General Knight's study was a museum of war. Swords on the walls, medals in glass cases.
The General sat behind his desk. Roman stood to the left, pacing like a caged tiger. Nova sat on the right, examining her fingernails.
"Well?" The General barked.
"She's a fraud," Roman spat. "A liar. And she's delusional."
"She told you the truth," the General said, hiding a smile. "You just aren't smart enough to see it."
"She's a Sterling reject!" Roman shouted. "She brings nothing to the table. No equity, no connections."
"She brings genes," the General said, tapping a folder. "The Knight family needs brains. You have money. We need IQ."
Roman scoffed. "Her? She didn't even finish undergrad."
The General couldn't say 'She has three PhDs and is a national asset' because of the clearance levels. He just grunted. "It's an order. Marry her, or I keep the trust frozen and remove you as CEO."
Roman slammed his hands on the desk. "This is blackmail!"
"I agree," Nova said. "This is a stupid idea."
Roman looked at her, surprised.
"I don't want to marry him," Nova said, standing up. "He's arrogant and emotional."
"Nova!" The General warned. "Think about the funding for the... project."
Nova stopped. Her shoulders slumped. The fusion project. It needed billions. The Knight Foundation was the silent backer.
"So you are in it for the money," Roman said, his voice dripping with venom.
Nova turned to him. "Yes. I need the money."
Roman looked at her with a mix of triumph and loathing. "At least you're honest about being a gold digger."
"Compromise," the General said. "A fake engagement. Six months. A trial run. You live together. If you still hate each other after that, I unlock the funds, and you go your separate ways."
Roman calculated. Six months. He could break her in three weeks. He could make her life so miserable she would run back to the gutter she came from.
"Fine," Roman said. "But she'll regret it."
Nova looked at him. Her face was blank. "I just came back from a war zone, Roman. You're just a man in a suit."
"Deal," the General said. "Call the lawyers."
