All Chapters of THE CEO'S ACCIDENTAL FIANCÉE : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Selene's feet were killing her.She had stood for six hours straight in the lobby of the Vale Group building. The CEO was supposed to arrive at four o'clock for the big client meeting. Everyone had been told to look busy and smile. Floors had been polished twice. Someone had even ironed the flowers.Four o'clock came and went, then five.At half past five, a thin old man in a gray suit walked in with two assistants and a face like a slammed door. It was Theodore Vale, the CEO's grandfather. "Where is my grandson?" he said, loud enough for the whole lobby to hear.A nervous manager cleared his throat. "Sir, Mr. Vale sent a message. He's... tied up.""Tied up." The old man's cane hit the marble. "He's tied up with work, but not with the one thing I asked him to do?"Nobody answered. By seven, serene was dragging herself down the street, her heels in her hand and her bag cutting into her shoulder. Her stomach growled, she had skipped lunch again. She counted the coins in her pocket an

Selene blinked, once, twice, three times, as if the man across the table might disappear if she did it fast enough."Huh... well, actually, yes, erm, I do have two phones," she said, and let out a laugh that sounded like a squeaky door. She gritted her teeth to hold it in place. "I was supposed to come with the other one, but... I think I forgot it or something."Adrian scoffed, and waved the waiter over for food and drinks.Nobody spoke after that. The silence sat between them like a third person. Somewhere behind her, a spoon clinked against a plate, and every tiny sound seemed ten times louder than it should be. Selene's leg bounced under the table. Her palms were damp against her dress.‘I don't care about the food. I just want to finish this and go home.’She pulled in a breath, held it, and leaned forward with her elbows on the table."So, Mr. Whatever," she said, a little too loudly. "I'm not here for chitchat, okay? I don't want this, and I know you don't want it either. So le

"I can't," Selene said, shaking her head so hard that the string lights seemed to spin. "Clara, no. I did my part. I insulted him, I called him a hippopotamus, and he's *still* coming after you. What more do you want from me?"Clara had dragged her out of the bar and into the cold, and now she stood on the pavement wringing her hands, her eyes wet and wide. "I don't understand it either! Who asks to marry a woman who said that to his face?""Exactly! The man is not normal!""Which is why I need you!" Clara grabbed her sleeve. "Just one more date, Selene. Only one. You go, you make him see he's making a mistake, and he'll drop the whole thing.""That's what the last date was for.""Then do it better!" Clara's voice cracked, and a tear rolled down her chin. She didn't wipe it. "I'm begging you. I'll never ask again, I swear on my mother's grave.""Your mother is alive.""Then I swear on her *life*, which is worse!"Selene almost laughed, but it died when she saw Clara's shoulders shakin