Chapter 7 - The Final MergerMonday morning in Manhattan did not feel like the start of a standard business week.
When the private armored Mercedes-Benz pulled up outside the towering glass-and-steel skyscraper that housed Ricci Enterprises, the city was alive with the chaotic symphony of horns, sirens, and rushing commuters. But inside the car, the air was entirely still.
Marco sat beside me in the back seat, his hand resting comfortably on my knee, his thumb tracing slow, rhythmic circles against my skin.
“Are you ready?” he asked softly, looking over at me with a small, confident smile that made my stomach do happy flips.
I adjusted the collar of my crisp white blouse—the same one I had worn on Friday night, though now it carried an entirely different meaning—and turned to meet his gaze.
“For a hostile takeover?” I raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk playing on my lips. “Mr. Ricci, I’ve been running your life for two years. Managing your heart is just an executive promotion.”
Marco let out a rich, dark laugh, leaning over to press a warm, lingering kiss to my lips right as the car rolled to a smooth stop at the private subterranean garage entrance.
Ten minutes later, we stepped out of the private executive elevator onto the forty-second floor.
The bullpen of senior analysts, junior associates, and administrative assistants immediately fell silent. Heads snapped up from computer monitors. Dozens of pairs of eyes darted from Marco’s relaxed, unreadable expression to my calm, composed demeanor—and then down to our hands, which were firmly, unapologetically interlaced.
For two seconds, absolute silence reigned across the entire floor.
Then, Sarah from marketing dropped her stapler with a resounding clack.
Marco didn't break stride. He walked me all the way across the open-plan office to my glass-walled assistant’s desk situated directly outside his private executive suite.
Instead of letting go of my hand, Marco stopped, turned to face me in full view of forty curious employees, and leaned down to speak in a voice that carried clearly across the entire floor.
“Cancel my morning meetings, Emily,” Marco instructed smoothly, a dangerous, beautiful smile playing across his lips.
“All of them, Mr. Ricci?” I raised an eyebrow, playing along with the game.
“Every single one,” Marco replied, lifting my hand and pressing a soft, deliberate kiss to my knuckles before whispering against my skin: “We have a long-term merger to negotiate in my office, and I don't intend to let my new partner out of my sight ever again.”
A collective gasp echoed across the bullpen, instantly followed by the sound of suppressed cheering and wild applause from the marketing department.
I couldn't help the radiant, helpless smile that broke across my face. I reached up with my free hand, looped my fingers into the lapel of his tailored blazer, and pulled him down for one final, public kiss that left zero doubt in anyone’s mind about who was really running the empire.
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The lie was dead. The performance was over.
And as Marco pulled me through the heavy glass doors into his office and locked them behind us, I knew I had finally won the only prize that had ever truly mattered.
