Escaping The CEO's Cruel Secret Arrangement

the feeling of sunli

ng's penthouse, painting golden stripes across the Egyptian cotto

ly where she

ome against the white pillowcase. His dark hair was a mess, and a faint stubble shadowed his strong jaw. In

le touched

felt

his cheek, wanting to touch him but not wanting to wake

wer, intending to r

rtips brushed agai

a

ami

s face to his left hand, which lay pa

ger, sat a simple, ele

e. It was solid, permanent. And it was s

ading, numbing cold. It felt like plunging into icy wa

shed, replaced by a

hts together, in this bed, in her small ap

was a violent intrusio

l hazy with sleep. A slow, lazy smil

urmured, his vo

her, but she

ced by a flicker of co

could only point, her finger trembl

words came out as

anced at the ring on his finger as if noticing a piece of

aid, his voice

the face. A hot, furious energy surged

g?" she demanded, her voice shakin

blue eyes studying her face. The sile

his words were th

rt of our arra

rrang

ly built. It wasn't a relationship. It wasn't love. It was an arrangement. A transa

it made her physically sick, was

e scrambled out of bed, her eyes darting around the room, desperately searching for her clothes. They were scattered

p, leaning against the headboard, the sheet pooling around h

antic, clumsy fingers, he did something that

, he slowly, deliberately, slid the platinum ring off his fi

side table. It landed wit

u, I can take it off. It meant not

rose in h

jerky. She didn't look at him. She couldn't b

d, her voice as cold and hard

idn't run. She walked, her back straight, forcing herself not to break do

door clicked s

a woman she barely recognized. Her dress was wrinkle

hot and silent, tracking

ontact. His picture, a candid shot she'd taken one sunn

essed

eted the con

the penthouse. She rested her forehead against the steering wheel, and the sobs she had been holding back finally broke free, raw

g from the nightstand. He stared at it, his expression unreadable, his jaw ti

put the ri

he nightstand and dropped it insid

uzzed, the sound sha

brief moment of contemplation gone. He answered, hi

pe

ine. "Mr. Sterling, it's the schoo

f irritation crossing his feature

y?" he asked, his voi

e voice on the other en