Chapter Eleven: The Performance Begins

Ethan's POV

The resignation letter landed on my desk with surprising finality. I looked down at the envelope, then up at Sophia.

She stood across from me in a fitted navy dress that looked nothing like the clothes she normally wore to work. Dante's team had clearly done their job. Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and the subtle makeup highlighted features I had somehow never paid attention to before. Or perhaps I had noticed them. I had simply chosen not to.

"What's this?" I asked, even though I already knew.

"My resignation letter." Her voice remained professional. Calm. Controlled.

As though resigning from a job she'd held for three years didn't matter. As though agreeing to marry her boss wasn't completely insane. I glanced at the envelope again. The resignation had always been part of the arrangement.

Once our engagement became public, she couldn't continue working directly under me. The board would question it. The media would question it. Everyone would question it. The secretary becoming the CEO's wife was already scandalous enough. The least we could do was eliminate the conflict of interest.

Still, seeing the letter sitting there left an unexpected feeling in my chest. For three years, Sophia had been the first person I saw every morning. The last person answering emails at night. The person who somehow kept my schedule, my meetings, and occasionally my sanity from collapsing entirely.

Now there was an empty space waiting where she used to be. I didn't particularly like that realization.

"Everything is arranged?" I asked.

She nodded. "Human Resources already has the paperwork."

Efficient. Of course she did. Sophia never left loose ends. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then she turned toward the door.

"I should go."

I watched her walk away. Halfway across the office, something strange happened.

For the first time, I truly looked at her.

Not as my secretary. Not as the woman signing a contract. Not as the solution to my inheritance problem.

I looked at Sophia Hart. Really looked. The confidence in her stride. The stubborn determination that never seemed to leave her. The quiet strength she'd carried through years of impossible circumstances. And, unfortunately, the fact that she was beautiful.bNot in the polished, predictable way of actresses and socialites I'd dated before. Not in the carefully manufactured way women in my world often presented themselves.

Sophia's beauty felt different. Unexpectedly. Real.

My gaze lingered longer than it should have. Before I could stop myself, I spoke.

"Sophia."

She paused. Then turned. "Yes?"

I leaned back slightly. "Did you enjoy the makeover?"

The corner of her mouth lifted. A genuine smile. "I survived it."

I almost smiled back. Almost.

"Dante spent four hours arguing with a stylist." That earned a soft laugh.

"I noticed."

The sound lingered in the room long after it faded. Then she shook her head.

"I should go."

This time I didn't stop her. I simply watched her leave. The door closed. Silence followed.

My office suddenly felt larger. Empty. I stared at the resignation letter. For some reason, I didn't open it.

Instead, I left it exactly where she'd placed it. Minutes passed. Then twenty.

I returned to reviewing documents. Answering emails. Preparing for Saturday's announcement. The usual distractions. Until something caught my attention. A handbag.

Resting against the chair Sophia had occupied earlier. I frowned. She'd forgotten it.

That wasn't like her. Sophia rarely forgot anything.I picked it up. Definitely hers.

For a brief moment, I considered having someone return it. Then dismissed the idea. The elevators were faster.

I caught her before she left the building.

Without thinking further, I grabbed the bag and headed downstairs. The lobby was crowded. Employees moved through the revolving doors. Visitors crossed the marble floors. Security personnel stood at their stations. I spotted her immediately.

Sophia was already halfway across the lobby. Walking toward the exit. I increased my pace.

"Sophia."

No response. She continued walking. Either she hadn't heard me or was ignoring me. Probably the first option.

Hopefully.

"Sophia!"

Still nothing. People were beginning to glance in my direction. Wonderful. I moved faster.

Then, for reasons I still couldn't explain later, a completely different word left my mouth.

"Mama!"

The entire lobby froze.bIncluding me. Sophia stopped instantly. Slowly turned around. Her eyes widened. Employees openly stared.

Someone near reception nearly dropped a folder. For a second, complete silence filled the lobby put the Then my phone started ringing. I didn't need to check the screen.

I already knew who it was. Dante. Of course.

I answered. "What?"

His laughter exploded through the speaker. "What did you just do?"

I closed my eyes briefly. "Nothing."

"You called her mama."

Several nearby employees looked increasingly interested. I lowered my voice.

"Keep your voice down."

"You called her mama in public."

"Yes."

Dante laughed harder. "I genuinely can't decide if you're desperate or an idiot."

I looked toward Sophia.

She was still staring at me. Clearly waiting for an explanation.

"I'm trying to make it look real."

There was a pause. Then Dante spoke. "You're insane."

I hung up. Immediately. Before he could continue.

When I looked up again, Sophia was still waiting. I approached her. Holding out the handbag.

"You forgot this."

Understanding immediately crossed her face. "Oh." She accepted it. "Thank you."

The faint embarrassment in her voice almost made me feel guilty. Almost. People were still watching us. Still whispering. Exactly what we needed. A public image. A believable relationship.

Without thinking too much about it, I took her hand. Her eyes widened. The reaction was immediate. Unexpectedly intense.

For both of us.

I lowered my head and pressed a brief kiss against her knuckles. The gesture lasted only a second. Two at most.

But the effect was immediate. Several employees gasped. Someone near reception smiled.

Another pulled out a phone. Perfect. The rumor mill would handle the rest.

Sophia looked completely stunned.

Which, admittedly, was slightly amusing.

Her cheeks flushed. A beautiful shade of pink. Interesting. Very interesting.

"See you tomorrow," I said.

She blinked. Then nodded. "Tomorrow."

And just like that, she left. I watched her disappear through the revolving doors.

Only then did I return upstairs. The moment I entered my office, my phone rang again. Dante.

I answered reluctantly. "Now what?"

"I leave you alone for ten minutes."

I sat behind my desk.

"And?":

"And somehow you've created enough gossip to fuel the company for six months."

I opened Sophia's resignation letter. Finally,

"You're welcome."

Dante groaned. Sgohü

"I'm serious, Ethan."

"So am I."

There was a pause. Then his tone softened.

"Just don't screw this up."

Saturday.Two days away.The engagement announcement. The beginning of the lie. Or perhaps the beginning of something far more complicated.

After ending the call, I leaned back in my chair. My gaze drifted toward the city beyond the windows.

Then, unexpectedly, toward the memory of Sophia standing in the lobby. Surprised.

Flustered. Beautiful. I pictured her at Saturday's event.

The dress. The cameras. The attention. My future wife.

The thought should have felt ridiculous.

Instead, it felt dangerously easy to imagine.

And for the first time since this arrangement began, I wasn't entirely sure that was a good thing.