Sienna had attended plenty of tense meetings since she started working for Julian Blake.
She'd seen him dress down arrogant execs, navigate billion-naira mergers, and negotiate impossible deadlines without so much as loosening his tie.
But today?
Today, she felt the kind of tension that had nothing to do with quarterly reports.
The boardroom was already full when she entered — eleven sharply dressed individuals, each with the kind of calm smugness that only came with majority shares and expensive legal immunity. Crystal water glasses sat untouched on the table. Every detail was precise. Planned. Choreographed.
And at the center of it all, like a king preparing for a coup, sat Julian Blake.
He didn't look flustered.
He looked ready.
She slid quietly into her usual seat behind him, catching a nod from his legal counsel at the end of the table. Her iPad was fully charged. Her pen poised. Her pulse steady.
Mostly.
Vivian Darnell, Chairwoman of the Board, leaned forward and cleared her throat.
"Mr. Blake," she said, with a smile that was anything but friendly, "Let me begin by saying we're pleased with how you contained last week's unfortunate media storm."
Julian offered a polite nod. "I'm glad to hear it."
"Your apology video was… surprisingly human."
Sienna almost smirked.
Julian didn't blink. "I was advised by a very capable assistant."
Vivian's eyes flicked to Sienna for a beat. "Yes. Ms. Cole."
There was something knowing in her tone. Something that made Sienna sit straighter.
Marla Shaw, the board member who oversaw Investor Relations, jumped in next. "Your numbers are stable. But we're not here to talk about stability. We're here to talk about perception."
Julian crossed his legs, expression cool. "Go on."
"The last incident didn't just dent public trust, it confirmed something many already suspected," Marla said. "You're cold. Distant. Emotionless."
Julian raised an eyebrow. "I run a company, not a therapy circle."
Marla smiled tightly. "And yet… brands are people now. They breathe. They feel. They inspire trust."
Vivian added, "You've built Blake & Co. with a strong, intelligent hand. But that same control now makes you seem… unrelatable."
Unrelatable.
Sienna could practically feel the word echo through the room.
The only thing worse than being hated publicly… was being impossible to connect with.
Vivian folded her hands. "Which brings us to our… solution."
Julian didn't move, but his energy shifted.
A tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth — the kind Sienna had come to recognize. He was either about to reject something entirely or rip it apart and rebuild it himself.
"We want to soften your public image," Vivian continued. "You need to be seen as more than the CEO. You need to be seen as a man. A man who is—"
"—capable of love," Marla finished with a smug smile.
Silence.
Sienna blinked. She wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.
Julian stared. "You want me to… date?"
Vivian shrugged. "Something like that."
Julian leaned forward, voice icy. "You're suggesting that I stage a romantic relationship to repair PR optics?"
Marla responded matter-of-factly. "We prefer to call it an image recalibration strategy."
"And what exactly would that involve?"
Vivian's tone turned saccharine. "A few appearances. Carefully curated moments. Just enough to suggest you're emotionally accessible. Not cold. Not alone."
Julian laughed once — short and sharp. "So you want me to pretend to fall in love?"
"No," Vivian said smoothly. "We want you to look like you already have."
Sienna could not believe what she was hearing.
Until it got worse.
Vivian turned. Slowly. Deliberately.
And locked eyes with her.
"And who better than the woman who already knows your schedule, understands your moods, and was praised publicly for her quick handling of your last scandal?"
Julian's gaze flicked to Sienna.
Sienna sat bolt upright. "Wait. Me?"
"You're the perfect choice," Vivian said simply. "Smart. Elegant. Trustworthy. And already positioned beside him in the public eye."
"I'm his assistant," Sienna replied flatly.
"You're his trusted assistant," Marla corrected. "There's already chemistry. All we're asking is that you lean into it — temporarily. A few public dates. Some photographs. Perhaps a charity gala or two."
Julian's jaw ticked. "This is unethical."
Vivian didn't blink. "No. This is necessary."
Sienna stood, heart thumping. "I'm not some mannequin you can drape in a story."
"No one said you are," Julian said, his voice quieter now. Measured.
"But you're not exactly objecting either."
Their eyes met.
Tension sparked between them — hot and fast, like electricity arcing through water.
"I said no one is forcing anything," Julian replied.
"But you're considering it," she whispered.
He didn't deny it.
Vivian stood and smoothed down her blazer. "We'll leave you two to discuss it."
And just like that, the board filed out of the room, one by one, not even bothering to hide their smug glances. When the door clicked shut, the silence in the room became unbearable.
Julian rose slowly. Rolled back his shoulders. His voice was low and controlled.
"I didn't suggest this."
Sienna turned on him. "But you didn't say no."
"Because right now, I can't afford to."
She folded her arms. "So what — I'm a tool in your arsenal now?"
He walked toward her — slow, deliberate. "You've never been a tool, Sienna."
"You want me to fake-date you?"
"No. I want you to help me survive this board while protecting the company and your own job. Because if I go down, you go down with me."
Her stomach twisted. "You'd throw that in my face?"
"No," he said, soft but intense. "I'm being honest with you. Like I always am."
She looked away, jaw clenched.
"You're the only person I trust enough to do this with," he added.
That made her look back.
The room felt smaller.
He stepped closer. "We set the terms. The timeline. No surprises."
"Rules," she muttered. "Like it's a game."
He arched a brow. "Isn't everything in this office a game?"
She hated how calm he looked.
How right he sounded.
She exhaled, eyes narrowing. "No touching. No real intimacy. No actual… anything."
Julian nodded. "Of course. Strictly professional."
That phrase again.
She rubbed her temples. "This is insane."
"And yet, here you are. Still considering it."
He was too close. She stepped back.
"You're going to owe me big time if I do this."
He smiled. "Name it."
She rolled her eyes and turned toward the door.
"Start with a raise."
"Done."
"And an office with a door that locks."
"I'll add it to your contract."
She paused at the doorway.
Then looked back over her shoulder.
Her voice was steady, but her heart wasn't.
"I'm only doing this to save your company, Blake."
He gave her the faintest smile.
"And I'm only doing this because you're the only one who could pull it off."
Their eyes met.
And held.
Longer than they should have.