The Bosses Pretend Bride

A few days went by, and finally, when Rory woke, she was weak and tired, so Jason knew he would have to wait a little while longer. The staff kept him up-to-date on her progress. Once, Mrs. Thorn said that she was well enough for visitors. She informed Jason that Doctor Abrams had come to check on her again and gave her the okay to be able to start moving about.

Jason felt no small amount of relief at the news, though he didn't show it. He thanked Mrs. Thorn before dismissing her. He knew he was avoiding the inevitable, but Jason just wasn't sure how to approach Ms. Whitney about their situation.

He knew he couldn't put it off forever, though. After his meeting with a major financial corporation, he was in the process of purchasing Jason. He knew he had to bite the bullet and get it over with, so he stopped by her room to check up on her. When he walked in, she was sitting up in bed reading a book with the title Physic 101 on it.

Jason greeted her as he stepped further into the room. "Good afternoon, Ms. Whitney." She looked up at him upon hearing him enter and smiled warmly, greeting him back.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Carrow. Please call me Rory." She set her book down next to her before speaking again softly. Her blue eyes met his. "I am, so terribly sorry for the trouble I have caused." Rory said it right away, sounding completely sincere in her apology. "I know it has probably been an inconvenience to you and your staff having me here and taking care of me; it couldn't have been easy." Rory blushed as she continued. "I promise I will be out of your hair as soon as I am better. I will never darken your doorstep again." She said it in jest.

Hearing her say that made Jason's heart squeeze painfully, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he moved over to a seat nearest her and sat down. His gaze became serious as he spoke. He took on the same tone as when he was speaking to a room full of associates, but not as loud, seeing as it was only the two of them.

"That is something I have come to discuss with you." Jason waited for her question about what he meant, but it didn't come. Instead, her face seemed to take on a curious expression. He continued before he could mentally talk himself out of it.

"You are in a precarious situation with your family, are you not?"

Rory nodded at his question, not entirely sure where he was going with this conversation. She decided to let him continue to see what he had to say about it. After all, she owed him, and she had no one else to turn to.

Jason continued as she sat there silently, as if waiting for him to finish saying everything he needed to. He was grateful for that because if she had started bombarding him with questions, he wasn't sure he would be able to finish what he needed to say.

"It is not safe for you out there. Maronies men will find you if neither you nor your father don't pay him back." He watched her open her mouth to speak, but Jason held up a hand to stop her. "I have decided that I am going to pay off your father's debt." Her gasp of surprise and subsequent protest were not unexpected.

"Mr. Carrow, I couldn't possibly ask you to do something like that. It's way too much. You don't even know how much my father owes." She said with some shock and a lot of protest, but he just silenced her with a raised hand once more.

"I am well aware of how much your father owes, and this transaction doesn't come completely for free. You need protection, and I need something in return. I am not completely doing this out of the kindness of my heart. I assure you." He tried to say it in jest, but he knew it fell flat because it wasn't something he practiced.

His words seemed to catch Rory off guard because her jaw clicked shut. She leveled her gaze at him. Her eyes turned serious as she took in everything about him.

Rory could not fathom for the life of her what she could possibly do for someone like him. The man oozed power, control, and confidence. Rory was not stupid. She had surmised that he was not poor. She couldn't be sure how much money he had, but Rory knew he had to be well off if he kept as much staff as he did.

Jason noticed her contemplative look and could only assume she was thinking over his words and picking them apart mentally. He waited patiently for her response. When she finally gave him one, he was a bit surprised at her response.

"I am not sure what you would require of me that you cannot get anywhere else or from anyone you choose. But I will do my utmost to help you in any way I can. You saved me from those men and nursed me back to health." She looked away for a moment. A sad expression crossed her face before she turned back to look at him once more. Her face was a mask of determination and resolve.

"I am not rich, so I don't know what I could do that would repay you, but whatever it is you need, I will do my best to provide."

Her words sent a feeling through him that he had never felt before. It was new and strange to have someone offer their help out of the kindness of their heart. That didn't happen in his world. Everyone was out to get what they could from him with little to no regard for his well-being. But here sat this girl he had barely gotten to know, offering up whatever she had because he had rescued her from a bad situation.

Jason didn't know what to make of her sincerity, so he stated it bluntly, not knowing how else to say it other than just come out with what he required from her.

"What I need, Ms. Whitney, is a pretend wife."

The moment the words were out of his mouth, you could hear a pin drop in the silence of the room.