Would he?
Her heart wouldn’t examine the answer too closely.
* * *
Luke looked up at the sound of the conference-room door opening, his pen still hovering above the signature page. Irene swept in, followed by... Danica? He sprung to his feet, a wide smile of welcome on his face. It disappeared as soon as he got a good look at her expression. It reminded him of the wide-eyed, stricken stare she gave him when they first met and she discovered Johanna had closed up shop without a word. “What’s wrong?”
“What could possibly be wrong?” Irene arranged herself in a chair next to her father. “Shall I open the champagne?”
“When the deal memo has his signature.” Nestor indicated the stack of paper.
Luke ignored them. He stepped to Danica’s side and took her right hand in both of his. It felt like holding an ice cube. “Is everything okay?”
“You haven’t signed?” Danica’s gaze searched his.
“I’m about to. Why?”
She threw a glance at the Stavros father and daughter. “Can we speak? Alone?”
Irene took the foil off the neck of the champagne bottle. “She’s about to tell you we know all about your fake marriage and we don’t care.”
Luke kept his gaze locked on Danica’s as he responded to Irene. “Your father made it clear the marriage clause in the contract was fake, as well.”
“The clause was a fake?” Danica’s eyes widened. “But of course it was. Just another move in the game.”
“It worked.” Irene shrugged. “Better than we ever could have anticipated. We alleviated our board’s concerns about Luke’s stability, we own Ruby Hawk, and, thanks to both of you, we have leverage for the future. Oh, that’s the other thing she wants to tell you, Luke. We have written proof of your marriage scam.” She popped the champagne cork. “Useful, that. Someday, I’m sure.”
Nestor looked at his diamond-encrusted Rolex. “Can we get back to business? I leave for Los Angeles in a half hour to meet with my bankers. If we don’t have an agreement today, it will be months before the board will approve another offer.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen your financials, my boy. You don’t have months left.”
Danica turned to Luke, her hand still locked in his. “You can’t sell. Not to them.” Her gaze pleaded with him.
“Come with me.” Luke ushered her out of the conference room to a small alcove nearby where they could speak somewhat privately. But anyone could walk by, and he was aware they were drawing curious glances from the engineers sitting in the open plan bullpen. He lowered his voice. “I’m signing the deal. I have to. It will ensure Ruby Hawk’s future.”
Danica’s already pale complexion turned ghostly white. “But you heard what they said. You’ll never be free of them. You’re selling yourself out.”
“It’s going to be okay.” He wanted to push an errant curl behind her ear. He settled for a tight smile. “This won’t change anything between us.”
She pulled her hand away from his, her head shaking. “You mean you’re okay. I’m not. They admit they have the game rigged but you’re still playing.” She hugged her arms close, her shoulders hunched. “And things will change. Our marriage ends when the acquisition is a done deal. Not that we had to get married in the first place, apparently.”
The mention of their agreement caused his gut to contract. “It doesn’t need to end. We’ll find a way to negate any leverage Irene thinks she has.”
Her gaze locked on his. “There you go, changing the strategy again. Don’t you understand? This isn’t about our agreement. It’s about you and the Stavroses. If you take the deal, the game continues. But you can stop it, now, by saying no to them. If you don’t—” she took a deep breath “—I will. I will walk away. I won’t be a threat held over your head.”
“I’ll handle it. You just need to trust me.”
Danica’s head jerked back. “Trust you? Tell me why, Luke. Why should I trust you?”
He was missing something. Something very important. But he didn’t have time to puzzle it out. “Because I have everything under control.”