Aren Lan looked absolutely striking in a navy blue suit and a black shirt and tie. I wouldn't miss the way his perfectly tailored jacket emphasized his broad shoulders, nor how the well-defined curves of his biceps pressured the fabric with each slight bend of his arm. Why did this arrogant douche have to look so mouth-watering? He made my mind go blank again! I should ignore him, walk past him, say that he confused me with someone else… anything aside from greeting him! Instead, I was now standing before him like a schoolgirl in front of a teacher while trying to find a logical way to explain my sudden brain malfunction. "I didn't know you were working in my hotel," he said, his eyes carefully scanning my tight uniform. A wave of heat rushed through me. Of course, he owned the hotel! He owned nearly half of Manhattan, and with my luck, I should have assumed from the beginning that the Blue Crystal Hotel was his. Nonetheless, I proved to be stupid enough to never consider checking wh

I decided to make use of Aren Lan's hospitality and took a long bath to clear my head. Afterwards, I wrapped myself in a hotel bathrobe and lay down on the bed. I started analyzing what kind of proof he could have against me...He didn't have my laptops, but even if he had, I made sure there were no traces of evidence that I had broken into Blue Crystal Hotel's system. The little worm I had downloaded to their computer had self-deleted already, and not even the best specialist could bring it back, let alone connect it with me.I needed to shut down the panic within me by building a solid wall of rational arguments. All Aren Lan had were assumptions, nothing solid enough to press any charges against me. I needed to rely on the fact that this man was a public figure running a legit business. He could make my life harder than it already was. He could make me fired from Café Dorado, or even make me move out from New York City if he wanted to, but he would use legal means to do it. For God

Mr. Edmond enjoyed enticing my curiosity but refused to say anything more, claiming that some facts needed to be properly swallowed. I pouted, stating that it wasn't fair, yet he stayed resilient. As we got down the hall, I finally got my purse back, along with my phone and documents. "Remember, you cannot tell anyone about the contract, and that includes your friends and family," he warned, as he saw me checking all the missed calls on my phone. I gave him a wry smile, acknowledging how hard it would be to lie to everyone for two years. First, I needed to come up with a believable story for Liam, but how could I explain getting married to a guy his ex was supposed to marry? As Mr. Edmond drove us to my apartment, I pondered whether or not to call Liam. In the end, I came up with an idiotic evasive response that I had sent in a text message. "I'm OK. I'm still alive. My purse got lost and I've got it back only now." He replied in less than a minute. "Thank God! I thought that this

A peal of hysteric laughter escaped my throat. I turned to my new chauffeur, praying that he would understand me and play along."Thank you for giving me a ride," I said with an awkwardly wide smile, stopping Benjamin halfway before he sat down behind the wheel.He stepped out of the car. His eyes shifted from me to Liam and back to me again."No problem, Miss." His fingers slid through the rim of his hat."Thank you," I repeated, bowing my head this time.I could see a surprise flashing through his face, yet he kept his composed expression. He nodded his head, and a few seconds later, he was pulling away from the curb. I sighed in relief as I got rid of the first part of my problem. I stepped closer to Liam, grinning like an idiot."What happened to you? Did you win a million dollars overnight or something?" he muttered, widening his eyes as he could now examine my clothes up-close."Of course not." I waved off his assumptions with my hand. "I was working at the café today when some

I blow-dried my hair, put on a shirt top and jeans, and was ready to come down to the kitchen. My heart rate slowed down a little, but the thought of half-naked Aren made that foolish blood pomp in my chest race again. I took many deep breaths as I walked down to the kitchen, trying to mentally prepare myself to see him again, and I sincerely hoped that this time he would be dressed.I sighed in relief when I saw him wearing a black shirt and a casual pair of jeans, but I quickly realized that it didn't make him look less disturbing... He was standing by the oven, preparing breakfast. Who would have known that this billionaire could actually use a frying pan and an oven? I walked closer and swallowed hard. He didn't make it easier for me. In his black shirt with rolled sleeves and forearm muscles tensing as he swirled vegetables in the pan, he looked insanely hot. He must have sensed me gaping at him because he shifted his eyes to me and grinned."Hope you're not allergic to eggs," he