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"Take off your shirt."
Amelia Sinclair didn't blink as she leaned back against the leather of her penthouse chaise, sipping from a crystal glass of wine. Her voice was cool, clipped, and every inch dripping with command.
Grayson Hale raised a brow. "This how you start all your interviews, princess?"
"You're not here for an interview. You're here to play husband. You'll need to look the part," she said, her gaze raking over his worn jeans and faded hoodie like they offended her. "I don't fuck ugly."
He let out a low laugh, deep and smoky. "Good thing I'm not being hired to fuck you. Just knock you up, right?"
That made her smile—wicked, challenging. "Oh, we'll be fucking, Grayson. A baby doesn't make itself. Unless you want to do this in a lab like a coward?"
His jaw tightened. She could see the muscle tick just below the shadow of stubble. "You want it raw?"
"I want it done. You'll give me an heir. I'll give you five million dollars and freedom from whatever hell you're living in. One year, no strings, no feelings, and no right to touch me when the contract ends. Understand?"
Grayson took a step closer. His body heat, male and rough, pressed against her space without touching. "Understand this, Sinclair—I don't come cheap. And once I'm inside you…" he leaned down, his lips ghosting the shell of her ear, "you'll forget you ever set rules."
Amelia's breath hitched, just barely. Her thighs clenched beneath the slit of her silk dress. She hated how fast he was under her skin.
She hated how much she wanted to test him.
"You're broke. You'll do what I say."
"Yeah?" He smirked. "Say it again when you're begging me not to stop."
She should've slapped him. Walked away. Hired someone else.
But something about the storm in his eyes made her pause.
For the first time in her perfect, controlled life, Amelia wasn't sure who was hiring who.
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Main character introduction
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Amelia Sinclair
Age: 27
Occupation: CEO-in-waiting of Sinclair Enterprises | Founder of Lustra, a luxury entertainment empire
Status: Billionaire heiress | High-society icon
Personality:
Bold. Calculated. Charismatic.
Amelia was born to rule and raised to never bend. Her presence commands rooms, and her words carry weight. She is unapologetically powerful, fiercely private, and plays the media like a game of chess. Beneath the icy confidence is a woman who's learned never to rely on anyone—especially not men.
Likes:
Designer heels (the taller, the better)
Late-night drives in her matte black Porsche
Vintage red wine
Loyalty that's proven, not promised
Quiet moments on her penthouse balcony with a cigarette she never lights
Dislikes:
Being underestimated
Liars and manipulators
Her ex-fiancé
Losing control
Sympathy masked as love
Background:
Amelia is the only daughter of the powerful Sinclair dynasty. Groomed from childhood to take over the family's global conglomerate, she's faced boardrooms instead of playgrounds and press scandals instead of teenage heartbreaks. Her father, Richard Sinclair, is a ruthless tycoon who sees love as weakness. Her mother, Eliza Sinclair, is a gentle socialite who married into power but was never allowed to wield it. Amelia learned early that to survive in their world, she couldn't afford to feel.
Now, she runs Lustra, the entertainment empire she built with her own hands—hosting events where celebrities, politicians, and royalty beg for a ticket. But no matter how high she climbs, someone always wants to pull her down... or tie her down.
Fun Fact:
She's rumored to have broken off four high-profile engagements—including a senator's son, a Forbes 30 under 30 CEO, and a European prince. No one's ever made her stay.
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Grayson Hale
Age: 24
Occupation: Ex-bartender, currently pretending to be a mysterious elite at Julian's request
Personality: Brooding, protective, resourceful, emotionally guarded
Appearance: Tall, muscular build, tousled brown hair, stormy blue eyes, tattoos peeking beneath sleeves
Likes: Boxing, jazz music, old books, his mother's cooking (before she got sick)
Dislikes: Entitled elites, betrayal, feeling powerless, watching his mother suffer
Background: Comes from a lower-class neighborhood. Father died young. Works multiple jobs to care for his sick mother. Gets dragged into Julian's revenge plot for fast cash but quickly realizes he's in over his head—especially with Amelia.
Fun Fact: He once got into a fight defending a drunk stranger at the bar. Broke the guy's nose. The stranger turned out to be Amelia's friend.