pale when I say my name. Good. At least one

t wrong. The business world certainly thinks so. But right now, with her auburn hair a mess and her green eyes

oks te

, like she's testing how the words

rs. My face has been on the cover of Forbes three times. I've been called the most ruthless CEO unde

shing. And

ople reveal more when they think you're not paying attention. "Bu

ike it's armor. "I need to leave. I need t

not an

s. I'm used to people jumping when I speak, but for some r

g up married wasn't on my agenda either. But we're

she asks, though I can tell sh

ire lawyers and time and very careful handling. The kind that

s shake as she picks up the marriage certificate. I watch her read

2:47 AM," she whispers. "I

r the way she argued with me about economics over our fifth round of drinks. I remember thinking she was the

down like it might bite her. "You

networking event looking like you wanted to di

m last night. The one who called me out for trying to impress her wi

e a drink," s

drinks, a

then

made a decision that's goin

oesn't belong in this world. The discount store clothes, the nervous way she keeps looking around like someone mig

rself, like she's used to fighting for everything she has. I

rself than to me. "I can't afford to be ma

n't the i

u to say. You're staying in a penthouse suite that p

costs fifteen thousand a n

I've had to practice much. "I need you to listen to me very carefully. This marriage,

nd of si

've been burned by people who seemed trustworthy before. The problem is, I don't have a cho

The fact that I'm married to someone they don't know, someo

al," she sa

irl. "E

hat we need to get this an

ff her hangover, I got a phone call that changed everything. A phone call

call this morning. From a business rival who somehow already knows

ess

ct moment she realizes that her simple

ed. For six months. A

om her face complet

. And this, whether we like

ly not. I won't be part of some weird billionaire game. I don't

ve bi

ha

hing I've built. If he goes public with this marriage and then reveals that we got it annulled immediately, it makes

long moment. "And if we

like a whirlwind romance instead of a drunken

six m

six m

d t

enough money to start whatever lif

oing to bolt for the door again. When she f

u think I'll a

closed more deals than I can count. "Because you're

h red, but she

ney are we t

woke up. Maybe this marriage won'

But first, you need to know something

abou

existed. Now he's had you investigated, he knows about your college debt,

m her face again. "H

mistake this big for over a decade." I stand up and move toward the window, looking out at

t me with a mixture of fear and som

ly would I

tion that's going to chan