And then I saw it. A scrap of newsprint, wedged inside his notes. A young man in a black suit, gaze sharp, smile immaculate.
A headline screamed: Young CEO Leonardo Rhys Among the World's Top 5 Richest.
My blood ran cold.
Leonardo Rhys.
My chest tightened. The name looked foreign on paper, but the face… the face I would never forget.
I snatched my phone and typed quickly.
{Max, do you know Leonardo Rhys?}
~~~~~
PRESENT
"No, wait, Leo. Are you really sure about this marriage? It feels too sudden," Sebastian said, tugging at his suit collar.
Leonardo exhaled slowly, rubbing his face with both hands. "Got a better plan? If not, shut it."
Sebastian leaned back, hands raised. "Relax. I'm not against it. Honestly, this could work in your favor. So… yeah, I'll back you up."
Leo gave a single nod.
"Alright then. Just let me know if you need anything," Sebastian said as he stood.
"Wait, Seb."
Sebastian halted mid-step. "What, already need my help?" he joked.
"Sit down," Leo ordered, tone flat.
Sebastian dropped back into his chair. "You're serious?"
Leo's eyes sharpened. "I need you to dig into Emily Hart. I checked myself, but what I found was too neat. Too clean."
Sebastian frowned. "So you're suspicious of her?"
Leo didn't answer right away. His jaw tightened. "Let's just say… she looks familiar. And I don't like that."
~~~~~
"Val, any updates from Leonardo about your marriage?" Max asked while pulling her hair into a ponytail.
Slither Ring was unusually quiet that night. Only a few veterans lingered, sparring, smoking, killing time.
I slouched into the cracked leather sofa. "Nothing. It's been three days. Maybe he realized marrying someone he barely knows is stupid." I forced a laugh, though it came out hollow.
Juno dropped onto the armrest beside me. "Hold up. You mean you haven't spoken to him once at the office? Not even a quick word?"
"Not even close." I groaned. "He hasn't shown up since the test pack stunt."
"That's… weird." Max and Juno said in unison.
TING.
My phone buzzed with a new notification.
{Where do you live? There are a few things I want to discuss.}
"Shit! He's coming to my place!" I shot upright, clutching my phone.
Max nearly squealed. "Holy hell, girl, go home right now. You're about to have a billionaire in your apartment." She tugged my arm.
I yanked free. "No, Max. He can't see where I actually live. If he's tied to my dad's death, if he's the killer, then I'm screwed." I bit down on my thumb, heart pounding.
Max blinked, then leaned forward. "Wait, then why doesn't he recognize you already? Shouldn't he know, where your father liv—"
"Max." Juno's voice cut sharp. She clamped Max's mouth shut.
"You can use my place." Juno slid a set of keys into my hand. "I'm practically living with my boyfriend anyway. The apartment's empty."
"Thanks, Jun. Bye, Max." I muttered, already heading for the door.
Behind me, Juno hurled a pillow at Max. "Seriously? You had to bring that up? She barely went home even when her dad was alive."
I caught her words, sharp and heavy, echoing behind me. My jaw tightened. Typical Juno always throwing the truth when it stung the most. I let out a short, annoyed scoff but didn't slow down.
No time to argue. Not now.
.
.
.
.
{Edwood Building, floor 13, 1301.} I texted back briefly.
My legs carried me as fast as they could, every step echoing with panic. It was just a ten-minute run from Slither Ring to Juno's place, but my chest felt like it would burst before I even got there.
When I reached the thirteenth floor, I froze.
Leonardo Rhys was standing right outside the apartment door. One hand tucked neatly into his jacket pocket, the other knocking with calm persistence.
Shit.
"Mr. Rhys?" My voice slipped out before I could compose myself.
He turned, brows lifting in mild surprise. "Oh. I didn't realize you were out."
I shook my head quickly, fumbling for the keys. "No, I should be the one apologizing for keeping you waiting."
The door swung open. My eyes darted across the room the second we stepped inside. Juno's apartment was… tidy. Too tidy. Lifeless, almost, as if no one had lived here for weeks.
She really has been staying at her boyfriend's.
"Please, come in, Mr. Rhys." My tone came out stiff, almost secretary-like, and I hated how obvious it sounded.
Leonardo removed his shoes before stepping in, his gaze sweeping over the space with quiet scrutiny.
And then I caught my reflection in the mirror near the entrance. God, I looked awful, hair messy, jacket wrinkled, skin pale. Not exactly the poised fiancée I was supposed to be.
"So… this is your place?" His voice broke the silence, neutral but probing.
"Uh, yeah. Nothing much." I forced a small smile, heading straight for the fridge before he could study me too long.
The fridge was nearly empty: a couple of beers and a carton of orange juice well past its expiration date. Typical Juno.
"Mr. Rhys, do you… drink beer?" I asked, hating how ridiculous it sounded the moment it left my lips. Beer for a marriage talk? Really?
"I don't drink beer. Just water is fine." He settled onto the sofa like he owned the space.
I hesitated. Tap water was all Juno ever had. But then I spotted a box of her instant espresso packets. Saved.
Minutes later, I placed a steaming mug of Americano in front of him.
Leonardo glanced up, lips curving slightly. "Interesting. You never even make me coffee at the office."
Yeah, because you guard that fancy coffee machine like it's classified. I bit back the retort, replying smoothly instead: "Well, if you'd like, I can start making you Americano at the office, Mr. Rhys."
"Stop being so formal when we're not at work. Call me Leo. Remember, we're getting married soon."
Leonardo leaned back on the sofa, Americano steaming in his hand. After one sip, he set the cup down, reached into his briefcase, and pulled out two neatly clipped stacks of paper.
He slid one toward me. "Speaking of the wedding, I've drafted a marriage contract. You should read it. Add anything you think is necessary."
"…A contract?" My voice faltered as my fingers touched the crisp paper.
"Yes." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. God, those glasses should be illegal…and suddenly he met my eyes. "We both know this isn't a normal situation. A clear agreement keeps us from stepping on each other's toes."
My pulse kicked hard. Why didn't I think of this first?
I flipped through the pages slowly. Most of it looked straightforward, financial responsibility, public appearances, living arrangements. Nothing I couldn't handle. Except… something was missing.
"Leo," I said carefully, "usually in contracts like this there's a time limit on the marriage. Like one year. Or five. But I don't see that here."
He smirked faintly. "How would you know what's 'usually' in these kinds of contracts? Sounds like you've done this before."
I snapped my gaze up, cheeks heating. "No, I just, uh, I've seen it in dramas, okay? It's always the main clause, so… I was just asking."
"Mhm." He let out a low hum, not looking convinced. His pen tapped against the table once, twice, before he leaned forward. "The reason there's no clause like that is simple. I never thought about ending it."
My breath caught. "Not ending it…?"
"For me, divorce isn't necessary." His tone was flat, almost casual.
I set the papers down, fingers tightening. "Not necessary? What exactly do you mean?"
"I never planned on marrying anyone. But if I do, I want it to last. So I'd rather we stay married long-term. If possible—" his eyes held mine steadily, "—forever."
The room went silent. My heart skipped, then stumbled, then sprinted.
Forever?
This was supposed to be a fake marriage. Temporary. A stepping stone. But Leonardo Rhys just stripped away my exit strategy with one sentence.