Contract marriage with the ruthless billionaire ceo boss

les'

lained quietly, watching steam rise from her glass. "If

vet-soft. My wrist still throbbed under the compress Eleanor had wrapped earl

cidental in his cruelty. He is exact. Cold,

, "That's c

t to be

e chair and watched sunlight slink acro

rrived with bogus papers and bruises in the middl

ingers curling i

tly. Charles, though, does not engage

er. Then why did

ike it or not war is a

ul, something mothering, change in her. Eleanor had always been the kind

olly, I have known Charles from nineteen years ago. He

ands. "Why does it feel as though you ar

ave to underst

closer. You cannot tell him a li

e to the sundial in a pose too rigid to be casual. His presenc

d off. My feet, thoug

oad, underfoot

d not

arden," I remarked, voice low a

k at me. She say

off. "She also claim

o a slight smile.

ftly above. Not sure whether I was cold or perhaps trying to hold something

ped forward half-distance closed. Mol

tight. I'm not

not blinking. Then, wh

yed me, quivering slightly at my sides, thereby

I said, "Maybe

en another

're afraid I

my ground. You har

ded, "No; but I kn

th stag

he said. But it does not shield

ose flowers as his shadow brushed mine. He never touched

enemy," I resp

acting l

h opened, no w

ided w

won't vanish just because yo

pped, then to

danger to this house. Soone

chin, and looked at the schedule board. Blin

e. San Bernardi

e excep

toward the ticket booth. Behind the glass, a woman wi

ked in a quiet voi

or c

orked slowly, keys clicking like far-off showers. The

m. Leaves twen

ave admitted. My palm closed around the paper like it co

r hu

oint ey

vending machine, a woman rocked a sleeping youngster. Teenager skrolled through her pho

er sa

ainst a damaged pillar. Not p

serving

rt stu

n to make one bored. He was not fit f

re waitin

ek. kept a consistent pace of walking. conscientious. Ev

own up. void. overly exposed. Hands clutching my bag as if it w

I sense

l Not making a b

shallow, pushing my i

nothing. Maint

the ground like comfort wrapped in cacophony. As the bus dre

the pillar. The motorist just tore the slip

smelled like old vinyl and exhaust. I huddled in

n had

ppea

world turned upside down, but something about Charles's stare, his voice, the accuracy in his

en give a damn ab

e hung about th

you tell me

ld I, t

the whole truth,

cross the room looking at the mirror. The girl staring back escaped my recognition. Empty

andkerchief blind

oated down t

e pa

ded n

pped

before be

d under the door while I was crying,

lightly brushe

l. Withou

a sen

ruth; alternat

with a book slung gently on her lap

s?" I raised the not

knitted. "W

y." I let this sl

s gliding over the words. S

't writ

dropped.

in hours," she remarked.

away, holding the doorframe. B

, "You're not making sense,"

eone is working from the i

ne trying to force

hok

not produced

ed behi

ted sh

rles stood there leaning against the doorframe. I

ance," he explained q