LOGINKALIX JACE SMITH POV The glass greenhouse had been a mistake. Touching Amber's hair, letting myself get distracted by the soft expression in her eyes—it was all a lapse in judgment I couldn't afford. The moment Marcus called, reality slammed back into place. Richard Vance wasn't playing games anymore, and neither could I. By the time I stormed into the main library of the estate, Marcus was already there. He had his laptop set up on the long conference table, surrounded by three of our top corporate lawyers. The room smelled of old paper and nervous sweat. "Tell me we have a counter-strategy," I said, tossing my phone onto the table as I took the seat at the head. "The injunction Richard filed is aggressive, Kalix," Marcus said, rubbing his eyes. "He’s using the preliminary data we shared during the merger talks to claim we’re stealing Vance Global’s European supply chain blueprints. It’s a desperate move, but if the judge grants the temporary freeze, our European expansion will b
AMBER HART POV The limousine ride back to the estate felt longer than usual. The quietness inside the car wasn’t the suffocating kind anymore, but it was thick with something I couldn't quite name. Kalix was still scrolling through his phone, his thumb moving rhythmically against the screen. The blue light from the device illuminated the sharp angles of his face. He looked completely back in his element, calculating numbers and reading market trends while my heart was still trying to slow down from the confrontation with Victoria and her father. I looked out the window, watching the streetlights bleed into long, blurry lines against the wet glass. One million dollars. I kept repeating that number in my head like a mantra. It was the only thing keeping me grounded. I needed to remember that every soft look Kalix gave me under the chandeliers, every time his hand steadyingly held my waist, it was all just PR. He was saving his empire; I was saving my future. It was a fair trade. Th
AMBER HART POVThe ballroom of the Grand Regent Hotel was a blinding sea of crystal chandeliers, expensive champagne, and flashing cameras. The noise hit me the moment the heavy gold-trimmed doors opened—a mix of classical violin music and the low, collective hum of hundreds of wealthy people talking over each other.My grip on Kalix’s arm tightened instinctively. My heels sank slightly into the plush crimson carpet as we made our entrance."Stay relaxed," Kalix murmured, his head leaning down just enough so only I could hear him. His arm felt like iron underneath my fingers, solid and completely unbothered by the crowd. "Smile for the photographer on your left. Keep moving toward the center of the room."I did exactly what he said. I plastered a bright, effortless smile on my face, turning slightly to give the cameras a perfect angle. The flashbulbs went off in a rapid, dizzying sequence, but I didn't let my eyes blink. I had practiced this in front of the guest suite mirror for two
AMBER HART POV The morning light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the East Wing suite was a lot softer than the harsh fluorescent bulbs of my old apartment. I sat up in the massive king-sized bed, stretching my arms over my head. My body didn't ache from running around with heavy trays for once, but my mind was already racing. It had been four days since the dinner with Arthur and Thomas. Four days of living in a strange limbo. I wasn't a housekeeper anymore. Martha had strictly forbidden me from touching a broom or clearing a plate, claiming that if any of the other staff saw Kalix’s fiancée scrubbing a floor, the gossip would leak to the press within an hour. Instead, my new schedule consisted of trying on clothes sent by luxury boutiques, reading books in the sunroom, and pretending that this massive, echoing estate was my home. It was exhausting in a completely different way. The silence in the house was loud, and the constant acting made me feel like I wa
AMBER HART POVThe dress Kalix’s team selected for the dinner meeting was a simple, midnight-blue silk slip dress that fell just below my knees. It didn’t have any sequins, lace, or loud patterns, but the way the fabric draped made it look effortlessly expensive.I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing down the front of the skirt. My reflection still felt like a stranger. A week ago, I was wearing a stained apron, rushing between tables at a crowded diner, smelling like grease and old coffee. Now, I smelled like jasmine and wealth.The transition was dizzying. One part of me was terrified that someone would see right through the expensive clothes and look at my worn-out sneakers resting in the closet. But another part of me, the part that survived Mark’s betrayal and a zero-dollar bank account, reminded me that this was just another shift. I just had to play a role, keep my head down, and finish the job.A knock on the door broke my focus."Come in," I said, turning around.Kalix wa
KALIX JACE SMITH POV My private office on the top floor of the headquarters was completely silent, but my mind was moving at a thousand miles an hour. Marcus was pacing in front of my desk, holding a tablet that showed the real-time stock updates. "The immediate backlash from the Vance family is dying down. The romantic angle neutralized the narrative that you were being backed into a corner, Kalix. But the board is still frantic. They want proof that this isn't just a sudden stunt to dodge the merger." "Let them watch," I said, leaning back in my chair and checking my watch. It was barely noon. "The press conference bought us the time we needed. Victoria’s father can’t initiate a hostile takeover while the public believes I am expanding the company through private family assets." "And the girl?" Marcus asked, stopping his pacing to look at me directly. "Amber. She handled herself well on stage, but she's a variable, Kalix. She was dusting your shelves forty-eight hours ago. Are yo
AMBER HART POV My signature on that paper looked incredibly small, but it felt heavier than my two massive suitcases combined. Kalix picked up the document, blew lightly on the ink to let it dry, and then locked it inside his desk drawer. The transition from my boss to my fake fiancé took him exa
AMBER HART POV Fiancée? Nobody mentioned anything about a fiancée. Martha definitely left that part out of the orientation. I stood frozen in the kitchen doorway, holding a dish towel, as the woman stormed deeper into the foyer. She looked like she skipped straight off a fashion runway—perfec
AMBER HART POV By the third day, my body was entirely fueled by pure adrenaline and cheap instant coffee. Kalix Jace Smith was not a human being; he was a machine that ran on efficiency and expected everyone else to do the same. My routine was brutal. Wake up at four-thirty, prep his exact brea
AMBER HART POV My bank account balance was $4.12. I stared at the glowing screen of the ATM, hoping that if I blinked hard enough, a few extra zeros would magically appear. They didn’t. Instead, the machine spat my card back out with a mechanical beep that felt like a mockery. "Come on," I wh







