Novel-novel oleh Rena. I . Blake

He leaned back, studying her quietly. “You don’t have to pretend for long.”Her eyes widened. “What does that mean?”He folded his hands. “There’s a shareholders’ dinner tomorrow night, a small one. I’d like you to come. Officially.”“As your?”“As my wife,” he finished softly.Olivia’s breath caught. “Sebastian, that’s. people will start asking questions.”“They already are,” he said evenly. “And I’d rather the truth come from me than from a leak.”She stared at him, torn between panic and awe.He was calm, steady, unshakable, the way he always was. And somehow, that steadiness made her want to believe him.“I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” she whispered.“You don’t have to be,” he replied gently. “You just have to stand beside me.”Her heart twisted. “You make it sound so easy.”“It isn’t,” he said quietly. “But we’ll face it together.”The next day, the office was even louder than before.The news of the upcoming shareholders’ dinner had everyone buzzing, from executives to int

Two days.That was all it took for Hart Conglomerate to turn into a living rumor mill.Olivia had barely settled back into her routine when the company email pinged early that morning with a message from Nathan, Sebastian’s personal assistant:MEMO:To all staff:Mr. Sebastian Hart, Senior Executive of Hart Conglomerate, will officially resume office in two days. Please prepare for an all-staff briefing and executive welcome meeting on Friday at 10 a.m.Thank you.Nathan Carter, P.A. to Mr. Hart.The email spread through the office faster than wildfire.By the time Olivia walked into the administrative department, everyone was buzzing, voices rising in excitement, disbelief, and curiosity.“He’s coming back?”“After all these years?”“They say he’s different from his brother. Quieter. Stricter.”“And handsome as hell, apparently.”Olivia’s stomach twisted. She knew the man they were all talking about, the enigmatic elder Hart, absent from public view for years. Though her colleagues

Sebastian Hart wasn’t physically in the building, but his presence was everywhere.He had assigned one of his most trusted aides, Nathan, to “observe” the workplace. Nathan was a smooth, watchful man who knew when to speak and when to blend into the background.That morning, he’d called Sebastian with an update.“Sir, Mrs. Hart reported to work at exactly 8:45 a.m. She’s maintaining a professional demeanor, but it’s clear her colleagues are talking.”“Anyone causing trouble?”“The ex-fiancé, Jack Holden. He made a scene earlier, a public humiliation. Mrs. Hart handled it well.”“Keep an eye on him,” Sebastian said flatly. “Discreetly. And if anyone tries to make her life difficult, I want to know immediately.”“Understood, sir.”Sebastian ended the call and leaned back in his chair. His expression remained calm, but a storm brewed behind his eyes.He’d known returning to the corporate world would be messy, but he hadn’t expected to care this much.The image of Olivia walking into that

The morning air in Manhattan carried that sharp November chill, the kind that felt like it could slice through nerves and doubts alike.Olivia stood in front of the glass doors of Hart Conglomerate, clutching her ID badge with trembling fingers.It had been only a week since the wedding. A week since she’d been left at the altar and found herself suddenly married to a man she barely knew, the enigmatic Sebastian Hart.Her life had turned into something out of a tabloid headline, and now she was walking right back into the building where everyone had witnessed her humiliation.She inhaled deeply, squared her shoulders, and stepped inside.The lobby was as bright and polished as ever marble floors, high ceilings, the hum of conversation and keyboards. But the moment Olivia walked through the glass doors, the air seemed to shift.People turned.Some stared outright; others whispered behind manicured hands.The pity in their eyes was worse than the laughter.She could feel it, the weigh

By the time she joined him for breakfast, he was dressed sharply again, navy shirt, dark trousers, sleeves rolled to his forearms as he scrolled through emails on his laptop.He looked up briefly. “Sleep well?”“As well as someone who just accidentally became a headline,” she said wryly.He smiled faintly. “You’ll get used to it.”“I really hope not.”He chuckled softly, setting aside his laptop. “There’s something you should see.”He handed her a folded newspaper. On the front page, a blurred photograph of her stood under the bold headline:“THE RUNAWAY BRIDE WHO DIDN’T RUN. MYSTERY GROOM STEALS THE DAY.”Olivia’s pulse jumped. “Oh my God.”“It’s already viral,” Sebastian said calmly. “But the good news is, no one has connected you to the company yet. We have time.”She sank into the chair opposite him. “You’re not worried?”“Worry doesn’t help. Action does.”“You sound like a man who’s used to controlling everything.”He smiled slightly. “I try.”Olivia bit her lip, studying him th

Olivia had seen pictures of New York penthouses in magazines, but nothing prepared her for the quiet elegance of Sebastian Hart’s world.The elevator doors opened to reveal an expanse of glass and marble, sleek lines, soft lighting, and a view that stretched endlessly across the city skyline.She stood frozen for a moment, her suitcase in hand.The air smelled faintly of cedarwood and clean linen. Everything looked impossibly perfect, expensive but tasteful, like him.Sebastian stepped inside first, tossing his car keys onto the counter. “You’ll be staying here for now,” he said casually, as though he hadn’t just turned her life upside down.She followed slowly, her heels echoing on the polished floor. “Here? With you?”“Unless you prefer the press finding out where you live,” he replied, unbuttoning his suit jacket and setting it aside. “I bought this building recently because of us, it has private security. No one gets in without clearance.”Olivia swallowed hard. “Right. Of course.