's

r my own pulse. Adrian stood beside me in a charcoal suit, his face unreadable, his hand

ficate like it was a quarterly report. I signed beneath

married a stranger. A billionair

otic

re not pa

like a man who had never panicked about anything.

-

cold light. A woman named Sloane appeared, head of security and handed me a folder with my

minimalist living room and realized I

beside me. "

istic

glass of water.

to beli

om me at his dining table. Betwe

s," h

was short, four lines i

h other, even if we

s oddly intimate fo

said. "I prefer to reserve i

past partners int

el,"

from my past. They don't exist fo

catching

completely straight face. "Fe

are a choice. We can choo

"Fine. What's t

ffection only

ecessary,

we need to appear convincing." He paused. "A hand o

ut Daniel. "I

oo

nd the windows. I was married to a stra

that terrified me mos

ree days later. A gallery opening,

. Stay close to Mr. Vale. Don't answ

uit, his tie the same dark blue as that first

Flash erupted thr

where we perform

extended his hand. I took it. His fing

eras we

f my back, pressing gently, guiding me forward.

t-circ

anned almost the width of my back, and he held me there like I

em. All I could feel was the weight of his hand, th

ed. He stepped away to speak to someo

my elbow. "You'r

m n

like he's the last li

gaze away.

ce dropping. "You're no

was

He tilted his head slightly, a question.

cond, I had wanted

y separate bedroom and

had leaned in to murmur something about the artist, his

o no feelings. But pretending with Adrian Vale was

s. My fake husband was unfairly attract