Page 8 of The Oath Operation
"I know this all sounds crazy, but I'm just trying to help Jules out," Fish said, his voice light and unassuming. "Plus, it would equal job security."
Amari's eyes narrowed slightly. "You work at the restaurant, not the bakery."
Fish kept his expression open and sincere. He knew Amari already thought he was nothing but a worthless cook, and he planned to let him keep believing it. "That's the thing; I've developed a knack for baking over the last year of helping Jules out."
"Helping out in the bakery is one thing," Amari replied, his tone skeptical. "But marriage? That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?"
Fish shrugged, keeping his demeanor relaxed. "Maybe it is, but it’s just a piece of paper, right? If it means Jules gets her inheritance and can rebuild the bakery, then why not? In exchange, I want to work full time at the bakery."
This whole time, Fish had Amari to his back. As battle tactics went, it was unwise to keep the enemy at your back. In truth, it was a reflection of how Fish felt about his adversary. If Jules accepted his proposal, Amari would no longer be a factor. And so Fish kept his attention focused on the most important person in the room. It was Jules he had to convince.
Jules' eyes were wide. Fish didn't make the mistake of getting caught in her pale gaze. He looked past the dark flecks and saw that she was calculating. She was a Chou, and those women were from strong, independent, intelligent stock.
"We'd be business partners," Fish pressed. "We can have paperwork drawn up, just like Noah and Jacqui."
"What's that about Noah and Jacqui?" asked Amari.
"Doesn't matter." Jules dismissed Amari. "Fish, are you sure?"
Fish nodded. "This is what I want."
Jules tugged at her bottom lip, considering.
Amari rounded on him, coming to stand beside Jules. Fish only barely kept his hands at his sides instead of shoving the doctor away from Jules. Amari studied him for a moment, then seemed to relax slightly, the suspicion in his eyes dimming.
"I suppose it’s not the worst idea. Then you annul in a few months and we can marry in a few years, as planned."
Fish watched Jules as she glanced at Amari, who seemed to be warming up to the idea of a fake marriage. From behind the closed door, the hospital hallway buzzed with activity, but Fish's focus was on the two people in front of him.
Amari was relaxing, the tension in his shoulders easing as he turned the idea over in his head. An idea that required nothing of him, but would cost him a treasure beyond measure. "As long as it's kept quiet and doesn’t cause any complications."
Fish's heart pounded as he glanced at Jules, who was still looking at him with those beautiful, questioning eyes. He forced himself to stay calm, to keep up the charade. "Exactly. We’ll keep it quiet. No one needs to know the details."
Jules's lips curved into a tentative smile. "I don’t know what to say, Fish."
Fish shrugged as though it was no skin off his back, his throat tightening. "It makes sense."
It did make perfect sense to him. He knew once he had that ring on her finger, he there would be no divorce, no annulment. The thought of being married to Jules, even under the guise of a fake marriage, was everything he’d never thought he could have. Once he had her, he would show her that he was the one who truly cared about her dreams, about her happiness, and he would never let her go.
ChapterSix
Jules could do nothing but stare at Fish. For the first time in the two years she'd known him, she truly noticed how broad he was. Not that she hadn't been aware of it before, but now, the full impact of his physical presence hit her like a wave. He was towering and solid, a wall of quiet strength and reliability that had always been there, standing firm in the background of her life.
She noticed the lines of his shoulders, the way his shirt stretched across his muscular frame. He was imposing, yet there was a gentleness in his demeanor that belied his size. The healthy tan of his skin, evidence of countless hours spent under the sun, contrasted sharply with the sterile, pale blue walls of the hospital room.
She noticed the faded smile lines around his mouth. Those lines deepened slightly when he ate her pastries, his guarded expression momentarily giving way to pleasure. She realized now that his smiles, though rare, were genuine and warm, lighting up his face in a way that was both fleeting and unforgettable.
She noticed the spark in his eyes. It was a glimmer of something intense, something she couldn't quite name but felt drawn to. It made her heart flutter, a sensation that left her confused and a little shaken.
These were all things she should not be noticing. Not when she had a boyfriend—a fiancé, even. But was that really the case? Amari had effectively signed off on her marrying Fish to secure her inheritance. Technically, Fish was her fiancé now.
But she hadn't said yes to any of this. Fish had put the proposal out there. Amari had responded. She had not. Jules opened her mouth to?—
A sharp, insistent beep shattered the tension in the room. Jules knew the sound all too well. Amari's pager pierced through the charged silence like an alarm bell. As always, the high-pitched beeping was grating, a sound that had interrupted countless moments between them, slicing through their conversations and leaving everything unresolved.
Amari glanced down at his waist, where the pager was clipped to his belt. His expression shifted to something resembling relief, as if the interruption was a welcome escape from the uncomfortable situation. "Excuse me, I need to take this," he said, already moving toward the door.
It was like all the times she had been left hanging, her words unsaid, her emotions bottled up. Her mind raced back to those moments: sitting in a restaurant, their food growing cold while Amari checked his pager; standing in her living room, mid-argument, only for him to rush out with a quick apology; the countless times she had to swallow her feelings and wait. By the time he returned, the urgency of their conversation had always dissipated, leaving her with a hollow victory and unresolved frustration.
