The CEO's sweetheart.

ROMAN VASSLLLEV'S POV

I had decided to make my findings about Federico Vincenzo and everyone who dealt with him ended up with the same lines of 'he treasures the concept of marriage', though I knew if I put a call through I could have a personal conversation with him due to my reputation in the business world, but I doubt he would take me so serious if he knew I wanted to become part of the world revolving around Suit Tailoring.

I mean suits and casinos may go together but not so much to want to own a Suit line too, the only thing that would seem to get his attention would be his treasured notion about marriage meaning I needed a wife as soon as possible, I would want to be acquainted with everyone involved in The Suit line of business here in Italy before The Autumn Suit Fest that rather involved half the world showcasing their tremendous pieces, hence the urgent need to acquire a woman with a charisma to intrigue Mr Vincenzo .

And if I'm being honest talking to a lady had never really cut it for me,and it was solely on their part, it's either they came off too clingy, or too needy or just not something I want to be involved with so how was I going to find not just any woman, one with outstanding characteristics?.

Yeah Dmitry might know a few but I doubt I could stand them or even Anton, he actually had a better taste in women than my brother, and as much as I would have loved to keep this new development from everyone I had no choice, I guess I'll be seeing them at City of Sin this weekend. Though it's my creation, The Club isn't a place I frequented, I did it for the sole purpose of a lucrative business hence the reason my brother runs the show there.

"You good for a weekend treat? Bills on me though," "Yes at The Club Dmitry don't sound so surprised, I own the place remember?" "Yeah nine will be just fine, Just Anton, yourself and I" "See you then". Arrghh, hope they can help me out here.

"Hey man you good? Though you don't look it" Anton acknowledged, yes I'm aware of that man, I hate being tied to a spot and that's all I am right now. Taking a sip of liquor I gave it away "I need a wife" the drink that was once deposited in Dmitry's mouth was sputtered out "Roman are you dying?" he asked "Fuck no Dmitry!, why would you even think that?!. "I don't know you tell me, for all I know you don't seem interested in woman, I could even bet on my life that you're still a virgin, so why would you want not just a woman 'A Wife' all of a sudden?!, Anton please tell me you can see where I'm coming from?.

"Roman I'll have to agree with Dmitry this time, you've never seemed interested so what's changed now?",hmm,here it comes "I want to fully go into the Suit Making line of business and The man I need to speak with has a thing for 'Man and Wife' he believes together they can build an empire, and you know how it is, I need to 'Dress to Impress' and my dress would be 'A Wife'.

"The problem now is I need someone with a charming charisma, someone who can intrigue this man, a smart, loyal,and maybe an air of delicacy to put softness to the character, I doubt anyone could resist these characteristics, she just has to put this front up until I'm able to get a deal with him. Please tell me you guys have someone in your archives that fit this personalities, even if it's all an act".

Dmitry was the first to speak "I'm sorry brother, what you're looking for can only be found in the heavens, because the ladies out here are about The money or attention and that's that", I could already feel hope slipping out, "Wait," Anton said, though he seemed reluctant,but I didn't mind, there may still be hope "there could be someone who matched these characters, there's a girl I met months ago on the outskirts of Campania,and though she doesn't talk much when she speaks there's wisdom coming from her words, she also has the delicacy you're talking about, I don't know about loyalty, there hasn't been anything I could place on that yet".

"Whats her name?" I softly enquired, he seemed to be protective of the girl, "Giulia Davide, she works in a high school as a librarian, and I doubt the work is cutting in for her expenses, so she is likely to accept your offer, or not, I'll have to speak with her first, if she calls in then you have yourself 'A Wife' ".

I was still going to wait on her? To call?, "Anton I have plans to catch up with, what if she doesn't call in? What do I do then?" "Well it's either you wait and hope she does call in or there are tons of women out there who would act out what you want, only thing is it might come off too perfect or too cringe, Giulia is natural, and that's what you need, Mr Vincenzo has been married for a long time, he would know a fake when he sees a fake".

Well there goes my fate again, I now have to wait for this Giulia to call in, great!!!. Meanwhile Dmitry had zoned out of the conversation a long time ago since he had nothing to contribute,following his line of sight there was a blonde girl giving him signs to come over, I bet he was already at her side mentally, so to relieve him and myself from the horrific sight I excused him, thanking him for his presence with us, Anton had a dinner date at home with his woman tonight and had to make a duty excuse to meet up with me so I excused him as well, he was going to talk to Giulia about my proposal tomorrow, and all I can do is hope she accepts.

