pulent office,her gaze fixed on the crisp contract before her. The thick paper was hea

ut it resem

e on the paper wo

s room.Or at least she thought she had.But seeing it laid out in

that cool accessing gaze that made her feel like a chess piece he had already position in checkma

s agreement has been crafted to serve his needs and

his voice smooth but firm, measure

ed around the pen. "Be

nreadable,"Insane?"perhap

ade her stomach twist. He is j

ew she had no

ough the document,her eyes catching on the carefully

of Their

moria's Sovereign Matrimony Clause. Early termination-without just cause-

ly a business arrangement. Emotional entang

of a loving couple whenever in the public eye-whether i

heir personal lives would remain entirely separate-including s

ement were to remain undisclosed. No family, no friends,

act, Seraphina would receive a substantial payout-eno

use: No fall

sharp, disbelieving laugh escaping

him with something between amusement and di

flinch. "I prefer cla

ght. Because love is such a dangerous, unpredic

didn't wa

tone sent a chill cr

is face for even a hint of h

s a man who did no

as a possibility. Not

ntract, her heart pounding. "And

tly, a flicker of something d

wo

arning-it was

man-the one who believed love was nothing more than a liability

ainty in his vo

e at the contract that held her futu

s mad

her life al

her fridge, the countless rejection emails, the silent dread

her, tied to a man who saw marriage as

ould s

screamed for he

ration wa

n closer to her, his

the thick contract, her gaze locked onto hi

es-so fleeting, it was gone before she could decipher it. "Love i

of sentiment, that for a moment, she

nraveling the enigma that was Lysander D

pe, he nudged the

," he said smoothly, his voice a perfect blend of command and persua

mbled slightly as she h

tion screamed at

ration wa

he pen to the page, ink bleeding in

gnature dried, so

betraying no reaction as he skimmed over

s feet as if they had just concluded a business transaction. "There's

expect me to suddenly transform into yo

ver her, slow and assessing. "I'll

fened. "I can

t remember, perception is everything. From this moment forward, you are Seraphina D

aw, her pulse a frantic

was

no undoi

-

Seraphi

f her full-length mirror, staring

by the gods themselves. A dramatic slit ran dangerously high alo

ng. Bold. A

lasp behind her neck, smoothing ou

raphina Hayes-the strugglin

o the shoes of Seraphina Du

ear the rol

ke them believe

mousin

usine pulled up to her apartment building, its

her heels clicking with quiet confide

eccably tailored black tuxedo. Shar

moment, his gaz

st the slightest flicker in hi

rled in her chest b

l," he murmured,

ina he

te grace, she slid

warm. Firm. A

the sudden tightn

," she said, li

across his face. "Careful, fian

e said it-low, almost tea

, heart pounding in time wi

and En

bathed in golden lights, its towering glas

o the plush red carpet, the

shouting. The chaos of h

, photographers clamoring, journalists angling for a glimpse of

to pull away, to shri

act, Lysander's hand ti

her. Cla

slightly, his breath

rmured, his voice low, co

lse sk

eady, controlled-then lifted her

was

believed

was no tur