He swore he would marry the first woman who walked through the door, then a soaked delivery girl changed his entire empire

The boardroom was packed. The tension was suffocating. Every member of the Sterling Holdings board of directors was present, waiting for the emergency session to begin.

Marcus stood at the head of the table, looking incredibly pleased with himself.

The double doors swung open, and Julian walked in, with Harper walking proudly beside him. She wore a sharp black suit, looking every inch the billionaire's wife.

"Ah, the happy couple," Marcus mocked. "Julian, save us the time. I've already distributed the financial records proving your wife is a paid actress."

Julian pulled out a chair for Harper, then stood at the head of the table, directly opposite his uncle.

"You found a wire transfer, Marcus," Julian said smoothly. "A generous charitable donation to Mount Sinai Hospital to fund pediatric cardiology research. A donation made in honor of my new sister-in-law."

"Don't play games!" Marcus slammed his hand on the table. "It was a payoff to a desperate waitress to secure my brother's shares!"

"Actually," Harper spoke up, her voice crystal clear and commanding. "It was a wedding gift."

The board members looked at her.

Julian pulled a remote from his pocket and clicked it. The massive screen behind Marcus flickered to life.

It wasn't a financial document. It was a video.

It was security footage from Julian's private penthouse elevator, dated two nights ago. The footage was black and white, but perfectly clear. It showed Julian and Harper stepping into the elevator. Julian pushed Harper against the wall, kissing her with a desperate, all-consuming passion. Harper’s hands tore at his shirt, pulling him closer, wrapping her leg around his hip as the elevator doors closed. It was a moment of raw, undeniable, explosive intimacy that no amount of money could ever fake.

Harper blushed furiously, looking down at the table, but she held her ground.

Julian clicked the screen off. "If anyone in this room believes that my wife and I are not intimately, deeply involved in a real marriage, you are welcome to review the rest of the tapes from the master bedroom. Though I doubt our legal team will allow it."

Several board members cleared their throats, looking extremely uncomfortable.

Margaret Sterling smiled a tiny, wicked smile.

"Furthermore," Julian said, his voice turning lethal as he turned to his uncle. "I had Vance do some digging into how you obtained those confidential hospital records, Marcus. It turns out you bribed a hospital administrator. A federal offense. The FBI is waiting for you in the lobby."