Accidentally Married To My Strict Boss

Damon Blackwood doesn't have a frivolous lifestyle, he does not smile and most certainly doesn't like a friendly and informal way of talking, always "The strict boss".

The last Vegas summit was not optional. It was the backbone of a massive merger that would elevate Blackwood Enterprises to unparalleled heights. A deal Damon had spent years pursuing was now dancing towards the door of failure, thanks to an untimely media scandal and the meddling of competitors eager to exploit any crack in his empire. His public image needed rescue, and his PR team had pushed for his presence at the week-long event. "Show the world you're unshakable," they said. "Smile, act informal and close the deal...That's simple."

The sharp lines of his custom-tailored suit revealed his tall, chiselled frame stature as he stepped down from the sleek black private jet. The Las Vegas sun was unjustly harsh beyond control, almost sending Goodbye to his lens, making him demand his dark shade. Damon adjusted the cuff of his crisp white shirt, feeling irritated by the city's excess and chaos -- two things he despises. Yet here he was, right in the middle of it's noise and glamour.

Behind him, Amelia Harper, his assistant, held her leather bag and hurried to meet up with his brisk pace. Unlike Damon, Amelia looked decidedly out of place amid the entourage of polished executives and assistants swarming the jet-like bees. Her collar slacks and simple white blouse, though neat, lacked the luxury expected at such an event. Her caramel brown hair was tied back loosely, and some strands of hair stood out to frame her face, giving her a professional look with mild irritation.

"I thought you hated Vegas," Amelia said breathlessly, trying to meet up the pace with him as they approached the convoy of black SUVs awaiting their arrival.

"I do," Damon replied coolly, with his deep baritone. "But remember we're not here to enjoy the scenery."

"And yet," Amelia countered, "your PR team has planned a full and well-detailed schedule, including tonight's relaxation event. Something about a club? I don't think you dance Mr. Blackwood."

"I don't," he replied curtly. "And don't sound so pleased about it, Amalia. Your job is to keep me on schedule, not mock me."

Amelia rolled her eyes safely out of his view as they approached the car. Working for Damon Blackwood was like managing a tornado -- it's very deadly and exhausting. His relentless ambition gave him the courage to build this empire, but it also left him emotionally closed off, becoming a steel with sharp edges. Amelia only sees a bit of humanity in him, a rare smile when she organizes an impossible task or sometimes a bit of concern when she misses a day, Damon always buried it quickly.

"Don't worry Mr. Blackwood," Amelia said lightly. "I'll make sure your schedule stays accurate."

Inside the car, Damon pulled out his phone and scrolled through his emails. While Amelia sat across from him, going through her note for the meeting. She'd taken the assistant role for the steady pay and stability it offered, but she'd quickly learned that working for Damon was not for the faint-hearted. He was demanding, sometimes ruthless, and often frustratingly dismissive, but... Amelia had a knack for pushing through without overstepping. It was part of what made her so valuable to him, even if he would never admit it.

"Amelia, where are we at tonight's event?" Damon asked suddenly with his eyes still fixed on his phone.

Amelia looked up. "You em... You're expected at the Techworld Reception at the hotel. I booked you in for thirty minutes. Just long enough to shake hands and make a token appearance. After that, your PR team insists that you attend the 'Networking social' at the Ember Club."

"Pardon!! Who arranged that?"

"Your head of PR, Mr silver," she said. "They think it'll make you more humanized and social. You know, billionaire CEO let's loose for once."

Damon exhaled sharply, having a mix between a sigh and a scoff. "Humanize me. What nonsense is that!!"

Amelia refrained from saying that, at times, Damon could certainly benefit from appearing human. "I already know you're going to hate it," she said instead. "But right now boss, the merger hinges on public opinion. You need this to work."

Damon looked at her for the first time since they entered the SUV. His sharp, assessing eyes almost made her disappear from her seat. "And what do you know about public opinion, Amelia?"

She looked at him squarely. "Enough to know you can't afford to be seen as an unreachable isolated billionaire anymore. The board is given a hint about new leadership. I think you need to play their game this time."

Damon hated hearing the truth, especially when it was said so bluntly. But that was Amelia, always unafraid to speak her mind when others pretended in his presence.

"Fine," he relented, facing his phone back. "But if I have to suffer through Ember Club tonight, you're coming too. Someone has to keep me from throwing a drink in someone's face."

Amelia blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're my assistant," Damon said simply. "Consider it overtime."

Amelia opened her mouth to argue, then thought better of it. If Damon Blackwood wanted to drag her to a Las Vegas nightclub, fine. It wasn't like she had come here expecting an easy trip.

