CHAPTER 3: “THE CEO’S CONDITIONS”

Panni never imagined silence could feel this loud.

She stood inside the CEO’s private elevator, her reflection fractured by sleek steel walls. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, steady but sharp, as though reminding her she wasn’t supposed to be here… she wasn’t supposed to be Annie.

And yet here she was, lifted straight into the lion’s den.

When the elevator doors slid open, a cold burst of air greeted her. The entire top floor was a minimalist expanse of glass and marble—impossibly polished, intimidatingly quiet. Assistant Luo gestured forward.

“He’s inside,” he murmured. “He doesn’t like waiting.”

Panni swallowed. “Right.”

She stepped toward the frosted glass doors. They opened automatically, revealing a massive office with floor-to-ceiling windows. City lights glittered beyond like a thousand eyes watching her.

At the center of it all stood Chen Lu, back turned, silhouette tall and blade-straight. His suit looked tailored to perfection; even the tension in his posture felt disciplined.

Panni inhaled.

“Mr. Chen Lu…”

He didn’t turn immediately.

“You were almost late,” he said, voice even, cool, authoritative. “I don’t tolerate tardiness. I presume Annie knows that.”

Her pulse spiked. Right. Annie. The name she temporarily borrowed.

“I’m… aware,” she managed.

Chen Lu finally turned.

His gaze pinned her like a hawk assessing prey—unforgiving, unreadable. His eyes were darker than she remembered from the funeral, sharp enough to slice straight into her thoughts.

And he noticed something.

His brows knit together.

“You cut your hair.”

Panni resisted the urge to touch the short layered bob Annie had insisted upon.

“It… felt time for a change.”

The answer wasn’t good enough. He stepped closer, gaze narrowing.

“And your posture is different today.”

Another step.

“And your tone.”

Her throat dried. “I… didn’t realize.”

He circled her—slow, precise, clinical—as though comparing her to a file in his memory. Panni stood frozen, pulse in her fingertips.

“It’s almost like you’re a different person.”

Her breath hitched.

But then he moved away, dismissing the thought. “No matter. Sit.”

She obeyed instantly, sinking into the chair opposite his desk. The contract lay open on the glossy surface.

Chen Lu remained standing, hands in pockets, gaze sweeping over her like a cold current.

“Before we finalize this arrangement,” he said, “we should be clear about a few things.”

Panni’s fingers curled in her lap.

Here it comes. The rules. The real price.

“First,” Chen Lu began, “this marriage will be strictly contractual. A performance. My grandmother’s final wish was that I marry before her passing, and the board expects stability from a CEO.”

His jaw tightened for a moment—so quick she almost missed it.

“But my personal life is not open for negotiation,” he continued. “No sentiment, no emotional involvement, no expectations.”

He looked directly at her.

“You understand?”

Panni nodded. “Yes.”

She told herself it didn’t hurt. Because it shouldn’t. This wasn’t her life. This wasn’t her future.

“Good. Second—”

Chen Lu walked behind his desk, his fingers lightly tapping the surface. “—you will live with me.”

Her breath caught. “L-live with you?”

“Of course.” His tone remained patient, almost bored. “A marriage, especially one meant to appease shareholders, requires proximity. There will be dinners, appearances, interviews, and public scrutiny. You need to be beside me.”

Panni’s stomach twisted.

“You look worried,” he observed.

“No, I— I just wasn’t expecting…”

“This role,” he finished for her, “requires discipline.”

Panni bit the inside of her cheek.

Role.

That was all she was to him.

“Third.”

He lifted the contract, flipping to the final page.

“You cannot break the contract within one year. If you do, I will consider it a breach and take legal action. I imagine Annie understands the consequences.”

Her breath faltered. Consequences. Annie hadn’t mentioned that part.

“Lastly,” he said quietly, “privacy. What happens in my home stays there. You will not pry into my affairs. You will not ask questions you have no right to ask. And above all—”

He looked at her again, gaze turning sharp.

“—you will not lie to me.”

Her blood froze.

For a terrifying moment, she thought he knew. That he could see right through her skin to the woman she really was.

“I’m not lying,” she whispered.

His eyes softened—not kindly, but analytically.

“Good. Because deception and betrayal are intolerable to me.”

Her hands trembled. She shoved them under the desk.

Chen Lu slid the contract toward her.

“Sign it.”

Panni stared at the elegant, printed name: Su Annie.

Her thoughts raced.

If she signed this, she was no longer just pretending. She was becoming her sister. She was tying herself to a man who could crush her with a single word.

But Annie needed her.

And Panni had already stepped too far into the lie to turn back.

Her fingers closed around the pen.

With a measured breath, she signed.

When she looked up, Chen Lu was watching her with unreadable intensity.

“Welcome,” he said quietly, “to the arrangement.”

Panni nodded, though her chest tightened.

Assistant Luo entered with a folder. “Sir, the evening meeting with Director Fang has been moved to—”

His words stopped mid-sentence. His gaze flicked toward Panni, eyes widening.

“Oh,” he blurted. “Miss Annie… congratulations.”

“Thank you,” she replied instinctively, though the word felt foreign.

Assistant Luo beamed. “The whole company thought this would never happen. CEO Lu has been so—”

“That’s enough,” Chen Lu cut coldly.

Assistant Luo froze. “Ah—yes, sir.”

He backed out of the office, almost tripping over himself.

Silence settled again.

Panni rose. “Should I—go home and prepare?”

Chen Lu shook his head.

“No. There’s somewhere we must go first.”

She blinked. “Where?”

He grabbed his coat, moving past her.

“My grandmother’s memorial hall.”

Her breath stopped.

He paused at the door, words unexpectedly low, weighted.

“She wished to see my bride. Even if she’s gone… I intend to honor that.”

Panni followed him onto the private elevator. The air shifted; the space felt too small, too intimate. Chen Lu stood beside her, imposing and silent, his presence filling the narrow lift.

As they descended, he spoke.

“Annie,” he said softly.

Her heart jumped—she wasn’t used to her sister’s name on his lips.

“Yes?”

His gaze remained fixed ahead, but his voice sharpened.

“Don’t embarrass me tonight.”

Panni inhaled slowly, forcing her anxiety into stillness.

“I won’t.”

He glanced at her then—briefly, intensely, almost searching for something.

“Good.”

The doors slid open.

And from outside, a flash of camera light burst into the lobby.

Panni froze.

Dozens of reporters flooded the entrance.

Microphones raised.

Voices fired.

Everything I do now… has consequences.

Before she could react, Chen Lu’s hand closed around her wrist.

Warm. Firm. Possessive.

He leaned in, voice low against her ear.

“From this moment,” he murmured, “you’re mine.”

The lobby doors burst open fully, cameras blinding.

And Panni realized—

This was the first step into a world she wasn’t prepared for.

But it was already too late to turn back.