The Temporary Wife: Luca and Valentina's Story(26)

Valentina turns toward Raven with a smile, clearly intent on walking toward her, but I wrap my hand around her wrist and keep her in place. I pull her back toward me, and she stumbles, falling into my arms.

“Luca!” she admonishes as she straightens and pushes away from me.

“You’re going on a fucking date?” I ask, my voice simmering with anger. She looks away, but I grab her chin and turn her face back toward mine. “Answer me.”

“It’s a private matter,” she snaps, instantly making me regret the words I uttered when Natalia came to my office.

“Who is it?”

She grits her teeth and glares at me. “That’s none of your concern.”

“You don’t have time to go on a date tonight,” I tell her, racking my brain to come up with an excuse. “I need you to double check the information we’re supplying to the auditors.”

“I’ve already done that.”

“The budgets for our next quarter need to be adjusted.”

“I’ve already finalized those and had meetings which each department head to discuss them.”

I pause. “I need detailed meeting minutes for every single meeting we’ve attended this week.”

She raises her brow. “I’ve already emailed them to you.”

Frustration crawls up my spine. Why the fuck is she so good at her job? “I want to see the plans for Salazar Finance’s IPO.”

Valentina frowns. “That isn’t due until next month.”

“I want it now.” That’s at least a week’s worth of work. She’ll have to work overtime to get that done, making it impossible to go on her date.

She crosses her arms and stares at me for a moment. “Very well,” she says hesitantly. “I suppose you’re in luck. I’ve already drafted the plan. I’ll put the finishing touches on it and email it over within an hour.”

“W-what?” I stammer.

She smiles at me in that polite way I despise. “Now, if that’s all, I’ll go ahead and grab some coffee with Raven before I get back to work.”

She turns and walks away, her stride confident. What the fuck is happening? In all the years we’ve worked together, I’ve never once heard of her dating anyone.

The door closes behind her, and I stare at it for a moment, my thoughts reeling. What the fuck do I do? I can’t keep her from going on that date.

I hesitate for a moment before picking up my phone and calling our Head of Security, Silas Sinclair. He picks up almost instantly.

“Windsor,” he says, his tone as monotone as it always is. I’ve never seen him act animated around anyone but his wife. I have no idea what Alanna sees in that wooden block of a human.

“Silas.” I hesitate for a moment. “I need you to find out where Valentina is going tonight, and with who.”

He falls silent for a moment. “Have you tried asking her?”

I hate this guy. He’s so fucking irritating, but he’s the best at what he does. “Of course I’ve fucking tried, Sinclair. She wouldn’t tell me.”

He sighs, clearly irritated by my request. “Have you considered that it might just be none of your goddamn business what Val does in her private time? Aren’t you engaged, anyway? Congrats, by the way.”

I clench my jaw. “I don’t pay you to question me.”

“You don’t pay me at all,” he replies. “Your grandmother does.”

I run a hand through my hair and stare up at my ceiling. I finally understand why Ares hates Silas so much. “I need a name and a location.”

Silas sighs. “My wife isn’t going to like this. She’s friends with Val, and you know it. Don’t do anything fucking weird. If you do, and Alanna finds out, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

This motherfucker. He has no loyalty to anyone but his wife. He’s as rich as I am, so he can’t be bought either. I hate people I can’t control, and Silas Sinclair is a wildcard.

“The restaurant is called Marsella. She’s going on a date with Theodore Miller.”

I end the call with barely restrained fury. Theo Miller. One of our portfolio managers? I’ll be damned. Fucking asshole.

I sit back in my chair and stare at my computer, hesitating for a split second before sending an email to HR. I smile as I read back the contents.

Effective immediately, I’m enforcing a no-fraternization rule. Dating within the company is expressly prohibited and will be grounds for immediate termination. Please send out a company-wide email.

Valentina might be willing to walk away from her job, but Theo won’t.





Chapter Eighteen





Valentina

“I didn’t think you’d ever say yes,” Theo says, snapping me out of my thoughts. What’s wrong with me? From the moment we sat down, all I’ve done is think about Luca.

The way he acted when he first heard about me going on a date surprised me, but he was quiet the rest of the day. Perhaps he was just caught off-guard, and he didn’t care nearly as much as I thought he did. That should make me feel far more relieved than it does, and it should not be filling me with dull disappointment.

Theo picked me up at my desk, and I was so certain Luca would do or say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he merely glanced at us from his office before refocusing on his work, as though he couldn’t care less.