it relates to finance, he wanted people to think of us and choose us. My father didn’t want Windsor Finance to be just another company solely aimed at making a profit. He intended to profit off bigger corporations, asset management and mergers, so he could accept a lower margin when dealing with individuals. He wanted to make lives easier and support dreams without extorting people like so many of our competitors do. My dad… he wanted people to turn to us when they want to open a small bakery, or when they can’t afford to go to college, but also when they’re trying to grow their companies and don’t know how. Throughout each phase of people’s lives, he wanted Windsor Finance to be there. Will you help me realize that vision?”
I’ve never seen him look so passionate, so emotional. This clearly means a lot to him, and I’m surprised I’m only just finding out about it. For years, I thought he was being eccentric. If he could hide this from me, then what else did I get wrong? Is there a chance that I don’t know him as well as I think I do?
“I suppose it’s only right for your wife to stand by you, isn’t it? I’ll help you, Luca.”
The look in his eyes morphs into something that makes my heart race, and I look away, unable to hold his gaze. “My wife, huh?” he murmurs, a sweet smile making its way onto his lips.
“There’s only one thing left to do,” he tells me as he hands me our handwritten contract. I take it from him with trembling hands and look it over. One signature, and I’ll be signing away my life.
Luca smiles when I sign the contract, the same way he does when we assist with a successful IPO or when we win a big client. I suppose this is no different to him.
“Tonight,” he says, his voice soft. “Let’s get married tonight.”
I frown. “How is that even possible?”
Luca merely shrugs and throws me a look, as though to remind me of who he is. “Zach can marry us. He owes me a favor anyway.”
Zach?
“He’s Xavier’s brother,” Luca elaborates.
A soft gasp escapes my lips as I finally make the connection. “Mayor Kingston?”
Luca nods as he picks up his phone. “There’s absolutely no way you’re walking out of here as anything but my wife,” he warns me. “Matter of fact, the only reason we’re walking out of here tonight at all is to pick up your stuff.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Valentina
I stare at our marriage certificate in disbelief. All it took was a few minutes and a couple of signatures for us to be legally married. It doesn’t seem real, but I know it is. The mayor himself married us, after all. Not a single part of our ceremony felt real. It was rushed, and it felt as impersonal as I’m sure our marriage will be.
“Is it really necessary for me to move in with you?” I ask as Luca parks in front of my apartment.
“Yes,” he says, his voice soft. He turns to look at me and smiles gently. He’s been different from the moment we signed the paperwork. He’s calmer, somehow. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is exactly. I suppose it’s a relief to know he found a way out of his arranged marriage, but I’m uncertain where we stand. What will our marriage look like?
I’m quiet as I lead him into my home, my thoughts turning back to the last time he was here. I still remember his drunken pleas, and the way my heart wavered. I’d been so determined to leave him in the past, so how did I end up standing here as his wife?
Luca pauses in the middle of my living room and looks around. “For this to work, we’ll need to act like we’re head over heels with each other. Besides, you know that there are rules relating to marriage and my inheritance. We can’t risk fucking this up. I need you to be on my side, Valentina, until the very end.”
I nod and look up at him. “I’ve always been on your side, Luca.”
He smiles at me, and the way my heart races makes me lower my gaze. I suddenly feel vulnerable in a way I never have before, and I’m not sure what to make of it. I walk away under the pretense of packing my things, but Luca follows me into my bedroom. Standing here with him, in such a small intimate space… it makes me oddly nervous. If I can barely handle this, how am I supposed to share a bed with him?
“Valentina.”
I tense when I feel his hands on my shoulders, and my heart skips a beat. He slowly turns me around, our bodies so close to each other that my chest brushes against his.
“Do you regret it?” he asks, his voice soft.
I look up at him, taking in the hint of concern in his brown eyes. “I’m not sure yet,” I tell him honestly. “It doesn’t really feel real, and I’m worried we rushed into this.”
Luca cups my cheek, his touch gentle. “We can have a proper wedding, Valentina, with all of our friends and family present. If that is what you want, I’ll make it happen.”
“No,” say. “This… it’s perfect for us. The fewer people know about us, the better.”
His expression hardens. “Who exactly are you trying to hide me from? Is there someone else?” There’s an edge to his tone that I’ve never heard before. Is he… is he jealous?
“No,” I reassure him. “But we both know this’ll end someday. Three years will fly by, and once it’s all over, I want true freedom of my own. I want my own life without being tied down by the past. Sometimes it’s like you forget who you are. It’d be impossible for me to escape the Windsor name if our marriage was publicized.”
Luca sits down on my bed, his gaze pensive. It’s odd having him here. I’ve lived in this apartment for the last five years, but he’s never once been in my bedroom. He looks huge sitting on my small bed, and having him in my space makes me feel strangely flustered.
What will it be like to live with him? Despite our close working relationship, it isn’t common for us to hang out together. I have no idea who he even is when he isn’t working. I’ve seen him around his family, but that isn’t quite the same.
“I’m ready,” I tell him as I close my duffel bag. “This is all I really need for the next few days.”
Luca nods and takes the bag from me. “I’ll have some movers come in to pack the rest for you.”
I glance around my bedroom, my heart heavy. This is the first real home I’ve ever had of my own. It feels bittersweet to leave it behind. “What will happen to this apartment? Will you give it to another staff member?”
Luca glances over his shoulder and chuckles. “Mrs. Windsor,” he says, his voice low and dangerous. “You don’t quite realize that you’re the only one in my entire company that got this specific perk, do you? This apartment is yours. It always will be. I just never formally signed it over to you because I was worried you wouldn’t accept it.”