The CEO's Assistant

Liam pulled up outside the Richard Estate, it was beautiful old estate, which had been abandoned for many years before Joan bought it and had it restored to its former glory.

Joan watched from the window as Liam pull up, she couldn't say she was surprised to see him, only wondered what he would do when he discovered what his father, most likely, had planned. She returned back to the seat behind her desk, awaiting his arrival to her office, and sure enough within seconds he stood in the doorway to her office.

"May I help you Mr. Clair?" Joan's amber-brown eyes shifted up to look at him through the tops of her glasses.

"I want to know why you did what you did, truly?" Liam commanded, a powerful, cold and dominating air projected from him, of course, Joan's aura was no less powerful, and she had decades of practice, they didn't call her the cold and heartless queen of Europe for nothing.

"I told you why I was doing this Liam." She stood up, refusing to be overpowered in her own office. "You are too dangerous for her."

"Do you think that really matters?" his indifferent gaze somewhat came as a surprise to her, Joan had expected him to more emotional when he confronted her.

"Of course it does, love makes you vulnerable Mr. Clair, it gives you a weakness, a weakness your enemies can and will exploit. Did your useless father fail to teach you that as well?"

"It's a little late for that." Liam's cold ocean eyes stared into Joan cameral gaze. "Whether or not she is mine, she will always be my weakness." His façade faded away as said it. As he admitted his greatest weakness. Her gaze too softened as she watched his transparency.

"I know, but if she publicly becomes yours and you two have a publicly displayed relationship, which puts a target on her back." There was a kind sadness in Joan's voice, a kind pain that she already knew from distant memory.

"Not if the public thinks it's a political marriage."

"What?" Joan was shocked. The rivalry between William Clair and herself was common knowledge even outside the elite society, there no secrecy about their hatred for one another, it had never crossed her mind that she could end decades of war with a simple political marriage, but why not centuries ago it was done all the time. "What makes you think the public will buy it?" The scepticism was evident.

"Because your daughter is one hell of an actress." He smirked, as he thought about that way she portrays herself to the public and puts on that brave face.

"And just what are the details to this arrangement, the background, why are our families calling a truce? What about your father?"

"You should really ask your daughter, after all it was her idea."

"It was?" The surprise rose in Joan's voice. "Well where is she? Perhaps if she can come here and explain this magnificent plan we could agree on something." There was a certain amount of scepticism and sarcasm that could be detected in her voice. It didn't go unnoticed by Joan, that Liam failed to answer the question about his father. Meaning she knew he had not agreed nor would be ever.

"I will bring her around when she's feeling better." He stated, not giving away that he didn't know where she was and also detecting that Arianna wasn't here.

~ ~ ~

"Daddy! No it's not fair!" Odette stomped her feet on the car floor.

"Sweetheart, we can't force him to do something he doesn't want to do." Joseph tried to coax his daughter, however rationality just wasn't setting in. His princess was determined to marry Liam Clair and his wife was just as determined to make it happen, but he couldn't understand why.

"Oh yes we can." Lorraine narrowed her gaze and sinister smile spread across her delicate face. "Something tells me that President Clair is just as determined to ensure his son doesn't marry that pretentious hussy. All we need to do give the man some incentive to do something about her."

"Oh really mummy?" Odette's eyes, were red from crying, looking up at her mother she smiled happily. "And then Liam will be all mine?"

"Oh he'll have no choice." Lorraine's devilish smirked widen across her face, causing excitement in her daughter's jade coloured eyes and horror to arise across her husband's.

"Lorraine." Joseph continued to look at his wife absolutely horrified. In this moment Joseph knew he had to make the decision to do what was right or support his family.

~ ~ ~

RING! RING! RING!

The room landline rung echoing in the apartment room. Miss Howard elegantly walked from the bathroom using a towel to dry her long tresses of thick hair.

Picking up the phone she spoke coldly, "Yes Margret." Knowing no-one else had the number to contact this room.

"There is a particularly wealthy looking, man down here demanding to speak to a Miss Richard, I told him there was no Miss Richard, but he is adamant that she is here."

"What is his name?"

"A Mr. Clair Ma'am"

"I'll be down in a moment." She said before hanging up. Her heart skipped a beat to think he chased her, that he found her all the way out here. She couldn't help but smile at the thought that he'd chosen her. Suddenly doubt surged in her mind, what if he were here to give her bad news, could her heart take it? No that can't be it, he wouldn't have chased her this far out just to deliver bad news, right?

Taking a deep breath she pulled on her jeans and nice top, looking smart casual, before heading downstairs. Without realising it she was racing downstairs with a pure smile dancing on her face. However, her smile vanished the minute she appeared in the lobby of the building, her gaze met the man standing there, it wasn't Liam at all.

"Hello Arianna," a stunningly devilish grin spread across Julien's handsome face.