d her sometime after dawn. She cracked one eye open, momentarily confused by the absurdly luxurious room - the floor-t

like ice water

fallen asleep curled in on herself, clutching h

here - glittering proof that her li

-

r would erase the exhaustion etched into her face. Her reflection looked back at h

turned unwilling fiancée to

n, wiping stray droplets from her jaw. "Could've been a norm

-

llow her whole. Probably cost more than her entire thrift-store wardrobe. She tugged it on and tied

of coffee to the open k

hirt and dark sweatpants that did absolutely nothing to soften the lethal aura he radiated like a se

he French press he was pou

Charming," she snapped, folding h

d counter toward her without l

"How do you know ho

hat infuriating way that made her want to throw

it smelled exactly right. Bitter, strong, enough to jumpstart her br

-

of polished granite. She noticed the faint stubble on his jaw, the slight crease in his brow, the wa

her that

gers on the counter, "what's tod

down - an entire week's worth of schedules, events, press conferences, and

ed. "I'm supposed

not selling this to just the boardroom, Vale. We're selling it to the world. Tha

ed. "I do

irritation? - sparked in his eyes.

-

s that tried to flutter when their fingers brushed. "You e

ur little performance. You'll find your debts cleared, your mother's medical bi

ated that part of her did feel a tiny flicker of relief. She'd sold

dissecting her every reaction and storing it away for late

-

ats, Kane. You've bought yourself the wor

ped into her space, so close she could see the faint scar above his temple again.

the ground. But out there-" He gestured toward the skyline beyond the glass.

, his shoulder grazing hers in a deliberate,

snap something back - but

his ear, back to her. The morning sun hit him just right - highlighti

man she'd promised to ruin if he slipp

-

eath, scrubbing a

hought she'd roll over and play house - he had no