I looked at him. “What do you want?”

“I need a wife,” he said calmly. “A legal one. Someone capable of auditing my company and stopping internal embezzlement. My ex wife has been siphoning funds through your ex husband.”

I took a breath. “Why me?”

“You have motive. You have skill. And neither of us believes in love anymore.”

He leaned forward slightly. “Be at the city clerk’s office tomorrow at eight.”

I glanced at Jason, who was kissing Lauren’s forehead.

I turned back. “Done. But I want full control of your finance department.”

Christopher stood. “I will see you tomorrow, Mrs. Vaughn.”

The next morning, I married him.

There were no vows, only signatures.

Within hours, I was walking into Vaughn Maritime Group as the new Chief Financial Officer. The office buzzed with whispers, but I ignored them and went straight to work. I reviewed transaction logs, vendor payments, and internal approvals. Patterns quickly emerged.

Millions had been routed through fake service companies.

One of them belonged to Lauren’s brother.

By the afternoon, I found a pending transfer large enough to disrupt the company’s finances. I froze it immediately.

Then my phone buzzed.