THIRD PERSON POV:

"Giulia!!! How're youu? It's been a while, how's life and work as well?" an enthusiastic Anton spoke through the phone, and this had Giulia chuckling "What's got you so giddy this morning Anton, the last time you were this happy was when you found your crush had split with her boyfriend,and I know you guys are together now, or are you having a baby??!!" "Hell no!! It's been two months Giulia and I don't think I'm in anyway ready to be a father!"

An emotion slipped his voice that didn't go unnoticed by Giulia and she almost felt sorry for asking that question, so instead of voicing her thoughts that she's sorry she changed the topic immediately "So to what do I owe this call?" she asked, "There's a job offer that can earn you good money, not to sound judgemental but you can't hide the fact that your current job isn't cutting you a decent three square meal, and even if I offered my help you would decline, so a good friend of mine has a job offer I think would be beneficial to you and himself, why don't you check it out, meanwhile I've mailed the business card to you, if you're interested you make the call".

"I know Anton, it's no secret ok, so what's this job about, atleast you can give me a fair idea of what it is" Giulia asked, "It's not my place to tell you Giulia, how about you make the call and find out, if you don't like it you can decline it ok, no pressure" Giulia sensed he low key wanted her to accept the offer, how hard can it be, if she didn't like the terms she could decline so yeah...

"Alright Anton, I'll think about it, thank you for the look out too, extend my warmest regards to Viola okk" "Anytime Giulia, of course, she'll hear, infact, Lyubov',Giulia sends her regards! ', She says you're so sweet and she can't wait to finally meet you Giulia" this had Giulia smiling "Tell her soon enough, I'll pay you both a visit someday in Venice, now take care of yourselves and bye!!

GIULIA'S POV

It had been a week since I received the call from Anton about the job offer, not that I didn't need a job, I just didn't know what to expect, yet again I know Anton would not recommend anything that would put me in harms way.

I met him about six months ago in a grocery store when he bumped into me while staring at his phone and me on the other hand making serious calculations in my head for the necessity and wants based on my low budget.

When this happened I wasn't annoyed but looking at the man that bumped into me one thought was prominent 'run' he was a hulk of a man, and I couldn't blame myself, I had been living in fear for the past six years, thoughts of being found by my stepmother has been nagging my life throughout, and while running wasn't a bad idea, I didn't need to be tagged a psychopath here, I had tried so hard to maintain a low profile in this town and it worked just fine.

After the incident Anton had a more relaxed demeanor now, maybe he had sensed my discomfort, but whatever it was I was grateful, he apologized for his lack of concentration and even tried to make a joke about it and in no time we connected good, making me remember the times when I was so jovial and outgoing, but what can I say, times and seasons change.

Anton had become a good friend of mine, and he lived in Venice, paying me a visit once or twice a month with gifts, expensive ones if I might add, he said he worked in a Casino hence the gifts did nothing to his account, and it was these times I remembered what it felt like to have someone around, Anton had unknowingly become a good part of this new life I started years ago though he acted more like an elder brother, making me miss Andre.

Dad and Andre were involved in a ghastly car accident that I have no doubt was orchestrated by my stepmother for she had grown vile towards us. Anton however had my brothers height and so I sealed the fact that he was my second chance brother, funny right? but that was it, so he wouldn't do anything to harm me.

After hard thoughts I looked at the business card that had the name Roman Vasslllev, the name had a ring to it but I couldn't place where I heard or saw it, but this was not important now,so I picked my cell phone and dialed the number. "Whom am I speaking with?"came a professional female voice from the other side of the phone, I remembered Anton telling me to say he referred me to Roman Vasslllev.

"I'm Giulia Davide and I need to speak with Roman Vasslllev, I was referred to him by Anton Orlov" before I finished my sentence the voice was replaced by a deep velvety voice thick with a Russian accent, and I swear my voice hitched so that I couldn't even tell what he said, who is this man!!!

"Are you still there Miss Davide?",did he just say my name? shit I forgot I was on a call, "Yes Mr Vasslllev, I'm sorry for that, Mr Orlov said you have a proposal that would be of benefit to me, is it still available?" I couldn't decipher the next lines I heard, not only that he sounded gruff too "Eto zanyalo u tebya dostatochno vremeni(Took you long enough)" and although it sounded so beautiful in a manly way I didn't know what it meant and he was referring to me.

