Free Tempted (The Dark Billionaire, #5) by L.N. Pearl

Chapter One
    Jennifer was sitting next to Bruce in a large and bright office in the headquarters of investment bank Doyle Brothers. For a change, Bruce wasn’t behind the desk but on the other side.
    In front of them was trading floor manager Victoria De Lissieu, a gorgeous blonde with a face that seemed to have been chiseled and modeled after a queen. She was beautiful and successful, and Jennifer immediately felt impressed by her presence and confidence.
    That’s exactly the kind of woman I want to be... Elegant, charismatic and respected.
    Victoria De Lissieu was managing more than a hundred traders. Her bank - and her department in particular - was well-known among the rich and famous of New York. Only a few carefully selected clients could invest their money with them to have guaranteed returns, way above the market. Bruce had been in touch with Doyle Brothers for two months, right after breaking his contract with Kenichi. He wasn’t losing millions of dollars daily anymore, but his finances had greatly suffered. Bruce had been working very hard to restore confidence among his investors, and was slowly rebuild his image and reputation.
    However, despite all his efforts, many people had withdrawn their funds from Wilson Corp. and Bruce was now desperately looking for fresh capital to run his company.
    Victoria De Lissieu had contacted Bruce and convinced him to have a meeting, so they could figure out a way to recoup Bruce’s losses. She was extremely sharp and professional. Her voice was smooth and seductive but she wasn’t flirtatious; she knew how to keep her distance while being approachable at the same time.
    She was definitively friendly but also very tough and determined. Jennifer couldn’t quite figure how she managed to trigger so many different emotions within her, but one thing for sure was that Victoria was an inspiration for her. She represented everything Jennifer had dreamed about when she was a student. She embodied the perfect successful woman, working in a big city in her own office and meeting extremely important people.
    Jennifer couldn’t help but feel slightly envious and curious: Victoria didn’t seem to be much older than her. Actually, they were probably the same age, however their situations were completely different. Jennifer could have been her assistant, just like she used to be with Bruce.
    I definitely missed something during my student days. How did I end up being an assistant? What did I do wrong? I always thought I had to start at the bottom and work my way up... but look at Victoria: she clearly didn’t start at the very bottom like me. Or maybe she did and somehow, her career skyrocketed because she did something right. Well, I’m not a secretary anymore. I shouldn’t feel low, there’s no point in comparing. I’m trying to be my own boss now. I’ll be someone too!
    Jennifer wasn’t really listening to what Bruce and Victoria were saying. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of her: she was fascinated and intrigued. She wanted to be closer in order to pick her brain. Being the girlfriend of a billionaire was already a good thing and Jennifer had learned a lot. However, she didn’t see Bruce and Victoria the same way: she didn’t aspire to become Bruce but she clearly intended to be like Victoria.
    Jennifer tried to follow their conversation but she couldn’t really catch and understand everything. They were talking financial instruments, risk rewards, potential of gains, time frames, risk profiles and other subjects that were too technical for her. Jennifer quickly disconnected and her mind got lost in her favorite memory of the moment: Bruce’s proposal.
    That night on the beach had been magic. Jennifer had melted into tears and Bruce had had to repeat that it was real at least a dozen times. It had been too good to be true yet, it was real: she was going to become Bruce’s wife. Jennifer Stuart was about to become Jennifer Wilson. Yes, Mrs. Wilson... Who would have