Money comes first before love

adjusted the scarf around her neck as she pushed through the revolving doors of the Empire Financial Times building. The familiar scent of coffee, p

her hair twisted into a neat bun that screamed "professional." But professionalism was just a veneer; underneath it was a woman hungry for more. T

r, had sent her a cry

Hastings.

den boy of Wall Street turned kingmaker. A man whose

ce. He was leaning back in his chair, a cigar he wasn't allowed to smoke cl

na,

from him, folding her arms. "Hasti

sink. "Nobody's untouchable. Not even him. We've got

w. "Flattery, Jack

"We've been hearing whispers. Shady deals, hostile takeovers, m

o get close to someone like Hast

, kid. You're resourcef

ted-a chance to prove she could handle the big leagues. But Hastings wasn't

ing. "I'll take it. But

ked. "I n

lutching a notepad she didn't need and wearing a blazer that suddenly felt too tight.

e guise of writing a feature on corporate innovation. It was

room, all marble and chrome. "Mr. Hastings will be wit

faster than she liked. She hated wait

see another assistant or perhaps a member of his

is tailored suit perfectly. His dark hair was swept back, and his piercin

smooth and commanding. "I'm told yo

st attractive; he was magnetic, the kind of man who cou

"Thank you for taking the time. I was

t usually. But your name came across my desk, and I was c

dy suspect something? "I like to

s brief. I'm not interested in fluff pieces, and I don't have time for nonsense. If y

wer play-it was a test. "I don't do fluff, Mr.

ssion softened, just a fracti

ayers of the man sitting across from her. But Nick deflected with the ease of someone who had spent years under

d frustrated. As she gathered her things, Nick stood

ce low. "I have a feeling we'l

ing to back down. "I wo

astings wasn't just a story-he was a mystery. And if there wa