for his plan than he could possibly comprehend. The realization of Maddie and Romi’s dreams relied on a reputation Maddie could not afford to lose.
Vik frowned. “I’m sorry, Madison, but nothing is going to make the story go away completely.”
“Why not?” Media fixers worked miracles.
Isn’t that what everyone said? If they couldn’t fix this, her and Romi’s dreams were going to crash and burn. There was no way Maddie was going to let that happen.
Conrad looked up from his tablet. “Some people will always believe that where there is or was smoke, there had to be some ember of fire.”
“But there isn’t one.”
The twist of Conrad’s lips said he was probably one of those people.
Vik’s hand moved to Maddie’s thigh, bringing her attention careening back to him and him alone. “I believe you.”
“No matter what the press has claimed, I’ve never even had a serious boyfriend,” she admitted painfully.
Something flared in Vik’s eyes, but he just nodded. “You’ve been too busy getting into trouble.”
“Not this kind of trouble.”
“I know.”
“And not even my usual in the last six months.”
Conrad’s head snapped up. “Is that true?”
“I haven’t done anything zany or even remotely newsworthy since I broke my pelvis in that botched skydiving landing.”
Conrad narrowed his gaze. “What about parties? Random hookups?”
“Did you not hear her, Conrad?” Vik asked, dropping the temperature in the limo with the ice in his tone. “Madison does not do random hookups.”
“She said she hasn’t had a serious relationship, that the men claiming to have engaged in BDSM encounters are lying. Miss Archer never claimed to be celibate.” Okay, so Conrad had been listening.
Vik didn’t thaw even a little. “You can take no random hookups as a given.”
“Can I?” Conrad asked Maddie, surprising her with his tenacity.
“Yes,” she replied firmly. “I haven’t been out in the evening except to attend charity events since my accident.”
“With Perry as your escort?” Conrad asked, sounding unhappy by the possibility.
Which she could understand, in light of recent events. She wouldn’t call the emotion she was feeling right now unfettered joy, either.
“A couple of times.”
Vik’s jaw hardened.
“Most events, Romi and I go together. Perry isn’t all that interested in helping others.” Maddie felt disloyal admitting that truth, but Romi had always said it.
Perry had never been as interested in the causes Maddie supported as the A-listers and potential business contacts he could meet at certain events.
“You’ve been at most of them, yourself,” she offered to Vik.
He frequently represented AIH at that sort of thing, being an expert at making connections Perry only aspired to. Maddie knew that Vik also supported the causes in very tangible ways, both on behalf of the corporation and personally.
The gorgeous, corporate white knight nodded.
“That could work in our favor, unless you were photographed with your date for the evening,” Conrad mused. “Even then, we could make it work.”
“Vik hasn’t had a date with him at one of these events in over a year.” Knowledge that revealed how much attention Maddie paid to Vik.
A fact she’d done her best to hide even from herself, darn it.
His raised brow and knowing look said he realized that, too.
“That’s good. We can back-engineer a budding relationship you’ve taken pains to keep out of the media spotlight.” Conrad took more notes on his tablet. “This works.”
Maddie turned toward Vik. “We’re really getting married?”
“You tell me.”
“Only it doesn’t seem possible.” Everything since her nearly spilled cup of coffee that morning felt like a dream, at times odd, unpleasant and bordering unbelievable.
“Believe it,” Vik said, unconsciously answering her silent thoughts.
She narrowed her eyes, trying to read him. “How can you take this so calmly?”
“What am I supposed to be upset about?”
“Yesterday you were a free agent. Today you are engaged.” Didn’t that bother him, even a little?
Or was it something Vik had planned all along? Somehow, she couldn’t quite dismiss that possibility.
“We are not engaged yet.”
Something went tight in her chest. “But—”
“We will finish this discussion after you meet with the lawyer.”
What did that mean? Did he think they were engaged, or not? Were they engaged? Had she said yes? She was pretty sure she hadn’t. And she might know her choices were very limited, but did Vik? Really?
He returned his attention to his phone and sent a text.
This time she had no doubts it was to her.
Sure enough a few seconds later, her phone chimed. Trust me.
Trust him. Right. He thought it was that easy? “You aren’t going to try to talk me out of signing the paperwork?”
“I told Jeremy threatening Romi could boomerang on him.”
“He didn’t believe you.”
“He has a hard time backing off once he’s set a thing in motion.”
“Are you saying he’s already started the wheels of destruction for Mr. Grayson’s company? They used to be good friends.”
Vik shrugged noncommittally. “He’s done the research on how to make it happen.”
“And he didn’t want to waste his efforts?” Her dad could be so cold, but then that wasn’t breaking news.
“You and I have agreed Jeremy could have no idea how spectacularly it would come back to bite him on the ass.”
“But you aren’t trying to change my mind.”
Conrad stopped typing and listened as if he, too, was curious about what was motivating Vik’s behavior.
Vik ignored the other man, his focus entirely on Maddie. “Those shares ultimately belong to you.”
“My father doesn’t see it that way.”
“It never occurred to Jeremy that any child of his would consider AIH as a means to an end rather than the end itself.”
What did he know? Did Vik realize she had always intended to use her income from the shares to run the school?
It wouldn’t be a long stretch from what she’d told him that morning.
What he couldn’t know was that Romi would do the same. She wanted the school as much as Maddie.
Vik’s dream was something quite different, but obviously just as important to him. “You want the company.”
“Like your father, I want to leave a legacy for my children.” Some might think the lack of emotion in Vik’s deep tones belied his words.
Maddie knew better.
His dark brown eyes