FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS (Ophelia Corrigan) novel Chapter 173

CHAPTER 173

– JAMIE

The door to Simon’s office closed behind us, muffling the constant ringing of phones on the executive floor.

He set his phone on the desk, shrugged off his jacket, and rolled up his sleeves.

“How many confirmed complaints?” he asked.

“We’re still sorting through duplicate reports. Legal’s working on it.”

“I want the actual number, not whatever’s going around on social media.”

“Simon.”

He looked up. His jaw was tight, his tie hanging loose around his neck.

“We need to postpone the honeymoon.”

“No.”

I blinked.

“You haven’t even thought about it.”

“I have. And the answer’s still no.”

He walked around his desk, picked up a folder, then set it back down without opening it.

“Do you really think we’ll be able to relax knowing Hart is going up in flames?”

“I think I pay some very capable people a hell of a lot of money to handle problems when I’m not here.”

“And are you actually going to turn your phone off?”

His silence told me everything I needed to know.

“Exactly.”

Simon dragged a hand down his face, took a deep breath, and looked at me.

“Jamie, tomorrow you should be worrying about your wedding dress, not lawsuits.”

“I can worry about both.”

“I know. That’s exactly what concerns me. You’re my woman, Jamie. You deserve to enjoy yourself. To be spoiled. To have moments when you don’t have to solve every goddamn problem that comes your way. Especially the week of our wedding. Let me handle this shit. All you need to do is enjoy yourself and forget about the rest.”

For a moment, his words left me speechless. He wasn’t trying to undermine me. He was trying to protect me from a crisis whose full extent even he couldn’t predict.

“I want to marry you,” I said, stepping closer. “I want our trip, our mornings in bed without an alarm clock, and every single one of those secret plans you’ve been making. But I don’t want to spend two weeks watching you pretend you’re not worried.”

“I’m not very good at pretending, am I?”

“Not even a little. Your jaw gives you away every time.”

He let out a humorless laugh.

“Are you making this decision for both of us?”

“I’m suggesting we make the sensible choice.”

“That was a very long yes.”

“Then yes.”

Simon studied me for a few seconds before slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me against him.

“You are an unbelievably stubborn woman.”

“Learned from my future husband.”

“Terrible influence.”

He kissed me. It was brief, but firm enough to make me forget our problems for a moment. When his hand slid up my back, I pulled away before I lost my resolve.

“I need to get back to Legal.”

“Of course you do,” he murmured. “Jamie?”

I stopped at the door.

“Don’t promise the victims anything until we have the facts. And don’t let anyone destroy evidence.”

“I know how to do my job, Hart.”

“I know. That’s why I trust you,”

By the time I got back to the legal department, I found an exhausted team and three different drafts of the

same statement.

“Scrap all of it,” I said, pointing at the screen. “We’re not claiming the product is safe until we’ve verified that. And we’re sure as hell not suggesting these women are lying.”

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