Inside the grand Techworld Reception Hall, Damon was every bit the CEO as he made his rounds. He moved like a man who owned the world, his measured steps, his focus and all. Amelia was just on the sidelines holding a clipboard and occasionally exchanging polite small talk with other assistants.

When Damon signalled that they had stayed long enough, she followed him out, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. "That wasn't so bad," she said as they entered the awaiting car.

"You weren't the one shaking hands with men who couldn't put together simple sentences to make sense," Damon said without mixing words.

"Fair point, though," Amelia replied, trying to hide her laughter.

Their next stop was Ember Club, a high-end Vegas hotspot known for its exclusivity and wild nights.

Amelia followed Damon through the velvet ropes, giving her a pass at the door. Inside, the heavy bass beat music was vibrating everywhere. Beautiful chandeliers made of glass and gold were hanging up the ceiling, and of course, the room was filled with socialites, investors and partygoers. Damon looked like he would rather be anywhere else except here.

"Smile," Amelia teased him, raising her voice over the music so that her boss could hear her. "Remember, socialize and humanize yourself," Amelia said, winking an eye at him.

Damon's furious eyes looked at her but didn't respond. His PR manager waved at them from the VIP section to come take a seat as the champagne on the table was already chilling.

Damon was still uncomfortable with the noise and the excess crowd.

"You know," Amelia leaned towards him, trying to say something, "Most people would kill to be here, from the information I gathered, this place set you free from work stress. So, Boss, you should as well pretend to enjoy yourself and boom... You'll like it."

"I don't pretend," Damon fired back. "Not for anyone or any reason."

Immediately, Amelia and Damon freed themselves and began taking the champagne; after several glasses, the champagne was now running through their veins. They were laughing out in ways they hadn't before, dancing together on the dance floor.

"Didn't know you had it in you," Amelia teased, shouting at the top of her voice as she watched him take another glass of champagne and even refill the glass.

Damon smirked in a kind of boyish way, "Careful, Harper. I might start thinking you enjoy my company."

She rolled her eyes and smiled while staggering. "I think I like this part of you."

Damon and Amelia were having a nice drunken time until when he popped up the question... "Let's just get married and enjoy this time together."

"Oh yeah... I would love that." Amelia accepted without thinking about it because she was drunk

Damon pulled her closer and kissed her. They both stole the spotlight as everyone present in that club was cheering them up to kiss again.

Camera lights were just flashing without stopping.

The morning after came with a piercing sunlight on Amelia Harper's face passing through the heavy hotel curtains. At this point, her head was pounding like there was a marching band rehearsal playing inside it. She tried to lift her hand to cover her face from the sun's rays, but she couldn't raise it because there was something heavy on it or someone next to her.

She turned her head and blinked her eyes quickly, her vision was still not clear. "Am I dreaming or hallucinating? Who is lying beside me? Oh my!!! Damon Blackwood... My boss." She gasped

He was shirtless; the sheets were wrapped majorly around his waist. His dark hair was scattered, and his angular jaw showed a shadow of stubble... For a second, she thought he looked almost human, vulnerable even -- but the gravity of the situation on the ground brought her back to reality.

She looked around the room. There were scattered rose petals, an empty champagne bottle, and a funny-looking plastic tiara sitting on top of her purse. Then her gaze landed on the small silver bands on both of their left hands.

"No!" Amelia whispered while trying to sit upright. Her heart was beating very fast as she was shaking Damon's shoulder. "Damon! Wake up!"

He was still feeling very sleepy as he tried opening one eye. "Five more minutes," he mumbled with a tough sleepy voice.

"Sir... This is not the time to sleep. Wake up!" Amelia hissed as she was shaking him harder with annoyance.

His other eye snapped open, and he sat up quickly with a frowning face.

"What the hell is --" his eyes now met with Amelia and then looked at her finger with a ring on it. He looked at his hand also and his eyes widened in horror.

"What is this? What the hell happened last night?" Damon asked, his voice was becoming sharp now.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out because I'm confused too." Amelia snapped trying to get the greater part of the duvet while struggling to stand up from the bed. "All I remembered is going to the club, we have that ridiculous champagne and cocktails, and... Oh no." She slapped her forehead as she remembered little of what happened.

Damon swings his legs quickly over the side of the bed, and suddenly, his movement becomes stiff. "Wait... Did we..." He gestured something in the air between them.

"I think we did." Amelia's voice trembled. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and swiped through the pictures in her gallery. There it was... A blurry photo of them kissing passionately in front of a tacky-looking Vegas chapel.

"Eui... Yank" she spat out. "How did we get here."

