gs in the walk-in closet of her suite. Her two boxes of clothes and books looked comica

ately. She would pay for her own food, her own expenses. And she would contribute to the "rent,

f she could see him online, as a person with a profile, he would feel less like an intimidating str

ray silhouette for a profile picture. No posts. No photos.

button. Her username, 'FloralScent', a handle sh

t the Apex Holdings tower, Collin Hendrick

ing weight of absolute authority. The executives around the polished boardroom table sweated under his cold gaze, n

secondary phone buzzed on the desk-the one he used for t

s sent you a c

e that the contact

He dismissed her from his mind as easily as a spam email. He had relegated the na

t was Sean. "Sir, your mother is on

he only crack in his iron composure. He knew what

with steel. "I trust you're on your way home to your lovely ne

ancial reports on his desk. "I'm busy

You will have dinner with your wife. And you will start acting like a husband. Or so help me, Collin, I will show up

illotine poised over the intrica

was the one person on earth he could not com

he word sharp as glas

n, his fury a palpable f

intercom. "Cancel my evenin

utral but hiding his shock. "Yes, sir." M

constructed wall between his two lives beginnin

was staring at her phone. The n

t request w

wasn't an accident. It wasn't that he hadn't seen it. He had se

m, she was an inconvenience. A stranger he held in such complete contempt that

irring sound came from the foyer. T

stepped into

th a tense, unwelcoming energy. He saw her standing there, and his cold eyes swept over her without a f