I woke up with my lips still tingling and Adrian's whispered threats about his "appetite" looping in my brain like a corrupt file.
But when I stepped into the kitchen, the man waiting for me wasn't the one who had pinned me to a sofa in the library.
Adrian was already dressed in a charcoal three-piece suit, his hair perfectly coiffed, looking every bit the cold, untouchable monarch of the Reyes empire. He didn't even look up from his tablet as I walked in, despite the fact that I was wearing a pinstriped blazer and trousers that cost more than my previous car.
"You are four minutes late," he said, his voice flat.
I walked closer to him, my heels clicking sharply on the marble. "Good morning to you too, husband. Did you leave your soul in the library last night, or is this just the 'Tuesday Morning Dictator' look?"
He finally looked at me, but his eyes were like flint. There was no trace of the hunger from the night before.
"In my building, and in the office we are about to enter, I am not your husband. I am the CEO of Reyes Global. You are a Junior Creative Consultant. You will call me Mr. Reyes, you will stay out of my way unless summoned, and you will certainly not act like the woman who owns the house."
The whiplash was so violent I almost felt dizzy. "Excuse me? You were the one who practically rewrote the law of the land last night because you couldn't handle the thought of me talking to another man. Now I'm just a 'Junior Consultant'?"
Adrian stood up, buttoning his jacket. "Last night was.….a lapse in professional judgment. Today is reality. If you want the fifteen million, you'll also earn it by proving you aren't just a pretty trophy. Don't make me regret bringing you on, Alex."
"You are a piece of work, Adrian," I hissed, grabbing my leather portfolio. "A real, Grade-A, certified asshole."
"That's 'Mr. Reyes' to you," he countered, walking toward the door without waiting for me.
~
The Reyes Global headquarters was a monolith of glass and steel that seemed to pierce the very clouds of Los Angeles. Walking through the lobby felt like entering a hive where everyone was faster, sharper, and richer than me.
Adrian moved gracefully, a wake of terrified assistants trailing behind him. He led me to a sleek, glass-walled office on the forty-second floor. It was smaller than his, but it had a view of the Hollywood sign and a desk that looked like it belonged in a spaceship.
"This is your space," he said, checking his watch. "Your team will be here in five minutes. Do not embarrass me."
He left before I could even tell him where to shove his advice.
I sat down, spinning slowly in the leather chair. Junior Consultant. I could do this. I had the portfolio. I had the grades. I just didn't have the patience for a man who kissed me like I was his entire world and then treated me like a line item on a spreadsheet the next morning.
A soft knock on the glass door startled me.
Two women stood there. One had jet-black hair pulled into a sharp, intimidating bob and wore a neutral gray dress. The other had a wild mane of copper-red curls and a smile that looked genuinely, impossibly, sweet for this building.
"Hi! You must be Alexandra," the redhead chirped, stepping in. "I'm Maya. I handle the digital assets. And this is Sarah, our lead strategist. She's quiet, but she's a genius."
Sarah gave a curt, professional nod. "Nice to meet you. We heard the CEO hand-picked you. That doesn't happen. Ever."
"I.…..yeah," I said, shocked they didn't know we were married. "I'm looking forward to working with you both."
Maya leaned against my desk, her eyes twinkling. "Just a heads up, it's a shark tank here. But Sarah and I? We're the dolphins. We stick together. We've heard you have a 'stubborn streak' according to the boss's memo."
I laughed, feeling a spark of relief. "He mentioned that, did he? Well, he wasn't lying."
For the next two hours, the three of us got into a groove. We were looking over the rebranding for a luxury hotel chain, and for the first time since I had signed that cursed contract, I felt like myself again. Not a bride, not a debtor, but a professional.
Then, the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.
The glass door it swung back with a violent clatter. Elena, the blonde from the wedding with the dress two sizes too small, stood there. Today she was in a power suit that looked like it was made of sharkskin, and her eyes were fixed on me with barely disguised hatred.
"So," she drawled, her voice like a serrated blade. "The little charity case got an office. I suppose sleeping with the boss has its perks, even if the marriage is nothing more than a desperate PR stunt."
Maya and Sarah went deathly silent.
PR stunt?
I stood up slowly, my fingers curling around the edge of my desk. "Elena, isn't it? I'm sorry, I didn't realize this office came with a door-to-door service for bitter exes. Are you lost, or just looking for attention?"
Elena's face contorted, her steps clicking toward me until we were inches apart. "You think you're clever? You think Adrian actually wants you? You're a placeholder, Alexandra. A warm body to keep the board happy until he finds a way to get rid of you. And believe me, I'm going to make sure that happens much sooner than you think."
She leaned in closer, her voice a low hiss. "I have known the Reyes family since forever. I know secrets about Adrian that would make your blood run cold. Enjoy the view while it lasts, honey. It's a long way down."
My brows furrowed. Secrets?
What secrets?
Before I could ask anything else, Adrian appeared in the doorway behind her, his face an expression of anger.
"Elena," he said, his voice a warning growl. "What are you doing in my consultant's office?"