Page 29 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

“As a heart attack,” Mary said. “Your public persona is abrasive, Roman. People see you as detached, selfish, and cold. Having a partner—a real, steady relationship—would soften your image considerably. It would show the public a different side of you.”

“And help rebuild trust with potential investors,” Charles added.

“You’re insane,” I said. “You think a woman’s going to magically fix all of that?”

“She won’t fix it,” Mary said. “But she’ll make you look more relatable. More human. Soften all of your hard edges. Women tend to do that.”

I stared at her, shaking my head, but the longer I sat there, the more her words started to make sense. As much as I hated to admit it, she was on to something.

An idea began forming in the back of my mind.

I thought about Kaira—the woman who’d bid on me at the auction. Or, more accurately, sneezed. She was a little spitfire, that one. I could still see the flash of anger in her eyes when she’d called me out for being rude to the server. She wasn’t someone who would roll over just because of my name.

She was grounded, approachable, kind. She was also a sympathetic person. She wasn’t some rich snob. People would see me with someone like her and think I wasn’t a pompous prick. I could be normal.

But it wasn’t like I knew how to find Kaira. And she despised me. I didn’t see her willingly agreeing to be my wife—real or otherwise.

But she owed me.

“How are we going to find someone like that?” I heard one of them ask.

“She exists,” I said out loud, more to myself than to the room.

“What?” Mary asked.

“The woman you’re describing. I know someone who fits the bill. I know the woman that would soften my image, as you say.”

They looked intrigued but skeptical.

“She’s not a professional, is she?” Charles said.

I smirked. “No. She’s perfect. Sweet, normal, and, most importantly, she’s got the guts to call me out when I need it.”

“And she’s willing to play along with this?” Mary asked.

“She will be,” I said.

“That sounds ominous,” one of the younger members muttered.

“I’ll have her here for your consideration on Monday. I just need to talk to her first.”

Mary chuckled. “Roman, we don’t need to approve your choice of partner. This isn’t an arranged marriage.”

“I think it is a good idea we meet her,” Charles said. Mary frowned, but the two of them exchanged a look. “Just to be safe.”

I nodded, the gears in my mind spinning. “Fine. Let’s make it official then. I’ll bring Kaira here on Monday, and you can see for yourselves how well she balances me out.”

That seemed to make everyone happy. There were nods all around.

“Then it’s settled,” I said. “I’m off to bag me a woman.”

When I left the meeting, my mood was split between smugness and irritation. Smug because I had a plan. Irritated because it meant dealing with the media circus outside.

Again.

The second I stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby, I could feel the tension. Just beyond the doors was the waiting feeding frenzy. I could go out the back, but I wasn’t one to shy away. I wasn’t about to let them send me running into the shadows.

I pushed open the doors and stepped into the LA sunshine. The buzz of cameras and voices met me. By the time I reached my car, they were swarming.