"I'm sorry what's that? I didn't quite catch you there Mr Vasslllev" now hoping I didn't come off in an annoying way because the line went silent for about six seconds or more "Oh it's nothing Miss Davide, and the offer is still on ground, now I'll love you to pick a location of your choice for ease and comfort to have a better view of the offer and its terms, are you ok with this? "

That's thoughtful, I'll have to thank him when we meet, "Of course Mr Vasslllev, Miranda's pastries will be fine, I'll email the location to you after this call" "And what day will you be free?",

"Tomorrow is good Mr Vasslllev, and proposals are best attended to in the morning might I add. " "Then you have a meeting tomorrow Miss Davide, I'll be there by 9:00am, do have a fine day" and just like that the line went silent on the other end, guess I'm doing this afterall, I hope the offer is something I can work with.

I'd gotten up by 8:00am today and was preparing for the meeting with Mr Vasslllev, after the call yesterday I called in sick and was given two days off so here I was.

I finished at about 8:30 and decided to stroll down to the meeting point which was a 20 minute walk from my house, strolling would help me release the anxiety that was steadily growing with the thought of the meeting, thoughts like 'what if I can't do it?', 'what if he doesn't see me as qualified? , I mean I didn't get the chance to graduate from fashion academy meaning I had no certificate whatsoever', telling myself that all of these worries won't help me at the moment and that if anything happened I still had a job and a roof over my head and with these thoughts I willed myself to calm down.

I was out of my thoughts in no time and Miranda's was in sight so I walked in, I'd also made it eight minutes early which is a plus for me, reminding myself that first impression matters and I was doing just great by being here early.

I found a comfortable spot close to the window that gave me a clear view of what's outside. The town I stay in is the less busy part of Campania, giving off the homey vibe and Miranda's was always filled with welcoming faces, it's the reason I picked it.

I had been staring outside and so lost in thought that I didn't feel someone taking the seat in front of me "Miss Davide?" that voice had me looking over to the massive figure now seated in front of me having me confused "Mr Vasslllev?", "You're punctual, remarkable" came his reply, Was that a compliment? What should I say? still feeling somewhat embarrassed for not sensing his presence I couldn't afford any further embarrassment.

"It's a business proposal afterall, and I apologize for not noting your presence on time, and if you don't mind me asking,how did you figure out I was the one seated here?" my curiosity won over my embarrassment, I just needed to know...

"Well it's not hard to tell, looking around you're the only one who's seated and not eating indicating that you're waiting for somebody, and that is how I knew it was you Miss Davide" I didn't miss the mischief dancing in his blue orbs or the confidence in his speech and looking around now he was right.

"Fair point, nice to meet you Mr Vasslllev", "The pleasure is all mine Miss Davide". I don't know if I was hearing things but there's a way my name slips out of his tongue, it's almost sensual, and I know this because I've heard other people calling my name or maybe I'm hearing things, it could just be me and my intrusive thoughts...

Mr Vasslllev's voice had betrayed the way he appeared today, I had imagined a formal dressing so that I had tried to look as formal as I could, putting on a knee length dress and poms, and also doing a half bun and letting the other tresses fall off to my waist,meanwhile Mr Vasslllev was putting on a casual T-shirt that hugged his frame with a Jean trouser, this shouldn't be a problem now right?.

"Is there something wrong Miss Davide?", what's he talking about? "What do you mean Mr Vasslllev?",he chuckled, and damn!, if he made a sound like that again my composure would betray me...

"Well, you've been staring, so I ask again, is there a problem?", have I?, no of course not! and damn him and that accent of his, I just didn't expect him to be so casual for a job offer but I couldn't also say this to him, it'll just sound outright rude so I'll have to come up with something else "I'm waiting on you to drop the bomb, what's the offer?"

He cleared his throat and the words fell out effortlessly...

"I need a wife, Miss Davide".

GIULIA'S POV

Huh? Was he serious?though I remember asking for a bomb..., OK even if he was, what has that got to do with the job offer?deciding to say something before it became more awkward "Oh that's great Mr Vasslllev, but what does that have to do with the offer?"

"That's unfortunately the offer Miss Davide, I'm a business man and there's a particular deal that requires I be married. It's going to be a marriage of convenience meaning you're free to do what you want as long as it doesn't jeopardize the marriage, while exuding the characters of a smart, loving and loyal wife to me in public and with who I'm supposed to cut the deal with, this contract will last a year and by the end of that you'll be given 150 million dollars to your name.

This is alot, I knew it wasn't going to be easy but this?, had never crossed my mind. The money is sure fair for the job, I could start a new life somewhere else and make some investment afterwards with this money, all he wanted was a deal, and all I wanted was money,he's also not bad to look at, with those striking blue orbs that stand out, I could live with this atleast.

"What are the terms and conditions?" came my reply after good thoughts "Out of the public we don't invade our personal spaces, no one can know it's not real, you get to give me hugs and kisses in public to keep the play going, we will play the part of a dreamy couple outside the confines of the house,and you have my protection for as long as we live together as a couple ". Protection? That's an odd one, hugs and kisses?.

