BROKEN BY TRUTH

Lila's POV

"How much will it take for you to walk away from this?"

The voice was deep, cold, and dangerously smooth. It pierced through the whirl of music and laughing surrounding the private area like a whip, grabbing attention.

Mid-step I halted and tightened the contract folder to my chest. Not looking at me was the man in the exquisite black suit slumped against the bar. Not quite yet. His acute blue eyes locked on the man who had been obstructing my path seconds ago-a balding businessman motivated by wicked motivations and drunkenness.

"Adrian Kane," the man murmured, his cheeks paling. "This isn't what it looks like-"

"Leave," Adrian replied, his voice cold yet angry. "Or the next time you make a deal under my roof, you'll find yourself out of business."

The CEO stuttered meaningless apologies and fled into the throng, leaving me in the crosshairs of the predator alone. Adrian gazed at me then, slow and careful, as if he were stripping layers of my soul.

And you, he added, drawled straightening. "You seem like a woman who is in the incorrect place at the incorrect moment."

"Funny," I shot back, my pulse racing. "I was just about to say the same about you."

His lips twitched-was that a smile? It went very shortly, replaced with an expression I couldn't decipher.

"You're bold," he muttered, taking a step closer. "Most people know better than to cross me."

"I'm not most people."

"No," he muttered, his voice falling to a deadly whisper. "You're not."

I didn't back away, even as the intensity of his presence coiled about me like smoke. I'd come here to save my job, not to play his games, no matter how wonderful his voice sounded.

"If you'll excuse me," I muttered, struggling to go by him.

But he didn't allow me. His hand, warm and firm, descended on my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

"Wait."

His hold wasn't firm, but it sent a thrill through me just the same. I swung back, frowning. "What do you want?"

"A moment of your time," he said, releasing me. "Consider it payment for the favor I just did you."

"I didn't ask for your help."

"Maybe not," he conceded. "But I protected you from making a mistake, didn't I? That man was about to scam you out of everything you've worked for."

My breath hitched. How did he know that?

"I don't need saving," I snapped, more defensive than I intended.

"No?" His eyes glinted with something dark and knowing. "Then tell me, Ms. Monroe, what exactly were you planning to do when that man offered to 'invest' in your company?"

I opened my lips to reply, but no words emerged. He had me, and we both knew it.

"That's what I thought," Adrian commented, his voice quieter now, almost...gentle? No, I couldn't afford to be deceived by him.

"What do you want from me?" I queried again, my tone stronger.

"A business proposition," he said simply, stepping back. "One that could solve both of our problems."

I frowned. "And what problem do you think I have?"

"You're desperate," he observed bluntly, folding his arms. "Desperate enough to take a deal from a man you didn't trust. Desperate enough to walk into a room like this, alone, without a plan. Am I wrong?"

My stomach twisted. I disliked how accurately he read me.

"And what about you?" I countered. "You're Adrian Kane, one of the richest men in this city. What problem could you possibly have that demands me?"

Adrian smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "More than you think. Sit with me, and I'll explain."

I followed him to a secluded corner of the lounge, my shoes clicking against the marble floor. Adrian didn't say a word until we were seated, the ambient hum of the space creating an odd impression of solitude.

"Do you know what the media has been saying about me lately?" he remarked, relaxing back in his chair.

"I don't follow tabloids," I responded, though I'd heard whispers. Scandal. Corruption. Something about a deal gone wrong.

"They think I'm unstable," he remarked, his voice tinted with rage. "A risk to my own kingdom. Investors are pulling out. Competitors are circling like vultures. I need to rehabilitate my image, and I need to do it fast."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You," he added, his stare locking into mine, "are going to help me rehabilitate my reputation. You're going to be my wife."

The words hung in the air, weighty and impossible.

"Excuse me?" I sputtered, leaning forward. "Your what?"

"My wife," he continued, calm as ever. "On paper, at least. A mutually advantageous deal. I help you rehabilitate your career, and you help me stabilize mine."

"You're insane," I answered, standing. "This is insane."

"Maybe," he conceded, unfazed by my rage. "But I can offer you everything you've ever wished for, Lila. Security. Success. Freedom from the kind of men who prey on persons like you. All I'm asking for is one year of your life."

"And in return?"

"In return, you'll be set for life. Financially. Professionally. You'll never have to struggle again."

His comments were appealing-too seductive. But I couldn't dismiss the sensation in my gut that this was a mistake.

"Why me?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Adrian's expression softened, just a touch. "Because you're not like the others. You're real. And right now, that's exactly what I need."

I shook my head, backing away. "I don't even know you."

"You don't have to," he muttered, rising to his feet. "Not yet. But think about this, Lila: when was the last time someone offered to make your life easier instead of harder?"

I couldn't answer.

"Take the night to decide," Adrian continued, slipping a card into my palm. "If you say no, you'll never hear from me again. But if you say yes..." He trailed off, his stare searing into me. "You won't regret it."

I exited the lounge with my head spinning, Adrian's statements sticking in my mind. The card burned in my hand as I went through the dismal streets of Manhattan, my heart thumping.

This was ridiculous. This was hazardous. This was...everything I'd secretly dreamed of.

But as I rounded the corner of my flat, a shadow loomed from the alleyway. My breath hitched as a stranger moved into the feeble light, their face concealed by a hood.

"You're making a mistake," a voice said, low and scary. "Stay away from Adrian Kane, or you'll regret it."

Before I could respond, the person disappeared, leaving me alone in the rain with a choice I wasn't ready to make and a risk I couldn't ignore.