‘What else do you require of me other than to act as if I’m madly in love with you?’
‘That is something I will divulge when we have made an agreement.’
Her eyes narrowed with fresh suspicion. ‘Would the role involve doing anything illegal?’
And now they came to the extra ‘something’ he required of the actress he’d selected for the role.
‘Nothing illegal but your criminal record proves you have the lack of scruples I require.’
Her face drained of colour so quickly it was like someone had pulled a plug on her blood.
‘How do you know about that?’ she croaked.
‘Your criminal record?’
Her head barely moved in a nod.
‘I have the means to discover anything.’
Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened then closed but no sound came out.
‘Your secret is safe with me, Miss Caldwell,’ he assured her. Damián cared nothing for her past, other than what it made her as a person. For this role, he needed someone with a distinct lack of morals.
She gave no response, sat staring at him as if a ghost had suddenly appeared before her.
With a sharp tut, he reiterated all she stood to gain by taking the role. ‘Celeste’s party is a high society event. The press swarm all over it. Being photographed on my arm is guaranteed to raise your profile. The money I’m prepared to pay you is far more than you would get for selling any story about me but, as I’m sure you’ll understand, I’ve had a non-disclosure agreement prepared along with the contract of terms for your services. My family business depends on secrecy. Our discretion is what sets us apart from other financial institutions. You will be privy to information the press would pay a fortune to hear.’
Still she gave no response. He didn’t think she’d blinked once since he’d mentioned her criminal record. Irritated, aware of time pressing, he tapped the table. ‘All the cards are on the table, so are you with me or not? I’m afraid I require an immediate answer. If the answer is no then leave and that will be the end of the matter. I haven’t revealed any sensitive information to you and I have no wish to ruin you through petty spite.’
It was Damián’s last ten words that pulled Mia out of the heated fog she’d fallen into. Everything else he’d said from the moment he’d revealed he knew of her criminal conviction had been white noise in her head. His mouth had moved but the whooshing in her ears had deafened her to the words.
Her belly churned, her brain awhirl, consequences flashing before her eyes.
‘I have no wish to ruin you with petty spite...’ Dear God, he was threatening her.
She wanted to cover her ears and squeeze her eyes shut and then wake up far from this nightmare she’d unwittingly walked into.
Don’t panic. Stay calm. Don’t panic.
Don’t panic? This man couldn’t ruin her. The acting world wouldn’t care about her past; she would escape professionally unscathed, but emotionally... Any attempt to ruin her could easily destroy the two people she loved most in the world. Ghosts from the past would be resurrected. Everything she’d tried to protect her family from could blow up all over again.
She should have listened to her instincts and walked away when she had the chance but she’d foolishly searched Damián’s name and what she’d found had blown her away. The man made Croesus look poor. Curiosity at why a man like Damián Delgado would want to pay her a ton of money to pretend to be his girlfriend had been the reason she’d sat back down to listen. Stupid, foolish curiosity.
She’d listened to him explain how the weekend with his family would unfold, all the while intending to make her excuses and leave when he’d finished.
Mia wasn’t an actress for the fame or the money and never had been. This was not the kind of career boost she needed and definitely not the boost she wanted. She didn’t want the spotlight. The consequences were just too big for her to risk: the main reason she plied her trade in provincial theatres rather than seeking bigger stages. But the theatre was her love. She’d found it when her world had caved in and it had saved her from her grief. On the stage she’d found a new home. Acting was all she knew how to do. All she hoped was to one day make a regular income from it.
The chance to walk away from Damián Delgado had gone and she hadn’t even known it. This gorgeous man she’d been in danger of swooning over...
‘When do you need an answer?’ she asked, desperately trying to buy herself time: time to think, to plan, to escape...
‘I need an answer now, Miss Caldwell. Our contract and non-disclosure agreement are ready for signing. Sign or leave. Embrace a better future for yourself or continue to sink into nothing.’
His obsidian eyes held hers, his handsome face a tightly controlled mask.
How could anyone be so emotionless while making such threats?
Thirty minutes ago, Damián Delgado’s name had meant nothing to her. She’d walked into this building unaware she was about to be propositioned by one of the world’s richest and most powerful men. He must have gone to enormous lengths to discover her conviction. She’d still been a minor during the court case, her name forbidden by law from being published.
His eyes dipped to his watch and then back to her again. ‘Time is ticking, Miss Caldwell. Give me your answer or...’
‘Okay, okay, I’ll sign it,’ she said in a panicked flurry. If the only way to guarantee his silence was to agree to his proposition then she had to take it. And then pray the spotlight didn’t find her and that all the ghosts from her past stayed where they belonged. She didn’t want to think of the repercussions if they didn’t.
CHAPTER TWO
MIA WAS APPLYING her lipstick when the loud rap on the door informed her Damián had arrived. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. The hot panic that had engulfed her earlier had slowly seeped away, leaving only anger, fear and a million questions.
Everything had passed in a whirl. No sooner had she agreed to his terms than the contract and non-disclosure agreement had been shoved in front of her. Then no sooner had she signed them than an envelope stuffed with cash had been thrust at her with the instructions to buy herself an outfit and get ready for their first ‘date’. Damián had then bowed his head, excused himself and left Mr Man Mountain to show her out of the building.
If not for the thick wodge of cash in her hand, she could’ve easily believed she’d dreamt the whole thing. She wished it had been a dream. Instead, she’d sleep-walked into a nightmare.
Swallowing back her bitterness, Mia had done as he’d instructed, stopping at a boutique she’d passed many times but never entered, bought herself the required outfit then hurried home. The rest of her day had been spent researching everything she could about him. If she hadn’t needed to get ready for their ‘date’ she would still be reading. The internet had thousands of articles about the Delgado family. That was if most of the articles could be believed because none of the Delgados had ever done a press interview. Pretty much everything she’d read of a personal nature was gossip, innuendo and speculation.