I've dated only one guy my whole life and that was all we did so this shouldn't be hard, play a dreamy couple, I could make that work too, I just needed that money, I didn't need to enter the severe stage of my illness before I took it seriously, this money can change my whole life, it's the best chance I'll have in this lifetime and so...

"I'm in, and I'll need proper details of who I'm working with and what to expect Mr Vasslllev, the facade needs to be perfect if you want to cut the deal yes? meaning you shouldn't keep anything from me if this is going to work, these are my terms, are we good? "he now had a dazzling smile on his features "Of course Miss Davide.

He had also retrieved a file from a bag I hadn't noticed was there the whole time, the file contained everything we'd discussed and had my name then a provision for my signature,he'd already signed his copy before I was done reading through and we exchanged to get each others signatures on our copies.

"Nicely done Miss Davide, this contract is effective from this second, You are 'Taken', though we still have few weeks to go through the traditional dating phase, and getting to know each other, atleast the basic things meaning you'll have to move into my city..",

He had paused and now looked inquisitive, like he was expecting me to say something, maybe argue about moving, but he lived in Venice which is a fine place and I had nothing to lose leaving here, maybe little peace of mind, but that's ok, and needing him to know it was all good I asked the next question "So after I move in what next?"he looked perplexed but carried on.

"I'll make frequent visits to rouse suspicions about us and even take us on dates to public places where you'll make our plot even more believable, and after our story has been bought, we'll move to the second phase which is our marriage "

If this was going to be smooth we needed to let a little tension drop "Now that we're atleast acquainted I'll love you to address me as Giulia, the formalities can drop since I'm now 'Taken'" emphasis on the word taken, "Alright Giulia, I'm Roman which you already know, owner of La Dolce Vita Casino and The City of Sin".

"So that's why I thought your name was familiar at first , you're 'The Roman Vasslllev' the youngest Casino owner in Italy and beyond, Wow...,I'm honored, wait! Is it the same Casino Anton works in? Are you his grumpy boss? You don't look so grumpy now, or is it because you need me? "

Gone was his warm facade "Did he actually say that? Someone's definitely getting fired,","Hey no, I don't think he meant it in a bad way, I'm sorry didn't think but you can't just fire him on account of what I said and I know he's very good at his job"I said defensively, Anton is a good person, he even thought about the fact that this job would change my life.

He looked amused there for a second giving me hope "I'm not going to fire him Giulia, he's the best man for the job, though I want to understand why you're so defensive of him, have you two had any history together? " of course he'll think that, "Not atall, he's just been very good to me, I think of him as a very good friend, there's nothing to worry about".

"Alright then, I'll take for your words . We have limited time to get acquainted to have a shot at this so I'll need you to move in as soon as possible, will that be ok? "Yes, but I'll need a week to drop in my resignation and prepare myself mentally and physically, hope it won't affect the time frame" "No, it's fine, you just need to be ready by next week, meanwhile I have to make arrangements for your accommodation, do you have anything in mind concerning the aesthethic of your soon to be apartment?".

"Not really, I just love it simple, maybe some nice plants to give it a homey look,complimenting warm colors and that's all. "Okay, so there's a possibility I might not be around Italy next week, if that's the case, I'll have Anton bring you in, and you'll be more comfortable around someone familiar" standing now he fetched a black card from his left pocket and handed it over to me "This is to your name, just incase you need to pick few things on your way or in Venice when I'm out".

No I couldn't take this, it's not part of the deal, not until we get married though, "I'm sorry Roman but I can't take this", he frowned at my now outstretched hand "And why is that?", " It's simply not part of the deal, atleast not until we're legally married" his face morphed into a smirk "Remember your taken now Miss Davide, and I wouldn't want to personalize you yet, so kindly accept this, you're my girlfriend now".

My cheeks now felt heat turning it a light shade of red, and Roman wasn't helping right now because he was staring at me o intently, daring me to refuse the card one more time,I understood this and withdrew my hand, "Thank you" was all I could say

"You're welcome Giulia, I'm sorry I have to end our conversation here for now, I have a meeting in the next one hour and I need to be prepared for it, I'll see you next week and until then take care of yourself." I didn't get the chance reply he was out already .

Well that went well, meaning my life is about to take a three-sixty turn (360),and I hope I don't regret this by meeting demons of my past, though Venice couldn't see Parlemo and I had changed a lot from what I used to be six years ago, I doubt anyone would recognize a dead Sofia, I'll do just fine.