All Chapters of The Hybrid’s Forced Bond: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Margot POVI went straight to the lab as if nothing had happened.My schedule was flexible; research didn’t punch a clock the same way corporate did, but disappearing for half the morning still felt unprofessional.I’d joined Vanderbilt Dominion right out of college through their competitive talent program.My advisor ran one of the more promising rare-earth projects.The salary was solid for someone my age.It just wasn’t seven million dollars solid.Looking at the numbers too long made the whole career path feel like a slow-motion joke.Nora Bennett was already at her station when I walked in, hair in a messy bun and safety glasses pushed up on her forehead.College roommate, lab partner, the only person besides my advisor who knew exactly how deep the financial hole went.“Well, look who graced us with her presence,” she said, spinning on her stool.“We were about to send a search party. Or at least order your usual sad desk salad and eat it out of spite.”“Had to handle something

Margot POV“Then let’s get back to the practical points.”Rhett’s tone stayed mild, as if we were discussing quarterly projections instead of the next five years of my life. “What do you need after the wedding? Living expenses, housing preferences, personal habits, dietary restrictions, religious considerations, and car allowance—anything within reason is negotiable.”My brain felt stuffed with wet cotton.The dark-wood scent of him still filled every breath I took, warm and invasive and impossible to ignore.I kept my hands in the pockets of my lab coat, nails still pressed into my palms, and forced my spine to stay straight against the sofa.He checked his watch again, a tiny, efficient movement of the wrist.“This is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties. You’ll sign comprehensive agreements clarifying property rights and expectations beforehand. After the wedding, you’ll be expected to act as a normal wife in public and private, discreet, low-profile, loyal, and respe