All Chapters of Billionaires flash marriage: Always you.: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Evelyn Hart had never considered herself dramatic. She was the kind of person who folded grocery bags neatly, apologized when someone bumped into her, and made pro and con lists before making even mildly important decisions. And yet here she was, storming out of a cafe like the heroine of a melodramatic soap opera except she felt nothing like a heroine. She felt foolish, betrayed, and painfully human. The screen of her ex-boyfriend’s phone had glowed with a text she couldn’t unsee: Had a great time last night. Same place next week? A small heart emoji at the end. Not from her. She hadn’t screamed. She hadn’t cried. She’d simply placed his phone back on the table, picked up her purse, and walked away as though her ribcage hadn’t just cracked open. Now, one hour later, she stood outside the restaurant where her mother insisted she keep the blind date appointment. “You can’t hide forever, Evelyn,” her mom had said. “One disappointment doesn’t define your whole life.” Maybe

If someone had told Evelyn Hart two days ago that she’d be sitting in a café across from a man she impulsively agreed to marry, she would have assumed they were joking or deranged. Yet here she was. They’d chosen a simple café with large windows, wooden tables, and just enough background noise to make conversation comfortable. Jesse held the door for her without comment, and Evelyn found herself hyper-aware of how composed he always seemed. Even the way he walked quiet, measured steps felt intentional. As they took their seats, a waitress approached with two menus. Evelyn reached for hers. Jesse didn’t. He simply folded his hands on the table. “You’re not looking?” she asked. “I already know what I’ll order.” She lifted a brow. “That’s impressive. Or suspicious. Hard to tell which.” “Is it?” His expression didn’t change, but his tone dipped with something almost dry, almost teasing. Evelyn’s heartbeat steadied a little. This version of him, the slightly more human, s

CHAPTER FIVE — The Unspoken Truth Evelyn spent the entire day at the bookshop pretending she wasn’t waiting for the evening. She helped customers, organized shipments, arranged the display table twice, and then stood behind the counter with a pencil tucked in her hair as if staying busy could quiet the questions in her mind. Her mother watched her with worried eyes. Evelyn pretended not to notice. What mattered now wasn’t whether the engagement made sense, or whether it had started as chaos or necessity. What mattered was the feeling tugging at her—stronger than fear, stronger than confusion—that Jesse wasn’t playing with her life. He was hiding something, yes. But not in a way that suggested danger. More like someone carrying a load they couldn’t drop. When the shop finally closed, Evelyn walked home to shower, change, and gather courage. By the time the clock hit seven, her nerves were tight but steady. At exactly 7:15, her doorbell rang. --- Jesse stood on her

CHAPTER SEVEN — Terms and Conditions The next morning, Evelyn arrived at the bookshop with a sense of cautious optimism. For the first time since the whirlwind engagement began, something had gone well. Her father hadn’t chased Jesse out of the house. He hadn’t yelled, slammed doors, or delivered one of his infamous lectures on responsibility and character. If anything, he seemed settled. Almost accepting. Evelyn unlocked the shop and flipped the sign to OPEN, still replaying the firm handshake between the two men. Jesse and her father had stood like opposing forces, yet somehow ended the night with mutual understanding. It was surreal. “Morning!” her coworker, Sophie, called from the back room, carrying a stack of boxes. “You look suspiciously calm today.” “Suspiciously?” Evelyn repeated. “Yes. Suspiciously.” Sophie set the boxes down. “Given everything happening in your life, I expected you to show up looking like a tornado in human form.” Evelyn laughed under her breath.

CHAPTER NINE — The Distance Between Confessions The cafe smelled like warm sugar, toasted bread, and the citrus zest Aunt Maren added to every batch of muffins “for luck.” Morning sunlight streamed through the wide windows, casting gold stripes across the counters. Evelyn tied her apron twice the knot kept slipping because her hands wouldn’t stop fidgeting. The reason stood beside the pastry case, pretending to inspect croissants. Jesse. Trying to look casual. Failing miserably. “You don’t have to pretend to know anything about pastries,” Evelyn said. Jesse straightened. “I know plenty. For example, this one is… probably bread.” “That’s a scone.” “Scone. Right. Got it.” Aunt Maren emerged from the kitchen with a tray of muffins. “If you’re done flirting, I could use help setting these out.” Evelyn choked on air. Jesse turned an impressive shade of red. “We’re not ... we weren’t ... he’s just....” Evelyn sputtered. “I was talking to Jesse,” her aunt said, alre