Trust

By Roe Valentine

She needs him to keep her lifestyle. He needs her to elevate his career. Can they trust their fake marriage won't end in their worst fear—real love?

Social media influencer Julissa Alvarez finds herself completely alone when her wealthy father dies, leaving her penniless for fifteen years—until she learns of a clause in her father’s will that allows her early access to her trust fund. With no real job skills and no completed college degree, Julissa will do anything to keep her luxurious lifestyle. Even marry an older man she can't stand.

Lawyer Sam Zanetti wants to make a name for himself in business. After being disinherited by his father two years ago, he’s feeling shafted. When a good family friend dies and leaves Sam half of his businesses, Sam finally feels some validation, but there is a catch. Before he can claim the unexpected windfall, Sam has to marry his friend’s bratty, entitled daughter ... and stay married for at least one year.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight
• Release date: Aug 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9780369504081

Roe Valentine

Roe Valentine was born into the right family. Not only does the name Valentine suit her, but her grandmother, unknowingly, introduced the young Ms. Valentine to her first romance novel. She hasn’t read anything else since. She calls herself a romantic at heart and believes that love conquerors all. The San Antonio native, who now lives in Houston, attempted to write her first contemporary romance novel when she was nineteen years old. That attempt didn’t take, but her story has a happy ending. She kept pursuing the dream until she landed her first publishing contract in 2013. When not busy writing or reading love stories, Roe can often be found in a yoga class or chatting with friends at her favorite coffee shop. Enjoying margaritas with some girl-talk isn’t unusual for her either. For a night in, she watches reruns of her favorite TV shows and, of course, romantic comedies on her Roku, usually with a glass of wine. She writes spicy Contemporary, Historical, and Erotic romance novels.

Book preview

Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2021 Roe Valentine

ISBN: 978-0-3695-0408-1

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Audrey Bobak

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It takes me a village for me to write a story, and I am so grateful to have some rockstars in my corner.

Thank you to Whitney Watson, my twenty-something niece who keeps me young and helped me brainstorm this idea.

All the love to my talented friend and mentor Teri Wilson who went on a writing retreat with me when I really needed a boost to finish this story. I love you two so much!

And last, but not least, thank you to my Publisher Stacey Adderley for taking a chance on my stories—I love writing for Evernight Publishing.

TRUST

Reluctant Vows, 1

Roe Valentine

Copyright © 2021

Chapter One

Julissa

My father died from a heart attack. I didn’t know why I thought he’d be around forever, though many times I wished for his death. I didn’t mean it. Not really. Both my parents were gone now, and there was no one else. I was officially alone in the world.

I waited in my late father’s lawyer Sam’s office. It was all dark wood and oppressive like his personality. I shouldn’t be too hard on him, as he was very close to my father for most of his life.

Are you cold? Sam asked, walking around the desk with a manila file in grip. I would be blind to say he wasn’t attractive. He was, but he was also boring as hell.

No, I’m not cold. I glanced down at my bare thighs pressing against his brown leather chair.

Oh. He was commenting about my micro dress. Jerk. He treated me like a little girl, not the twenty-five-year-old woman I was. Sam was forty going on eighty. It was no wonder he never married.

He sat. Well, let’s start then.

I crossed my legs, my Chanel purse fell to the floor, and I quickly bent over to pick it up.

You can put that on my desk. His eyebrow cocked up.

I’m good.

He sat back, his features softening a bit. I’m sorry about your dad, Julissa. He was an all-around good man.

Little did he know. My father was good at work stuff, not family stuff.

Yes. He donated a lot to charity, I said, a lump forming in my throat.

You know, my father and your father went way back. Even before we were born.

We?

At least before you were born.

His gaze moved over my body, intense and too probing. Chills ran through me. He averted his eyes, his cheeks flushed. Our fathers had a long business relationship, so I was honored to take over his legal affairs when my father passed two years ago.

It’s sweet and all that you’re going down memory lane, but I just want to get this over with so I can go home and drink a bottle of Dom Perignon by myself.

He frowned. You know, Julissa, it doesn’t hurt to have a conversation. But I guess the youth of today don’t want to deal with real emotions.

"Oh, please. The youth of today? You might as well be my grandpa, Sam. Plus, you’re not exactly warm and fuzzy yourself, connecting with people and all. I flipped my long caramel hair to my other shoulder. Can you just get on with this? I really can’t deal with you right now."

With a clenching jaw, Sam opened the file folder and skimmed through long blocks of text I couldn’t read from where I was. This was my first will reading, so I didn’t know what to expect. I hoped it would be fast and easy.

Sam read, To my daughter Julissa Mariam Alvarez, I leave fifty percent ownership of my businesses and a total of ten million dollars in a trust fund to be released to her at the age of forty years old and not before then. During the wait period, my attorney, Sam Zanetti, will manage the estate until Julissa Marie Alvarez is of age.

The words jumbled together. I couldn’t focus on a single one. Wait… I replayed the statement again. Had I heard right? I wouldn’t get anything until I was forty years old?

I lifted my fingers to my lips in a pause. You’re going to have to read that again because what I heard is I’m without money until I’m forty years old.

Sam looked up from the paper, his eyes locking on mine. You heard correct.

My heart sank all the way to my stomach. No fucking way…

He glanced back to the page and turned it. His eyes widened, and I just knew it was worse. He put the page down and reached for his desk phone. With a press of a button, a woman’s voice came through the intercom.

Yes, Mr. Zanetti?

Do you have Mr. Armando Alvarez’s original will file? I only have a copy.

Sure. Is there something specific you need?

Yes. He glanced at me. I’m in the middle of a reading and I need to know when the addendum was made, as I don’t recall the change.

"Give me a sec … ahh … yes, that addendum. It was inserted by Mr. Alvarez himself approximately three months ago. I believe you were in our Tokyo office at the time."

Thank you, Cindy.

Sam hung up and took his time reading over something in the will.

I sighed. Sam, what the hell? What’s wrong?

He cleared his throat. So, there is a clause that makes it possible for you to get your trust fund and company ownership much sooner—

How soon?

As soon as a year.

A year wasn’t too bad. I’d have to live off what I got from my social media influencer sponsorships, which would be very tight. I could be on a budget for a year if necessary.

Okay … so what is it? What do I have to do?

You have to get married, and stay married for at least a year.

What? Was Sam joking? Because this had to be a joke.

He added, And the person you have to marry is … me.

Chapter Two

Sam

I couldn’t believe I said the words. Julissa was