SIGNED AND SEALED; Still falling

. Just lying there, staring at the ceiling while th

on the table. Three in the morning with her eyes wide op

More like stubbornness. She couldn't undo any of it, but sh

min assistant, anything that could cover rent. Nothing was enough. She applied a

close the lapto

lient, discretion required, immediate star

name longer than

e about in the same sentence as words like brilliant, ruthless, untouchable. Javier's

nd hit send before she co

at on her back again, fully prepare

d. 4:00 PM. Montoya

it thre

sed just by existing inside it. Three receptionists looked her over with t

view," she said.

er screen. "Mr. Monto

ked. "Mr. Mon

. Private

oors opened she walked into a wall of glass and sky and silence t

oduced herself, got looked over the way you lo

can g

efore she'd fully c

Rivas. You

d at the c

as scheduled for

dn't look up from his laptop. "Punctuality isn't about

er lips toget

on her like something physical. She sat, crossed her legs, kept her ha

e kind of sure that doesn't nee

his tablet. "Twenty-five. Marketing background, fre

m. "That's not exac

looked at her directly for the first time. "You d

ked. "Ex

t like a weather report. "I wouldn't compar

f her bag. She felt small and hated

study something you haven't catalogued yet. "How far woul

art of the

er and slid a document across the desk. "

ed at th

he bottom that made her

r someone who c

ed up. "

avel when necessary. The public

into the room a

hat?" s

tions. "Three months, possibly extended. You'

at him. "Yo

ily patriarch wants stability. The image of a settled man

etion bonus, numbers that could undo everything that had

or this," she said. "A m

you're

somewhere behind he

cial ambitions. You're safe." A pause.

ou really know how to ma

oking for special, Miss Riva

stand how insane this is? You're asking me to pretend to be engaged to

fection, familiarity, the illus

asked. "What if they fi

tiality clause. Break it and th

at the sign

illion

s of nonstop work, and she was goin

Javier and Aleja

en and signed. Her

lect the papers and their fin

he caught the smallest shift in h

'll live in my residence, be available when I need you, and

oes tha

don't fall in

ust me, Mr. Montoya. Th

s filing something away, then stood. "Good. My

nig

toward t

"We have a gala tomorrow. You'll need something to wear." She

, Miss Rivas. Let's hope