Page 53 of My Unexpected Surprise
Normal things.
Then she sets her plate down and fixes me with a knowing look. “Engaged, huh?”
I roll my eyes and take a long sip of wine. “It’s fake. Don’t get your panties in a twist. It’s just for the retreat to keep the Aurelius deal alive. Separate rooms, strict boundaries, the whole thing is contractual. I signed it today.”
Piper listens, nodding slowly, but I can see the protective fire already burning behind her eyes.
She tells me about her conversation with Valentino in more detail, repeating her threat word for word. “If you hurt Livia or Nico, I will turn your luxury security empire into a Yelp review with Wi-Fi.”
She smiles sweetly at the memory. “He respected it. Actually sounded almost amused in that scary calm way of his. Told me he appreciated clear lines of defense.”
I laugh, but the sound feels shaky. The weight of the lie presses on me again. The rumors at the office. The careful backstory we built. The way Valentino’s gaze had lingered on me when Piper mentioned the proposal.
Everything feels one wrong step away from collapse.
Yet beneath the fear, unwanted warmth lingers whenever I remember standing close to him in his office, the near brush of our lips, the raw hunger in his eyes before he stepped back.
Piper refills our glasses and launches into more stories from her day, including another colorful complaint about Dominic Calder.
I listen and laugh in the right places, but my mind keeps drifting to the Hudson Valley estate looming ahead.
Ten days pretending to belong to Valentino Ferretti. Ten days protecting my secrets while my body betrays me with every accidental touch and heated glance.
I sink deeper into the couch cushions, wine warm in my veins, and wonder how long I can keep all the plates spinning before one inevitably crashes down around us.
Chapter Twelve
VALENTINO
The convoy of black SUVs winds through the Hudson Valley hills under a clear afternoon sky.
The estate unfolds before us like a carefully engineered sanctuary. Stone pathways, manicured gardens, and discreet security towers blend into the natural landscape.
This is no ordinary retreat.
The Aurelius Consortium designed it as a live-testing environment for family security scenarios. Every building, every sight line, and every access point serves dual purposes: luxury and evaluation.
I note the placement of hidden cameras and reinforced entry points as our vehicle pulls up to the private family cottage assigned to us.
Livia sits beside me in the back seat. Nico occupies the booster seat between us, his small hands clutching a toy car.
The boy has been surprisingly calm during the drive, asking questions about the trees and the large gates we passed. I answered each one directly, watching how his gray eyes lit up with curiosity.
The fake engagement contract sits signed and sealed in my system, yet the reality of sharing this space with them feels heavier than any document.
Margaret Aurelius herself greeted us at the main lodge upon arrival. Other firms had already settled in.
I recognized representatives from three competitors, all polished and watchful.
One man in particular caught my attention. A tall, sharply dressed executive from De Luca Security Solutions. Dante’s company.
His gaze lingered on Livia a fraction too long before sliding to Nico. I filed the observation away for later review. Competition is expected here, but personal history adds layers I don’t yet fully understand.
“The cottage is yours for the duration,” Margaret had said with a warm smile. “We want families to be comfortable. True protection begins at home, after all.”
The cottage is luxurious. Two bedrooms, a spacious open living area, a full kitchen, and a private terrace overlooking the lake.
Separate sleeping quarters satisfy the contract, but the shared kitchen, dining space, and living room make intimacy unavoidable. Family meals. Public couple appearances. Nico running between us. The setup tests more than security protocols.