Damon was just rubbing his hand around his face. "This is surely a nightmare... We'll get it annulled immediately. We were just drunk and living the moment."

"Annual you say? Was there even a wedding before now? What is there to annual? I never bargained for this. I'm just your assistant." Amelia was now teary, and both of her hands were now on her head.

"Calm down," he snapped. "It's just a mistake."

"Beep, Beep, Beep." Damon's phone Beeped with messages and online pictures of them taken by paparazzi.

"You think this is just a mistake?" She echoed. "Do you even understand what this could do to me? To you? I have a child, Damon! Also, a never-around fiance. This is going to be all over the tabloids!" She lashed out

He froze, and he rolled his blue eyes. "A child? A fiance? Since when do you have those?"

"Well, that's none of your business!" Let's focus on you fixing this shit!!! She fired back.

The tension in the room was sharp enough to cut through anything. "Look, I know I allowed my emotions to get the best part of me while at the club and asked you that question, but that was solely because I was drunk... And you, what's your excuse? You know what... Right now I don't care about your personal life. This -- "He waved his hand around their surroundings." Needs to be erased, and fast. I just need the expertise of my PR team on deck."

"Erased?" She repeated bitterly. "Is that how you see everything? Just another problem for your team to fix?"

"Oh please spare me the lecture," Damon shouted. "I don't have time for this melodrama. I have a company to run."

Amelia was now standing with crossed arms, and her temper was flaring up. "Remember you insisted I follow you to that club, also insisted we danced and let loose. Now we are letting loose by the internet paparazzi." She said sarcastically

Before Damon could respond, the doorbell rang, which startled both of them.

"Mr Blackwood?" A voice called out. "This is Eric from the PR team. We need to talk. It's urgent."

Damon sighed, throwing on a shirt. "Stay here," he ordered Amelia.

"Excuse me? She shot back. "I'm not a dog, Damon. We're in this mess together so I'm coming with you."

Damon opened the door, and Eric entered, holding a tablet with a sad look. "Good morning sir... Sir, I'm sorry to disturb but.."

"What do you mean... Sorry to disturb!! Disturb what exactly? Wait a second... How did I and Miss Harper end up in this hotel together?"

"Sir, this hotel was booked by Miss Harper for you to rest after the event, and this particular room is yours. We wanted to take Miss Harper to her room, but you asked us to leave you guys. You both were really soaked in alcohol, so we decided to let you both work."

????

They looked at each other dumbfounded

Eric handed over the tablet to Damon, showing him the photos of their impromptu wedding circulating all over, making headlines. It screamed: "Billionaire Damon Blackwood Weds his Assistant in Wild Vegas Nightclub!!!"

"CEO's Drunken Marriage: Real love or Publicity stunt?"

Eric cleared his throat. "The best move now, sir, is to spin this as a whirlwind romance. A temporary arrangement. Six months. Then you can divorce quietly."

Amelia's jaw dropped. "What? Absolutely not! I'm not going down that route, pretending to be married to my boss for six months?" That's hilarious

Eric turned to her."Miss Harper, this isn't just about you. The company is at stake here. This marriage could stabilize Mr Blackwood's image and secure a very critical merger."

"No," she said firmly." I refuse to be a pawn in some corporate scheme. I want an annulment to whatever this is, now!" "In fact, now I'm just getting a heads up; it seems you guys planned all of this; that's why you all insisted I go with the boss. You all want to ridicule me." Impossible!

"No, Miss, please don't misunderstand the situation; it's only right you went with him as his assistant to keep him on track with his schedule, but...." He scratched his head. "Ma'am, Damage control is what we need now; please be reasonable."

"Reasonable?" She snapped. "You dragged me to that club, and now you want me to fix your mess? I have other things to do, please. I can't be playing house with you for six months."

Eric sighed, looking at Damon. "If she doesn't cooperate, the fallout will be massive."

Damon was now furious. "Amelia, let's not forget your mother's ill health; you need financial aid. I could ensure she gets the best care or I could.... Reconsider."

Amelia was now filled with fury. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me," Damon said coldly.

"You're unbelievable. But I won't be bullied, Damon. Do your worst."

The room fell silent. Finally, Eric spoke. "This isn't ideal, but we can work around it. Damon, let's discuss contingency plans."

Damon gave Amelia a long, unreadable look before following Eric out of the room.

Left alone, Amelia fell on the bed, with her head in her hands.

"I know Damon could make my life difficult, but I refused to compromise my dignity or my son's happiness."

Damon banged the door out of frustration and grumbling. "I need to speak with your Head of Department, Mrs Clara. Where is she?" Damon asked Eric as they stepped out.

