Chapter 5 FIVE

"How big is this residence?" Lennox asked, because the size suddenly felt very important.

"Mr. Westbrook's primary residence is a penthouse in Tribeca. Approximately eight thousand square feet across two floors."

Eight thousand square feet. Lennox's entire apartment could probably fit in his closet.

"Okay," she said slowly. "So it's big enough that we wouldn't constantly be running into each other."

"More than big enough." Gerald's expression softened slightly, like he could see her panic. "Miss Rivers, I understand this is overwhelming. But let me finish explaining the arrangement before you spiral."

Lennox nodded, even though she was definitely already spiraling.

"You'll have your own bedroom suite, bedroom, bathroom, sitting area. Think of it as your own apartment within the larger residence. Mr. Westbrook's suite is on the opposite end of the penthouse. There are also guest rooms, offices, common areas. You'll have plenty of space and privacy."

"My own bedroom." Some of the tension in Lennox's chest eased slightly. "So we're not... I mean, he doesn't expect..."

"No expectation of physical intimacy whatsoever," Gerald said firmly. "Mr. Westbrook was very clear about that. Separate bedrooms, separate lives. You'll share public spaces when necessary and attend events together, but your private lives remain completely separate. He's not looking for anything beyond the appearance of marriage for legal purposes."

Relief flooded through her. At least she wouldn't have to pretend to be in love behind closed doors. At least she'd have her own space, her own room to retreat to when this whole charade became too much.

"So it's basically like roommates," Lennox said. "Really distant roommates in a really big apartment."

"That's an accurate assessment." Gerald almost smiled. "You'll attend public events as his wife, maintain appearances for family and media. But when you're home, you're free to live your own life within the bounds of the contract."

"What are the bounds?" Because there were always bounds, always rules she'd probably break accidentally.

"You maintain the appearance of a legitimate marriage publicly. You don't bring other romantic interests into the residence or be seen publicly with anyone who could be construed as a romantic partner. You attend required events and fulfill social obligations. And most importantly, you maintain absolute confidentiality about the contract nature of the arrangement."

"So lie to everyone and don't date." Lennox's stomach twisted. "For a year."

"Or two years, if you agree to the extension. Which we hope you will." Gerald slid another document toward her. "The compensation increases significantly if you complete the full two years required by Mr. Westbrook's father's will."

Right. The will. The reason this entire insane situation existed.

"Tell me about that," Lennox said. "The will requirements."

Gerald hesitated, then seemed to decide she deserved the full picture. "Mr. Westbrook's father passed away eighteen months ago. The will stipulates that both his sons must be married before their thirtieth birthdays and remain married for a minimum of two years. If they fail, the entire Westbrook empire, all fifteen billion dollars, gets liquidated and donated to charity."

Fifteen billion dollars. The number was so big it didn't even feel real. Lennox had been tracking millions in her Cipher investigations, and even that felt impossible. But fifteen billion? That was generational wealth. That was power on a scale she couldn't comprehend.

"Both sons," Lennox repeated. "So Callum has a brother?" Not like she wasn't already aware.

"Cole Westbrook. He has twenty two months to meet the same requirement." Gerald's expression remained carefully neutral. "Their father believed they were too focused on business and needed to build real families. So he essentially held their inheritance hostage until they married."

That was either genius or cruel or both. Lennox couldn't decide. Forcing your sons to marry or lose everything? It felt manipulative, controlling. But maybe their father had seen something in them that needed changing. Maybe he'd watched them become the kind of men who valued money over everything else and decided to do something about it.

Or maybe he was just another rich person playing games with other people's lives because he could.

"And Callum turns thirty in eleven months," she said, working through the timeline.

"Exactly. Which means we need to move quickly. The marriage needs to be established, stable, and completely legitimate in appearance. No hint of it being a business arrangement." Gerald leaned forward slightly. "That's where you come in, Miss Rivers. You need this marriage to avoid prison. Mr. Westbrook needs it to save his family legacy. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Mutually beneficial. What a way to describe two desperate people making a deal.

"What about his family?" Lennox asked. "Won't they be suspicious that he suddenly married some nobody they've never heard of?"

"You'll be introduced as someone he met through business connections. Quick engagements happen frequently in these circles, people will gossip, but they'll accept it if you both commit to the story. You'll need to be prepared for questions, for scrutiny. His mother in particular will want to get to know you."

His mother. Lennox hadn't even thought about that. She'd be meeting Callum's family, sitting across from his mother at dinner tables, pretending she'd fallen madly in love with a man who looked at her like a problem to solve.

"What's she like?" Lennox asked. "His mother."

"Patricia Westbrook is... formidable. She's very protective of her sons, very aware of their positions in society. She'll want to make sure you're not after their money." Gerald's expression was carefully neutral. "Which, ironically, you technically are. But she doesn't need to know that."

Great. So she'd have to convince not just the public and the media, but Callum's protective mother that this marriage was real. That she loved him. That she wasn't some gold digger trying to get her hands on the family fortune.

While secretly investigating the family company for massive fraud.

This plan had so many ways it could go wrong.

"I can be convincing," Lennox said, hoping it was true.

"You'll need to be more than convincing," Gerald said seriously. "You'll need to be perfect. One slip, one moment where someone suspects this isn't real, and everything falls apart. For both of you."

The weight of that settled over Lennox like a blanket. Perfect. She had to be perfect for two years while living a complete lie.

"Good." Gerald pulled out more papers. "Now, let's discuss the financial terms."