Aria’s POV

I seriously thought about asking Grayson to terminate the contract

But after tossing and turning in bed all night, I still couldn’t make up my mind. By 6:30 in the morning. I dragged myself out of bed and went downstairs to get breakfast.

To my surprise, Grayson bwas /balready sitting in the dining room, sipping his morning coffee and reading the news on his tablet.

“Good morning,” he said when he saw meing down the stairs.

Morning,” I mumbled.

His face bwas /bpletely calm. Like nothing had happenedst night in his bedroom.

“Do you have a minute to sit! I think we need to talk,” he said.

I walked over and sat across from him. Heced his fingers together on the table and stared at me

“I’m giving you a chance to end the contract,” he said.

held my breath. This was thest I expected from him. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to terminate it.”

“Under normal circumstances, yes. But I’m giving you bthat /bchance now. If anything that happenedst night crossed a line for you, you’re free to walk away. Right now.”

My fingers curled around the edge of my shirt. I fell binto /bsilence. He didn’t rush me just waited, patiently.

Finally, I whispered, “Do you even remember what you didst night? B–because the youst night and the you now.

“Are

very different?” he said calmly. “Butst night is also part of who I am. Now I’m in control of that darkness–But not always. bSo /bthink carefully. Next time it happens, it’ll only get worse.”

A chill ran through me.

The feeling of being used, humiliated–I still hadn’t gotten over it. And now he was telling me bit /bcould get worse?

“What exactly happenedst bnight/b?” I asked quietly. “Why did you lose control?”

-You don’t need to know.” His reply was cold.

I bit my lip.

He was using me like ba /bbtool/b–ignoring my feelings, my dignity–and I wasn’t even allowed bto /bbask /bquestions.

He was locking me out of his world.

“I choose not to end the contract,” bI /bsaid.

Surprise flickered in his eyes. I stared into those beautiful grey irises, my heart racing again.

Sure, money yed ba /bpart in my decision but at bthe /bend of the day…

I was hooked.

beautiful and dangerous. And I wanted to get closer. I wanted more.

“You have no idea how d I am to hear that, he smiled.

Then he slid ba /bpiece of paper across the table toward me.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“A list of open positions. You can choose any of them. I’m assuming you don’t want to stay home cooking forever!” he saidb, /bsipping his

b9:47 /bAM

b? /b

coffee.

I scanned the list–and my eyes went wide.

Holy shit.

These jobs were on a whole other level! Some of them were literally Jace’s dream positions. And now Grayson was casually offering

them to me.

“Wait, you mean bif /bI bpick /bone. I just get the job? No interviews? No vetting?” I stammered.

“Correct,” he said with ba /bcharming smile.

“But, I thought you bdidn’t /bwant to interfere with my bjob /bstuff.. at bleast /bthat’s what you said in your office…”

He paused. “Things changed, didn’t they? Back then, we hadn’t signed the contract. You weren’t mine yet”

He did it again.

He didn’t say anything romantic, and yet it still felt like bhe /bbwas /bbspoiling /bme and I was somehow special. I hated bit/b.

Isa

So do you have any suggestions?” I askedb, /bavoiding his eyes. . “Where do you bthink /bI fit best?”

“Marketing. It matches your background the most. But if you want to stay far away from Jace

“No need,” I blurted out

He raised an eyebrow.

I btook /bba /bdeep breath. “He already fucked up my life once. bI /bwon’t let him do it again. Send me to marketing. I’ll show bhim /bwho the real top sales closer is.”

This time, I was taking back everything I lost

Grayson smiledb–/band it was devastatingly handsome..

“That’s my girl,” he said.

Third Person POV

Jace was in a terrible mood today.

Last night, he bwas /bsupposed to btake /bbhis /bbrich /band beautiful wife to a fancy restaurade. They’d enjoy thousand–dor caviar and ba /bbottle of absurdly expensive wine while admiring the city skyline.

But instead, she brought up the prenup,

Way to ruin the night, Delh. A prenup? Seriously? They were married–weren’t loving couples supposed to share everything! She bsaid /bthat in her damn vows!

bSo /bhe mmed the door in her face and bwalked /bout. If she bwanted /bto bring up ridiculous bideas/b, then she deserved a little bpunishment/b. One night apart should be enough to make her rethink

He slept in his own apartment and bcame /binto bwork /bbthis morning/b. The second he stepped into the office, his bphone /bbuzzed bwith /bba /bmessage from her.

[Sorry babe, bert the prenup is non–negotiable. My brother insists on it But this doesn’t change anything–I still love you.]

“FUCK!” he roared, chucking his phone at the wall. It exploded into pieces.

Fucking bullshit. She wouldn’t even share a dime of her Hart family wealth. What kind of “blove/b” was bthath /b

9:47 AM

bChapter /bII

And Grayson Hart. Fucking arrogant bastard. Grayson just got lucky and bwas /bborn into the right family, handed all that money and power on a silver tter. If he had been born a Hart, he would’ve done even better. Way better.

So just wait.

One day, he’d rece Grayson. He’d be the one in control of the entire Hart.

Knock Knock Knock

Jace binstantly /bwiped the fury from his face and stered on his usual charming smile. “Come in

La waltzed in, wearing a tight bodycon dress with cleavage spilling bout /bbof /bthe neckline. “bWanna /bgrab blunch /btogether, bJace/b?”

“Of course. One second

She smirked and leaned against his desk, fingers trailing along his bicep. “I thought you’d forget about me once you married Delh.”

“Come on. Nothing’s changing between bus/b.

He’d his chance to fuck her, but never did. She was a hot bslut/b, sure, but had a big mouth. Too risky. Thest thing he needed was her bbing.

bBut /bif Delh kept ying hardball with that prenup, he wouldn’t mind using La to blow off some steam

“Hey, did you hear?” she said casually as he grabbed his jacket. “Jonathan got fired.”

“What? Why?”

Jonathan was one of his boys. They bhit /bthe same strip clubs.

“You’re not gonna believe this. He ran into bAria /bwhile doing a site visit at one of the Apex grocery bstores/b. Turns out she started working there after she got fired. But something happened, and boom–Jonathan was out, and she got rehired as Marketing Director!”

Jace’s jacket slipped from his hand. He red at her

“No fucking way.”

“I know! I couldn’t believe it either. Didn’t you give HR proof she tanked ba /bmillion dor deal? How the hell is she backb?/bb” /b

“You must’ve heard wrong,” bhe /bsnapped.

you

“I swear I didn’t. I literally just saw her in the marketing department before bI /bcame here. Today’s her first day–Wait! Where bare /by going?!”

He shoved bpast /bher and stormed out the door.

He sprinted down the hallway and skidded to a halt near the marketing floor.

And there she was.

Wearing a bcrisp /bwhite bsuit /band matching heelsb, /bshe glowed. Her beautiful face was lightly made up, and her smile was radiant. She looked more confident and captivating than ever. Every guy she passed turned their head.

No. Fucking. bWay/b.