Lexi

By the time I got to my apartment it was already very dark. My room was dusty. I had been out for more than a week.

I slumped on my bed, tired and famished. I can't believe I didn't even eat before leaving in anger.

What was I thinking? I was a fool to think a billionaire would take a liking to someone like me.

I hissed and dozed off.

The next morning, a black sedan idled outside my apartment. Lucian had sent an email last night that I’d ignored.

Through my window, I could see Marcus adjusting his tie, clearly uncomfortable with his assignment.

"Miss Carter?" Marcus called from the lobby intercom, his voice apologetic. "Mr. Cross insisted I wait until you're ready."

Ready? As if I had any intention of going to his precious gala.

I pressed the intercom button harder than necessary. "Tell Mr. Cross I'm washing my hair."

"He... he said you might say that. He also said to remind you that this is a company event celebrating the Meridian project's success. The project you helped with, miss."

I tightened my fist in frustration. Lucian knew exactly which buttons to push.

Thirty minutes later, I found myself in the back of the sedan, wearing the only formal dress I owned, a simple navy blue number I'd bought for my college graduation three years ago. It felt inadequate against the city lights streaming past the window, but it was better than giving Lucian the satisfaction of thinking I'd dressed up for him.

The Grandview Hotel's ballroom buzzed with the kind of energy that only came from gathering the city's elite in one room. Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over designer gowns and tailored tuxedos, while servers glided between clusters of guests with champagne flutes and canapés that probably cost more than my monthly grocery budget.

I spotted Lucian immediately, he had that magnetic quality that drew attention even in a crowd. He wore a midnight blue tuxedo that looked like it had been sewn directly onto his body, and his dark hair was styled in that effortlessly perfect way that probably took an hour to achieve. He was deep in conversation with a group of investors, his smile charming but professional.

"Lexi!" A feminine voice called. I looked back to see an unfamiliar face appear at my elbow. She looked like someone who likes to gossip. "I can't believe you're here. Everyone's talking about how Mr. Cross personally ensure your attendance. My name is Lily.”

My eyes squinted as heat crept up my neck. "It's a company event. I work for the company as a reporter."

"Uh-huh." Her knowing look made me want to disappear into the elegant wallpaper. "Well, you might want to prepare yourself. Giselle Laurent is here, and she's... making quite the statement." She said, wearing an evil grin like someone ready for a show.

What’s your damn business? I wanted to ask but I swallowed it.

Lily looks like those bitches who licks the feet of the rich.

As I followed her gaze, I felt my stomach drop. Giselle stood near the bar, and she was wearing a midnight blue flow gown that perfectly complemented Lucian's tuxedo. Not just similar, identical fabric, identical shade, as if they'd been designed as a matching set.

How did she know what Lucian was going to wear? The realization hit me like a physical blow. The message was clear to everyone in the room. They belonged together.

"Tacky, right?" Lily whispered, but I barely heard her over the rushing in my ears.

It shouldn't matter. Lucian and I were nothing more than colleagues now. For the remaining months for the contract to end, we will keep things professional. Distant. Exactly what I'd demanded yesterday.

But watching Giselle glide towards him, her dress shimmering under the lights, I felt a stab of something sharp and unwelcome in my chest. Jealousy. Raw and honest and completely inappropriate.

"There's the woman of the hour," a voice drawled behind me.

I turned to find Victoria Ashford, daughter of one of the city's most prominent real estate moguls, flanked by two other women I recognized from society pages. Their smiles were sharp as glass.

"Victoria." I kept my voice neutral, though warning bells were already ringing in my head.

"We were just discussing the Meridian project," Victoria continued, her tone sugar-sweet with underlying venom. "It's fascinating how some people can... rise above their circumstances."

The other women tittered, and I felt the familiar armor of defensiveness sliding into place. I'd grown up with girls like this. I attended a rich highschool on scholarship and I knew exactly how to handle pompous chicks like these.

"Hard work tends to be effective that way," I replied evenly.

"Oh, of course. Though it does help to have... connections." Victoria's gaze flicked meaningfully towards Lucian, who was now accepting a champagne flute from Giselle with a polite smile. "Some people are just so good at making the right impressions."

The implication hung in the air like smoke. Heat flooded my cheeks, but before I could formulate a response, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

"Victoria. Ladies." Lucian appeared beside me, his presence both comforting and unsettling. "I hope you're enjoying the celebration."

"Lucian!" Victoria's demeanor shifted instantly, her smile brightening with genuine warmth. "We were just congratulating Miss Carter on her impressive work."

"As you should be." His voice carried an edge that made Victoria's smile falter slightly. "The Meridian project's success is entirely due to Lexi's brilliancy. I am fortunate to have someone of her caliber."

I felt his hand settle lightly on the small of my back, the touch sending electricity through the fabric of my dress. It was barely there, professional enough to seem casual, but intimate enough to send a clear message.

"Of course," Victoria backtracked, her confidence wavering. "We were just saying how... talented she is."

"Exceptionally so." Lucian's tone could have frozen champagne. "If you'll excuse us, I need to steal Lexi away for some photographs with the other department heads."

He guided me away from the group, his hand remaining on my back until we were safely across the room. I could feel the stares following us. I could practically hear the whispers starting to spread through the crowd like wildfire.

"You didn't have to do that," I said quietly, though I was grateful for the rescue.

"Yes, I did." He stopped near a quiet alcove, turning to face me. "Victoria Ashford has been coasting on her father's name her entire life. She has no right to diminish your accomplishments."

His defense of me was unexpected and entirely too appealing. This was the problem with Lucian Cross, just when I'd convinced myself he was nothing more than an arrogant businessman, he'd do something that reminded me why I can't seem to forget about him.

"Thank you," I said simply.

He gazed deeply at me, burning my cheeks. "Lexi…"

"Lucian!" Giselle's voice interrupted whatever he was about to say. She approached with two champagne flutes, her smile brilliant and possessive. "I brought you a fresh drink."

She handed him the glass, her fingers lingering against his longer than necessary. In her coordinated dress, standing beside him, they looked like the perfect power couple. The kind of match that made sense on paper and in society columns.

"Thank you, Giselle." Lucian accepted the champagne with polite courtesy, but I noticed he didn't step closer to her.

"Doesn't Lexi look lovely tonight?" Giselle's tone was perfectly pleasant, but there was something calculating in her eyes as they swept over my simple dress. "So... refreshingly understated."

The compliment-that-wasn't hit its mark. Next to her designer gown and flawless styling, I felt like exactly what I was, an outsider trying to fit into a world where I didn't belong.

"She looks beautiful," Lucian said quietly, his gaze meeting mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.

Giselle's smile tightened almost unnoticeably.

"Well," I said. “I should probably mingle. Thank you for the lovely evening."

I walked away before either of them could respond, my heart hammering against my ribs. But I could feel Lucian's eyes on me as I moved through the crowd. I could sense his attention like a physical touch even across the room.

Maybe we were just colleagues now. Maybe that's all we could ever be.

Why do I ever think we could be more than partners bound by a six month contract?

What gave me the audacity to desire Lucian Cross?

For some reason, I felt hot tears threatening to drop.