I proceed to tell her what my lawyer advised. By the time I lay out my plan, Mya is blinking at me like I’ve lost my damn mind. Maybe I have.
“You can’t be serious,” she bites out. “You want me topretendto be your girlfriend?”
“No… I mean yes, but no.”
“What do you mean then?”
“I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend, then my fiancée, and then… my wife.”
Her eyes widen like saucers. “Worth, that’s nuts!You’renuts. Why would I ever agree to something like this?”
I drag a hand down my face. “What if I offer you something in return?”
Her arms cross instantly over her chest, protective. “Like what?”
I hesitate, choosing my words. “You’ve been… struggling financially. I could compensate you for helping me.”
Her face hardens, cheeks blazing red. “Fuck you, Miller. I’m not a wife for hire!”
Shit. Wrong words. The last thing I meant was to make Mya feel like some escort I could purchase.
“That’s not what I meant,” I rush out. “I’m saying this could be mutually beneficial. You’d get a way out of the financial stress. And I’d get—” I stop myself before I sayyou. “I’d get to protect Brianna.”
Mya shakes her head, curls bouncing, fury radiating off her. “Do you even hear yourself? Do you have any idea how condescending that sounds? I’ve worked for everything I have. I don’t need to be rescued by a man.”
I close the space between us even further, desperate for her to understand. “This isn’t about saving you. It’s about saving my daughter.”
She exhales. “No one has ever evenseenus together outside of work.”
“That works in our favor,” I counter. “We can say we kept it quiet for professional reasons. Discretion. It’s believable.”
“And what about the fraternization rule?”
“It’s my company. I’ll change it.”
Her jaw drops. “You’re crazy.”
“Practical,” I correct.
“No. People are going to think I’m fucking my boss to get ahead.” Her voice trembles, equal parts anger and disbelief.
“They won’t. Not if they believe the relationship is serious. And if anyone talks shit, I’ll fire them.”
“You can’t just do that.”
“Watch me.”
She scoffs. “And what about myage? Won’t it bother you, being married to someone so much younger than you?” Her lips curl, sarcasm sharp as glass.
“No, we’re both adults.”
Mya’s brows lift, clearly unconvinced.
“Though I am aware of how much younger you are than me.”
Mya glares at me like she wants to set me on fire. “There it is. You don’t care because this is convenient for you.”
I step closer, bracing my hands on the wall above her, lowering my voice. “Convenient or not, I don’t have another option.” I brace my hands on the wall above her and lean forward, lowering my voice. “Vanessa is coming after my daughter, and I’ll do whatever the hell it takes to protect her. Please, Mya.”