"This way sir... Let me quickly get her into the second paid room because we wouldn't need early morning attention drawn to you now by the waiting media outside pressuring for an interview." Eric pointed towards an elevator leading to the fourth floor

"Good morning, sir. I'm sorry for delaying. I was having an online meeting with the Titan's industry, addressing every inappropriateness by the media." Mrs Clara stated

"I need to know the extent of damage done or is this a joke?

"I wish it was sir," Clara said. "Unfortunately, these photos have gone viral. It's over the media, sir. The tabloids are eating this up, and our shareholders are already asking questions, which I'm trying to answer sir."

Damon wasn't finding the situation funny at all, years of hard work trying to go down the drain... Peep he snapped his fingers, just like that.

"Let them go ahead and ask because I don't understand how one moment of easing myself of stress and tension got me here; how and why was the media everywhere last night at the club? Your team should have planned and observed the surroundings before asking me to attend that nightclub." Damon flared up hitting his hands on the desk.

"Anyways, what's on the ground now? Because I don't think I can go ahead with Eric's suggestion. This doesn't change anything, let's just release a statement explaining the... misunderstanding. Because I can't deal, I know I have threatened Miss Harper in there already, but the truth is I'm really confused now; I simply can't wrap my head around this; I agree with Miss Harper. We have to annul whatever this is."

Clara exchanged a glance with her team, then looked back at Damon. "It's not that simple sir."

"Why not? It's my cross I'll bear it. Why is it so hard."

Clara shook her head and dropped her now very heavy tabloid. "Sir this has gone beyond just a personal scandal. It's a business one now."

Damon rolled his eyes and leaned on the wall crossed legs. "Explain."

Clara took a deep breath. "Remember you're in the middle of a negotiation with Titan industries. Their CEO's, Greaves Jonathan, is a family man. He values stability and public image. This... Scandal? It could make him reconsider the merger entirely. Not to mention the damage to Blackwood Enterprises' reputation."

Damon's jaw tightened. "So what are you also suggesting? That I stay married?"

Clara didn't shake as he shot glances at her. "For now, yes sir. At least until the deal is finalized. A messy annulment right now would only add fuel to the already burning fire. The media spins it as impulsive, reckless behaviour... Exactly what we don't need sir."

Damon took his coat and wore it. "I think we need to go meet Miss Harper so you can explain the resolution of this to her."

The door to Amelia's room opened and closed, and immediately, she stood up, acting on impulse.

"No matter the number of people you bring here, I'm not given in to that term." Amelia bluntly stated.

Damon was now feeling bad for dragging his assistant into the present issue.

"Miss Harper, please calm down ok... You aren't the only one on this, apologies for blowing out on you earlier on."

"Oh! What a nice strategy, so you think you can make me accept staying in a fake marriage for the sake of your own business, which isn't mine. Hmm, please, sir, with all due respect, dismiss that thought; it won't work." Amelia said plainly.

Clara turned to her with a calm expression.

"Calmness is what you need now Miss Amelia Harper. Look, I understand this is a lot to ask, but yes, going on with the marriage is exactly what I'm suggesting, in fact, what the team is suggesting. It's temporary. Six months tops. Enough time for the meddling media to lose interest and for the merger to push through."

Amelia's eyes were now furious and a bit teary. "This wasn't my mistake. Why should I pulse my life and revolve around business redemption called 'marriage' why?"

Damon, at this point, stopped pacing and looked at her; his frustration was now boiling over. "As your boss, you think I want this? That I planned for this disaster? You were just as much a part of that drunken mistake as I was."

"Don't you dare pin this on me," Amelia shot back, rising to her feet. "You dragged me to that club. I was only there because you insisted it's part of my job description and that I need to keep taps off your schedule. Indeed, I can see how I kept taps off your schedule because my schedule is now included." Amelia dangled her fingers in the air while being sarcastic and blowing hot.

"Enough," Clara interjected with a firm voice. "Arguing at this point won't solve anything. Boss, if we want to save this deal, you need to play along. And Miss Harper, you'd be compensated generously for your cooperation."

Amelia's jaw tightened. "I don't want your money. I have my responsibility to think about, and I can't afford to have any distraction or my life been turned upside down for a corporate deal."

Clara hesitated, then softened her tone. "I understand. But think about the potential benefit. I know you're worried about your work, child and mother's health bills but guess what... Your child's future is secured. She stared at Damon and back at Amelia, We can arrange for financial support, healthcare, education... Whatever you need. And your job, don't worry about it... we know you can't keep up with the everyday eye contact with you, so you'll still be paid. Just consider this six months as part of the job and working from home."

Damon frowned, looking between Clara and Amelia. "Are you trying to blackmail her now?"