he lobby was a silent, sun-washed canyon of marble, each footstep echoing like a gunshot. Th

to a private suite on a higher floor. The space was an exercise in controlled luxury-floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park, low-sl

He turned as she entered. He was out of his suit jacket, shirtsleeves rolled t

use of her first name was deliber

remain standing. Her armor today was a tailored sheath dress

k. Another calculated shift. "I'll be direct. The public narrative for the merger is failing. Analysis shows a sevent

O is beloved, a 'family man.

hint of offense. "Correct. A grand, storybook wedding to a suitable partner wo

Elena asked, mentally reviewing the short

ment, perhaps-flickered in

s perfectly composed expression didn't crack, but inter

anner, Mr. Thorne

tand the mechanics of public perception better than any actress ever could. This wo

toward her. On the screen was a document titled

d, as if discussing

ing a slow, heavy rhythm against her ribs. It

) months from the date

, a married couple to secure the successful closure of the Thorne-Greenway merger

) will reside in a designated wing of the Primary Residenc

(2) joint public or social events per m

t of the contract term, a sum of $1.2 mill

unch of her own firm, security, a life unchained from client

blinding figure. "And t

agreement to end the arrangement prematurely results in a pro-rated payout. A public scandal, or you walking away unila

s real now. This was th

he asked, forcing the words

th marriage. At the conclusion of the term, we file for a q

e. A real divo

w, looking out at the park where real people lived real, messy li

o stand beside her, not too close. "Your expertise for my capital. Your performance for my

debt from her mother's final illness, the relentless hustle of freelancing, the distant dream of

the real question. "You could hire a m

e it as a job. A complex, demanding, professional undertaking. Anyone else would see it as a fairy tale or a trap. You..." He looked at her, and his gaz

by a billion expectations. He was as bound by this merger as she was

nic had subsided, replaced by a surreal, hyper-focus

orfeiture, and assuming the legal risks of a marriage, the fee is two million. Half payable upon contract signing, half upon

t transformed his face, revealing a sharp, approving intellige

cep

hand. Not to sha

of fairy tales and wiring, of prisons and portfolios. Sh

is grip was firm, wa

the partners

truck. Her old