---

The morning after was brutal.

Evelyn barely slept, replaying every second of last night, the way Adrian’s voice slurred when he called her, the heavy scent of whiskey, his eyes dark with something between pain and desire, and then that moment when he leaned closer…

Her heart still thudded remembering it. His breath had brushed her skin, his touch had burned through her blouse, and for a terrifying second, she’d almost let him.

Almost.

Now, standing at the reception of Voss Enterprises, surrounded by men in suits and women clutching folders, she felt like she was walking straight into her own firing.

The entire building buzzed with tension. Reporters hovered near the entrance. Investors walked in and out, voices sharp, faces strained. The digital board near the elevator displayed a headline that made her heart stop.

> “Adrian Voss and fiancée, socialite Veronica Hale, call off engagement amid merger talks.”

Her stomach twisted. It was real—public.

No wonder the air felt like it was cracking under pressure. The breakup had gone viral overnight. Shares of Voss Enterprises had dipped. The company’s reputation, his reputation, was on the line.

And Evelyn… well, she was terrified she’d just lost her job because her boss got drunk and almost kissed her.

---

At her desk, her hands trembled as she booted up her computer. Her inbox loaded, the screen flooding with urgent memos and meeting updates. But no termination letter.

Not yet.

She exhaled shakily and tried to distract herself with work. She drafted reports, organized meeting schedules, but her mind kept wandering back to last night—to Adrian’s hand gripping her wrist, his eyes holding hers, the way he’d looked at her like he didn’t just want her—he needed her.

Her cheeks warmed.

She shook her head, furious with herself.

He was her boss. The CEO. A man whose name made boardrooms go silent. And she was the woman he’d almost kissed out of drunken impulse.

Maybe he didn’t even remember. Maybe she’d imagined the look in his eyes.

Her phone buzzed.

Her pulse spiked.

Caller ID: Adrian Voss.

Her throat went dry. She stared at the screen, frozen. Then she picked up, her voice barely steady.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Come to my office.” His tone was sharp, emotionless.

And then the line went dead.

---

The walk to his office felt like walking toward an execution.

Everyone stared as she passed—some with pity, others with curiosity. Rumors spread fast in corporate buildings, and Evelyn knew what they were thinking. The CEO’s assistant, called into his office the morning after his engagement went public? They didn’t need imagination to fill the blanks.

She knocked once.

“Come in,” came the deep voice.

Adrian was behind his desk, sleeves rolled up, his jaw tight. He looked exhausted, yet every line of him still radiated control—cold, commanding, unreachable.

“Sir, you wanted to see me?” she asked carefully, standing straight.

He didn’t answer immediately. His gaze lifted from his laptop to her face, then lingered a moment too long.

“Sit down,” he said finally.

Her knees almost buckled. She sat on the edge of the chair, clutching her notebook like a shield.

“I assume you’ve seen the news.” His voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of steel.

“Yes, sir. I—”

He cut her off. “The investors are panicking. They’re pulling back, thinking my personal life might affect my business judgment.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I can’t imagine—”

He leaned forward, interrupting her again. “I didn’t call you here for sympathy.”

Her lips parted, startled.

“I called you because I need a solution. And you might be it.”

She blinked. “Me?”

He nodded once, slowly, like he was weighing his words.

“I’m offering you a proposal. A marriage contract. For one year.”

The words didn’t register at first. “I—what?”

“You heard me.”

Evelyn’s mouth went dry. “You’re joking.”

He didn’t even blink. “Do I look like I joke?”

She stared at him, speechless. “A contract marriage? You want to—marry me?”

“It’s not about want, Evelyn.” He rose from his chair, walked around his desk, and stood before her. She felt the heat of his presence, his power filling the room. “It’s about necessity. Investors want stability. A married CEO is a secure CEO. They don’t want a man whose engagement blew up online overnight.”

Her breath hitched. “So your solution is to hire a wife?”

He met her gaze, cold and unyielding. “Exactly.”

Her jaw clenched. “That’s disgusting.”

“Call it what you want,” he said, voice low. “You’ll be compensated generously. Enough to solve… whatever it is that keeps you awake at night.”

Her chest tightened. The mention of money stung because he was right. Her son’s hospital bills were piling up. She’d sold nearly everything she owned, and she was still barely keeping up.

Still, she stood her ground. “So instead of apologizing for what happened last night, you’re offering me—what?—a paycheck disguised as a ring?”

His eyes flickered, briefly, almost like regret—but then it vanished.

“I don’t apologize, Evelyn. I fix things. This fixes both our problems.”

She laughed softly, disbelief shaking her voice. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I don’t have all day.” His tone hardened. “Think about your son. Think about the future you could give him.”

Her breath caught. “How do you—”

“I did my research,” he said simply. “You’re a single mother, aren’t you?”

Her heart pounded. He knew. He knew, but not how much. Not the truth about her son’s father.

“Let’s make this simple,” Adrian continued, his voice calm, measured. “One year. You play the role of my wife in public. You’ll live in my penthouse, attend corporate events, keep up appearances. At the end of the contract, you walk away with enough money to never worry again.”

Her pulse raced. “What will people say?”

He stepped closer, eyes locking onto hers. “Fuck what people think.”

Evelyn swallowed hard. “And my job?”

“You’ll keep it.” His voice softened just slightly. “But if you say yes, you’ll have to follow my rules.”

Her brows furrowed. “Rules?”

He smirked faintly. “If you’re going to be my wife, you’ll behave like one. No scandals. No flirting. No disappearing without notice. You’ll attend events with me, smile when needed, and never question my business decisions.”

Evelyn stared at him in disbelief. “That sounds a lot like control.”

“That’s the price you pay,” he said simply.

Her pulse thrummed in her ears. “And if I refuse?”

“Then you can pack your things. I don’t keep liabilities.”

The words stung like a slap.

Her throat tightened as she thought of her little boy in the hospital bed, his small hands gripping hers, the bills piling up on her kitchen table.

Damn him for putting her in this position.

She straightened, meeting his gaze. “If I say yes, I have rules too.”

He raised a brow. “Go on.”

“No intimacy,” she said firmly. “No matter what happens, this marriage stays professional.”

His jaw flexed, but he didn’t argue.

“And no questions about my past,” she added.

He leaned in, voice low. “I don’t give a fuck about your past.”

She smiled faintly, bitterly. If only you knew.

Adrian held her gaze for a long, charged moment.

“So?” he asked finally. “Do we have a deal?”

Evelyn’s pulse thundered. She could walk away. She should. But she could also lose everything if she did.

Her son’s face flashed in her mind.

She exhaled slowly. “Fine,” she whispered. “I’ll do it.”

Adrian’s lips curved—not quite a smile, but something close. “Good. My lawyer will send you the contract and the rules by noon.”

She frowned. “You already had it prepared?”

“I plan ahead,” he said simply. “You’ll sign it by tomorrow.”

Evelyn stood, heart racing, trying to steady her breath. “I still think this is insane.”

“Maybe,” Adrian said, returning to his seat. “But it’s necessary.”

As she reached for the door, his voice followed her.

“Evelyn?”

She paused. “Yes?”

“Don’t break the rules,” he said softly, almost like a warning. “I don’t handle betrayal well.”

Her chest tightened. “Neither do I.”

And with that, she walked out, her world spinning faster than she could control—already bound to a man whose touch still haunted her and whose truth could shatter them both.