Anna swallowed.
"What do you mean?"
"That we can get married right away. Don't you agree?"
Naya felt herself freeze. She had never dreamed that she would marry such a beautiful werewolf, the most beautiful she had ever seen, a CEO, who would probably take her away from her father.
"I don't object to our marriage." She replied.
Adam stared at her thoughtfully.
"What do you expect from our marriage?"
"You're rich, boss. Is there a better argument, or motive, for a poor girl, adopted by a man who has stood still in time, or who deceives us, and must be two hundred years old?"
"You... Naya! Don't you love me?" He looked stunned.
Naya stared at him in surprise. What kind of madness was that?
"Do I have to love you?"
"That's the basis for a marriage, not my financial condition."
"I disagree."
Adam put the wine glass back on the table.
"Then you'd better start looking for another fiancé, Naya. I'm not going to marry you if you don't say you love me and mean it." Adam said and was leaving when he stopped when he heard her voice.
"I'm going to fall in love with you without knowing you or living with you?"
He turned to her.
"I'll expect you tomorrow at the office." He said and left.
Adam walked to his car with amused thoughts. Did that poor girl really believe that he needed her love? He would make her think so. He wished she didn't feel afraid to expose her feelings to him. As soon as he got home, he called Maxwell. Anna would be traveling to Avallon overnight and he would be taking the opportunity to go to Alaska.
...
Naya was ushered into Adam's office by the same secretary as the day before.
He stood with his back to her, his hands in his trouser pockets, looking out of the window at the top of the building.
"You can sit down, Naya." He said without turning around.
"Sir, I think..."
"I know what you're going to say. And I don't want to hear it."
Naya glared at him with hatred, and sat down.
He spent more than seven minutes staring out of the window before turning to her.
"You wanted to tell me that your position as Luna deserves a rich, young and attractive husband like me, but that this is still not love. That I should be content."
Naya looked at him in surprise. It was exactly what she had been rehearsing all night to say to him. Not in those words, but in short, yes. That was it.
"Do you consider me your right?" Adam asked so arrogantly that she smiled.
"Don't be pretentious. I admit that you're... Acceptable. But you're not the only handsome, rich man. In fact, the perfect man for me would be the Alpha. And you are far from being half the man he is. Our marriage will be to your advantage, and I think that's what led you to arrange our engagement with my father. Being married to a Luna will make you the second most famous and sought-after werewolf of all. So don't blackmail me, sir. You won't get my love. I'm already giving you the position coveted by many. To desire more than that is an ambition beyond your reach."
Adam smiled.
"Have you met the Alpha?"
She looked at him calmly.
"I didn't have the chance. When Luna manifested inside me, he was already married."
"And you don't think that was rude? After all, aren't you like a magnet?"
"I think so. If the two of us meet, at some point in our lives, it will be impossible to resist the attraction."
Adam crossed his arms, still smiling, and leaned on the window pane.
"Are you telling me you're going to cheat on me when you meet him?"
"I'm not psychic, sir." She replied sarcastically.
The smile died on Adam's face.
"No. You're not psychic. And you're not important either, Naya. Without the Alpha, you're nothing. You have no value. No one has made an offer for you since we learned that Luna had awakened. I'm doing you a favor by marrying you, and don't you ever forget it. Among werewolves, the Alpha is important, not Luna. Luna's role is to follow the Alpha in all his decisions. You can refuse to marry me, Naya. Just tell me you don't want us to get married and I'll withdraw the offer I made to your father, so that he'll believe that it was my decision alone. Now go and play with your projects. The secretary will guide you to show what you can do on an oil tanker. I want a report tomorrow." Adam said and turned back to the window.
Naya felt her face burning and stood up indignantly.
"I'm your superior! I'm Luna. The queen of the werewolves! You can't treat me like this!"
"If you're so important, and so irresistible to the Alpha, why didn't he seek you out immediately?" Adam asked thoughtfully, almost to himself, but Naya didn't notice, and felt her face burn even hotter.
"I told you he was already married. Marriage is indissoluble among werewolves."
"Yes. And he loves his wife as he will never love another woman."
"Until you and I meet."
Adam looked at her.
"Go on, Naya. If nothing works out between us, at least you'll have a job. If you prove you can do it."
Naya felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"You'll regret it one day, sir."
"Regret what?"
"For mistreating me."
"I'm just being realistic, Naya. I need a woman by my side, not a girl. Imagine that you, married to me, will need to help me make decisions, about this company, for example. Imagine this situation. I need you to be confident. Adult. Responsible."
Naya felt less angry with him, and turned to leave.
"Naya... Tomorrow, can we have lunch together? Someone important to me is coming to visit, and I'd like him to meet you."
Naya turned to him and nodded, before leaving.