The Billionaire's Marriage Investement

This moment could either open an extraordinary door for Victoria, or land her in jail.

She desperately hoped it would be the former.

Putting on a confident face, she smoothed her hands over her pencil skirt before strutting toward the elevator that would take her to the eleventh floor of Tecna.

She had to look like she belonged to pull off the con she was about to commit.

The security guard suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking the elevator door.

“Excuse me?” Victoria scrunched her nose, putting on the expression of an offended rich woman. She had practiced the look all night. “You’re in my way.”

The guard straightened awkwardly. “Sorry ma’am. The eleventh floor has restricted access today.”

Victoria scoffed like he was an idiot wasting her time.

“And don’t I know that? I’m with Julius Lee.”

The guard assessed her from head to toe.

Thankfully, Victoria had come prepared.

From the knockoff designer blouse to the expensive-looking skirt and heels she thrifted, everything about her screamed wealth.

Dress the way you want to be addressed. So she dressed like a woman invited to Tecna’s conference.

Even though she absolutely was not.

“Fine. Since you want to lose your job, I’ll ring Julius.” She pulled out the phone she borrowed from her best friend. “Tell me your name so I can properly report your incompetence.”

She opened her contact list and pretended to dial Julius Lee.

The guard looked young. New too.

Perfect.

“I apologise ma’am.” He immediately stepped aside. “I was just following instructions not to let anybody in after the rest of the board members arrived.”

Victoria lowered the phone slowly and gave him a cold look.

“I’ll let this slide.”

Then, like it was an afterthought, she added casually. “He’s in room 144, right?”

The guard frowned.

“No. Room 148.”

Got you.

Before he could rethink the situation, Victoria stepped into the elevator with an air of superiority.

Inside though, she was practically screaming. She had actually done it!

The elevator moved upward while her heartbeat pounded louder with every passing second.

Please let the rest of this plan work, she thought.

When the doors opened on the eleventh floor, Victoria quickly located room 148 before anybody noticed her lingering.

Her plan was both simple and ridiculous.

For nine months, Tecna Group had advertised their entrepreneur conference online. Young entrepreneurs from around the country got the chance to pitch their ideas to the board.

Victoria never got selected.

So she decided to scam her way in instead.

Her startup, EVANGELINE, aligned perfectly with Tecna’s technological expansion plans. If one board member believed in her idea, everything could change.

If nobody did...

Well.

The next conference was two years away.

Victoria only had nine days before her savings completely ran out. And her grandmother needed surgery.

Immediately.

That was why she was standing outside a billionaire’s hotel room pretending she belonged there.

Julius Lee was the board member she had researched for weeks. Out of everybody, he seemed the most likely to invest in her idea.

Victoria tightened her grip on her tablet.

This was her only shot.

She reached for the handle of room 148. It was unlocked. Her eyes widened. Slowly, she pushed the door open.

The room looked exactly how rich people liked things. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Cream furniture. A bottle of liquor that probably cost more than her yearly rent.

And then there was the man.

He stood with his back facing the door, phone pressed against his ear.

“Most of their ideas are unrealistic.” He said coldly. “This is what happens when Rita handles recruitment.”

His voice carried irritation. Authority too.

Victoria froze. Something immediately felt wrong.

First of all, this man was not Julius Lee.

Secondly...

That white collared shirt fit him disgustingly well. Broad shoulders. Lean waist. Expensive watch. Sharp posture. Even from the back, he radiated power.

Victoria took a step backward.

Her heel caught against a briefcase lying on the floor.

“Oh no—”

She stumbled sideways into the decorative stand beside the door.

Crash!

The vases shattered across the floor.

The man turned around sharply, and Victoria’s breath caught. Not because of the broken vases.

Because she recognised him instantly.

“Who are you?” He asked sharply.

The words Victoria rehearsed all night completely vanished from her brain. She had prepared herself for Julius Lee, a simple investor.

Not this man.

This man’s face was everywhere.

Magazine covers. Business articles. Social media. People called him a genius, brilliant, impossible to manipulate. Above all, he was known to all for his ruthlessness.

Ryder Lake.

The heir to Tecna Group.

And she had just broken into his room!