CHAPTER 4: THE CONTRACT PROPOSAL.

Gloss POV

“You’re still nothing to me.”

Those were his parting words before he walked out of the boardroom like some cold, silver-eyed king in a three-piece suit. The doors closed behind him with a heavy sound, leaving me standing there with my notepad clutched tight in my trembling hands. I probably looked like a secretary who had been hit by a truck, dragged across gravel, and sprinkled with glitter to make it look less tragic.

A shaky laugh escaped me, echoing in the empty room. “Nothing, huh? System, I hope you’re proud of me. I survived termination, humiliated a director, and got called ‘not entirely useless’ by my boss. That’s basically an achievement unlocked.”

As always, the system stayed quiet. Of course it did. It never praised me when I needed it to. It only appeared when it wanted to throw me into another impossible mission.

Still, I was alive, and that was what mattered.

I gathered my papers, straightened my shirt, and told myself that from now on, I’d keep my head down and stay out of trouble. No more drawing attention. No more heroics. My goal wasn’t to shine, it was to survive. Gloss Rivera was going to be invisible from now on. Quiet, polite, and forgettable.

Or so I thought.

Because the next morning, the office was buzzing like a beehive. Whispers filled the air. People gathered in small groups, talking in low voices and throwing curious looks around. Something was happening.

Naturally, I was the last to know. I was too low on the ladder for gossip. That was fine by me. Ignorance meant peace.

At least, until I walked straight into the middle of it.

I had been delivering some files to the executive lounge, the one where Dream and a few top executives usually met. Normally, I wouldn’t go near that place, but the head secretary had shoved a folder in my hands and told me, “Take this to the lounge. Now.”

So I did. Refusing would’ve been career suicide.

I opened the door quietly, hoping to slip in, drop the folder, and disappear before anyone noticed. But when I stepped inside, I froze.

Dream was there. His father sat beside him. And across from them were two women I recognized immediately from finance magazines. Elegant, intimidating, powerful. The Orions. Owners of a massive conglomerate that ruled half the country’s shipping and energy business.

And I, unlucky me, had just walked into the middle of a marriage proposal.

“…it’s settled then,” the older woman said, her tone smooth and confident. “Our daughter will make the perfect wife for you, Dream. A union between our families will strengthen both companies. It’s time to think of the future.”

My fingers went numb.

Marriage? Wife? What?

Dream sat calmly, legs crossed, hands folded. His face was unreadable, those silver eyes cold as ice. “I don’t recall asking for a wife,” he said quietly.

“Don’t be difficult,” his father snapped. “This is for the company’s good. You can’t carry it all alone. A woman like her will help you build alliances and improve your image.”

The Orion daughter smiled politely, though her eyes looked as empty as her tone. She stared at Dream the way someone might look at a shiny trophy.

I pressed myself against the wall, praying no one had noticed me. My heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears. If they saw me, I was done for.

And of course, that was when the system chimed in.

[New Mission Triggered: Become the CEO’s shield.]

[Objective: Prevent the marriage alliance.]

[Reward: Affection +10, Survival Points +5.]

[Failure: Early removal from the story.]

I wanted to scream. Of course. Of course the system would pick now to drag me into a billionaire marriage plot. Why couldn’t I just be an intern fetching coffee? Why did it always have to be “stop a corporate wedding or die trying”?

I started inching toward the door, but before I could escape, I felt it — that sharp gaze.

Dream was looking straight at me.

My whole body went still. His eyes narrowed slightly, and then, to my horror, his lips curved into a smirk.

“Secretary Rivera,” he said in that smooth, dangerous voice, as if he’d expected me to be there all along.

Every head in the room turned toward me.

Oh no. Oh no no no.

I stepped forward awkwardly, clutching the folder to my chest. “Um… I brought the quarterly analysis files, sir.” My voice cracked embarrassingly.

Dream’s father frowned. “Who is this?”

“Just my secretary,” Dream said, that smirk still in place. Then he added, “But also, something more.”

My brain short-circuited. Something more?!

Before I could even process what was happening, Dream stood up. His tall frame seemed even more intimidating up close. He walked toward me, took the folder from my hands, and said calmly, “Secretary Rivera is my boyfriend.”

The room went completely silent.

Boyfriend?!

I choked. “Excuse me?!”

Dream’s father’s face turned red. “Dream!”

The Orions looked horrified. Their daughter’s eyes went wide, and her mother looked like she’d just smelled something rotten.

Dream didn’t care. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close, his cologne hitting my senses like a punch. His mouth came close to my ear, his voice low and cold. “Play along unless you want to die tonight.”

My knees almost gave out.

He wasn’t joking.

The system chimed again.

[Sub-Mission Activated: Convince the Orions you’re the CEO’s real partner.]

Oh, perfect.

Smile, Gloss. Smile or die.

I forced a shaky grin and let out a nervous laugh. “That’s right! Surprise, everyone! I… forgot to mention that I’m, uh, dating the boss. Ha ha… funny story.”

No one laughed.

The Orion daughter gave me a disgusted look, her mother shook her head. Dream’s father looked seconds away from exploding.

But Dream? He only pulled me closer, his smirk daring anyone to question him.

And me? I stood there wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole. This wasn’t a fake relationship. This was a death sentence in disguise.

Then Dream leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t refuse, Secretary Rivera,” he said softly. “Unless you want to die tonight.”

He paused, his tone turning colder. “Actually, now that I think about it… you really don’t have a choice.”

Was he mocking me?

I forced a dry laugh and thought, “Haven’t I suffered enough? Why didn’t I just stay dead?”