From Spy to Wife: The CEO’s Pretend Marriage

“Do we really have to do this now, Shadowbird? Midnight meetings are seriously getting old,” I said with a sigh as I sat in the cold metal chair across from my boss.The room felt like a freezer—typical for this secret basement place. I rubbed my arms and wondered why spy places always had to feel like Antarctica. Maybe they thought cold air made us smarter or something?Shadowbird didn’t even look up from her tablet. “Nice of you to show up, Phantom.”Ugh. I hated that name. It made me sound like a ghost or some weird legend. But I guess that’s the point. I sneak in, grab the info, and vanish. No mess, no drama. I’ve done twenty missions in four years. Never failed. Never slipped up.“This better be worth dragging me away from my Netflix binge,” I said, leaning back in the chair. “It was just getting good.”Shadowbird finally looked up and gave me one of her classic cold stares. “When do you ever get to the good part, Vale? Your apartment’s emptier than your love life.”Oof. That one

“Hey, got any spare change?” someone said in a rough voice as I waited outside the coffee shop. I was just hanging around, waiting for Lennox’s driver to show up.I looked down and saw a messy-looking guy sitting on the ground. His clothes were dirty and his hair was a mess. Then I realized—it was Shadowbird under all that dirt and the fake beard. She was good—really good at disguises.“Sorry, I don’t carry cash,” I said loudly so people around could hear. Then I lowered my voice. “What are you doing here? This isn’t part of the plan.”Shadowbird moved a little closer, still acting like a homeless person. “Just making sure you're prepared. Hart's house is like Fort Knox—CCTV everywhere, armed security, and likely secret cameras just for you.”I acted like I was checking my phone and spoke without moving my lips too much. “Yeah, I guessed that. Guys like him don’t trust easily.”“This isn't just paranoia. Our intel says he's been extra cautious lately,” she said, looking around. “He mi

“You look really pretty, Cathy!” Mia said as she ran down the stairs. Her face lit up when she saw me standing in the hallway.I smoothed out my plain blue dress, feeling weirdly nervous. It was my second time at the Hart house, but tonight felt different. Maybe it was because Lennox was kind of avoiding me after that kiss… or maybe the mission was just getting tricky. Either way, here I was, back again—just two days after I "forgot" my bracelet.“Thanks, sweetie,” I said, crouching down to her level. “You look super cute too.”She spun around in her purple dress, smiling big. “Daddy said we should dress nice for dinner today. He cooked! He never cooks!”I raised my eyebrows. “Really? I wouldn’t have guessed that.”“Ms. Reed,” Lennox’s voice came from behind her. He was standing in the doorway to the dining room, wearing a simple button-up shirt and looking kind of awkward. The air between us felt… weird. “Thanks for joining us again.”I stood up and gave him a small smile. “Thanks fo

“Is she asleep now?” Lennox whispered, his breath warm near my ear.I looked at Mia, who was curled up between us like a tiny kitten. She was breathing slow and steady, holding onto my nightgown.“Yeah, I think so,” I whispered back, gently moving her hand off me.Lennox slowly sat up, careful not to shake the bed too much. The moonlight made his chest kind of glow. I tried not to look, but wow... this man had muscles.“You should go back to your room,” he said softly, not really looking at me. “She moves a lot when she sleeps.”I nodded and carefully got out of bed, very aware that my nightgown was very short. I could feel him watching me, and my face felt hot. This nightgown barely covered anything.“Goodnight,” I said, pulling the fabric down as much as I could.“Goodnight, Cathy,” he said, voice a little rough.I rushed back to my room and closed the door with a quiet sigh. My heart was beating fast. I didn’t know if it was because it was awkward… or something else.I checked my p

“What the heck was that?” I whispered as Lennox led me across the dance floor. His hand was firmly on my lower back. The music was loud enough to hide what I was saying, but people were still staring.Lennox leaned in close, his breath warm by my ear. “Just go with it. Vivian was about to ruin everything.”My heart was racing. I kept my fake smile on. Wife? He’d just told a whole room of important people that I was his wife! That was not part of the plan.“You could’ve given me a heads-up,” I muttered as he spun me around. My emerald dress flowed around my legs.He gave me that annoying half-smile that always made my stomach do a weird flip. “Would you have said yes if I did?”I stepped on his foot—kind of on purpose. He flinched. “That’s not the point. You can’t just do stuff like that without asking me.”“Sorry,” he said, but he didn’t sound sorry at all. His hand slid a little lower, pulling me even closer. “Too late now. Everyone thinks we’re married.”The music slowed down. I had