My Boss’s Hidden Heir (Elara and Marcus) novel Chapter 14

hapter 14

Marcus flipped through the file on his desk for the third time.

Background check. Elara Vance. Twenty–eight years old. Born in Brooklyn. No criminal record. No red flags that would

cause problems.

But there were details he hadn’t known.

Her mother. Stage three cancer. Treatment costs exceeding eighty thousand dollars. Hospital bills dating back six months. All unpaid.

Her father. Luca Vance. Gambling addict. Multiple debts with underground casinos. Known associate of Victor Mendez, a loan shark with ties to organized crime.

Her brother. Leo Vance. Twenty years old. Community college student. Clean record.

Marcus stared at the hospital bills. The debt collection notices. The eviction warnings.

So that’s why she said yes.

Not because she wanted to. Not because a million dollars sounded good. Because her mother was dying and she had no other options.

Something uncomfortable twisted in his chest. Guilt, maybe. Or pity. He wasn’t sure which.

He closed the file and leaned back in his chair.

The office door opened without a knock.

Marcus looked up.

His father entered first. Tall. Silver hair. Expensive suit that screamed old money. The kind of man who walked into rooms and expected everyone to stop what they were doing.

Great. My sperm donor is here.

Penelope followed behind him. Blonde hair pulled back so tight it looked painful. Designer dress. Heels that clicked against the marble floor like a countdown.

And the witch came too.

Marcus didn’t stand. Didn’t acknowledge them beyond a slight nod. “Father. Penelope,”

“Marcus” His father stopped in front of the desk. “We need to talk.”

“About?”

“Don’t play stupid. is it true?”

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “Is what true?”

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Chapter 14

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“That you’re sleeping with your assistant.” His father’s voice was sharp. Disapproving, “Half the building saw you kissing

her on the street yesterday. Do you want to embarrass this family?”

Marcus kept his expression neutral. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie to me, boy.”

Boy. Marcus was thirty in eleven weeks, and his father still called him boy.

“Her name is Elara,” Marcus said calmly. “And what I do with my personal life is none of your concern.”

Penelope moved closer, her eyes scanning his desk like she was looking for evidence. “An office romance, Marcus? Really? That’s so beneath you.”

He wanted to tell her to get out. Wanted to remind her that she had no right to walk into his office like she owned it. But he

kept his tone measured. Professional.

“Was there something you needed? Or did you just come here to lecture me?”

His father leaned forward, hands flat on the desk. “You’re making a mistake. Dating your assistant. It’s messy. Unprofessional. The board won’t like it.”

“The board doesn’t get a say in my personal life.”

“They do when it affects the company’s reputation.” His father straightened. “End it. Now. Before this turns into a scandal.”

Marcus stood slowly. Looked his father directly in the eye. “I’d like you and your wife to leave my company.”

“It’s not your company yet.” His father’s smile was cold. “Remember the will? Your birthday is in eleven weeks. Until then, you’re still just the CEO. Not the owner.”

There it was. The real reason for this visit. A reminder that Marcus didn’t actually control anything yet. That everything he’d built could be taken away if he didn’t follow the rules.

The will. His grandfather’s final test.

*Marry before your thirtieth birthday or lose everything.”

Marcus had spent the past decade turning Thorne Dynamics into an empire. Tripled the revenue. Expanded into

international markets. Made the company untouchable.

And all of it could disappear in eleven weeks if he didn’t secure his inheritance.

That’s why he was doing this. Why he’d offered Elara a contract. Why he was about to spend two years pretending to be in

love.

Not because he wanted to. Because he had no choice.

“The will doesn’t change anything,” Marcus said. “I’ll be married before my birthday. You’ll have nothing to worry about.”

His father’s eyes narrowed “Married? To the assistant?”

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Chapter 14

“Her name is Elara.”

Penelope laughed. Sharp and cruel. “Oh, this is rich. You’re actually serious.”

Marcus ignored her. Kept his focus on his father.

“You barely know her,” his father said.

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