mi

eople straightened. Phones were lowered. My name didn'

executive floor. "Morning, Mr. Alarin," echoed in soft choru

t slow.

ne: high-functioning, relentlessly e

, my personal assistant. She fell into step beside me, t

rom Seoul?

closed at 4 a.m. your time. They se

eads were already seated, data sheets and financial projections projected in a clean

ons, East Asia logistics. I ran a multi-billion dollar empi

me. Like a cra

d down to my ear. "You

, stepping into my office

e it

back arched in my car. Me, very recogniza

othing. Let the

ara said flatly. "

e, slow. "And

a gossip account with three million followers and an investmen

clenche

are for her. "PR thinks this could blow back on our sto

own. "O

a page and tu

s we stabilize your image. Ground

elease: *'Alarin Industries CEO Announces Sur

e fix for bad press over a casual scand

ontract marriage. Quiet, legal, with a woman vetted fo

ir, staring past her

gic. Calculated. Everyth

think of... wa

____

ne H

Her Apartment,

reath, sleeves rolled up, hair tied back in a loose knot. Normal. Comforting. She

er pho

t the name flashing across t

th

disaster, where Selene had dared suggest she wanted to quit the family company to pursue event

pick

as as clipped and brittle as e

er, arms crossed. "Wow. A call. What

ould co

ome? Since when do you

her mother snapped. "It's a

he package when you stopped speak

e. "The compa

e stre

outh parte

last week. You would've known i

ene said tightly. "You made it clear my dreams d

r hissed. "It's done. We were bleeding money after yo

edges. That shocked Se

added. "One part of the deal we didn't k

went

cond

. And then her mother's voice dropped

luded. In the

out of Selene's lung

a clause. Some kind of marriage arrangement. They didn't read the fine print. The buyer's

red, stoma

me?" she

now, Selene.

old everything without

roared in her ears. Her v

bough

ng p

other said

n Indu

ed. The air vanis

mi

lse. Who had kissed her like he'd meant i

without an

ds were

part of a one-ni

of a corporat

___

en A

– Executive Floo

e polished mahogany table. Damien sat at the head, legs crossed, a black pen spinning lazily bet

and PR team squirmed l

y, eyes fixed on the clause p

art of the merger acquisition between Alarin Industries

in, lifting an eyebrow.

his hands on the table. "

ene's late father. A failsafe clause-meant to strengthen ties if the company ever needed

agreed to this?" D

t carefully. Not un

ed forward, placing a man

e," she said dry

pen with idle inter

er-clipped

t f

lders. Amber eyes with fire in them. Lips

e Har

escaped him. It rolle

murmured. "Of

inked.

th his chin. He looked entirely too pleased for a man b

ago," he said. "At the

t Selene

g. "Brilliant. Gorgeous. Sarcastic as hel

le

my life, if we'

ked like he

you al

id, standing and strolling toward the window, staring down at t

t. "So... what do

, his express

thi

ir

he said simply. "No scand

the table, tappi

ngements. If she agrees,

ou're actually goin

ve him a

ce," he said. "I'd be an