Camden's POV.
Two weeks.
Two entire weeks had passed since the night I'd met Kyomi, and somehow, her presence still lingered in my memory, like some sort of unwelcome obsession. Not just the memory of her in my arms, but the rawness in her gaze, the pain in her eyes, the unhealed wound she tried so desperately to hide. It pulled at something forgotten inside me, something I'd thought was long dead.
I sat alone in my office on the fifty-second floor of the Brown Enterprises headquarters building, the skyline of the city stretching endlessly beyond the glass walls as far as I could see. The untouched coffee on my desk had long gone cold, abandoned in favor for the glass of scotch currently held in my grip.
All morning, I'd been pretending to focus on merger agreements and investment portfolios, but my mind kept circling back to her.
Kyomi Wallace.
Now I knew her name. Knew everything there was to know about her, thanks to Oliver, my ever-efficient and trusty assistant. The scandal that rocked the Wallace family had been splashed across tabloids and financial news outlets alike. Betrayed by her husband. Double crossed by her own twin sister. Abandoned by her own blood.
I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair and taking a long pull of my drink. She deserved better, so much better.
A sharp knock on the door interrupted my brooding.
"Sir, your mother is here," Oliver said, poking his head through the door, the grimace plastered on his face showing how much he wished he could be anywhere else right now.
Of course, Vanessa Brown never took no for an answer. With a sigh, I straightened my tie and braced myself.
"Let her in," I said, resigning myself to the tirade I was certain was heading my way.
"Camden." My mother announced by way of greeting as she swept into the office, like a storm in stilettos and expensive silk. She looked every inch like the polished socialite she was, her pearl necklace gleaming against her neatly pressed blouse.
"Mother," I replied coolly.
She gracefully sat in one of the leather chairs without being offered, crossing one leg over the other while tapping her nails against the wooden armrest impatiently.
"You are not getting any younger, darling," she began without any preamble, "And frankly, your reputation is becoming...a liability, Camden."
"Good morning to you too, mother." I muttered.
She ignored me, continuing with her speech, "The board is concerned. Investors are whispering, and rumors are flying around. If you want to maintain control of this company, you need to show stability, Camden. You need a wife."
"And here I thought my billion-dollar acquisitions spoke louder than my marital status." I said drily, taking a sip of my now forgotten scotch.
"They don't," she snapped, her gaze locked disapprovingly on the glass of alcohol in my hand, "Legacy matters, Camden. Appearances matter. You need an heir, and a wife with the right pedigree. Someone worthy of standing beside you as an equal."
I leaned back into my chair, studying her intently. For a moment, I considered letting her continue her pitch, no doubt she already had a list of 'suitable' candidates already prepared. I rolled my eyes internally at the thought of that, having no wish to tie myself to some picture perfect mannequin with no mind of her own. I needed someone with snark, with fire in her veins.
That's when an idea struck me.
"What if I've already found someone?" I said casually.
She arched a perfectly sculpted brow. "Really? Someone appropriate, I hope?"
"She's... different, mother."
"Different? Camden, this isn't about love or infatuation. This is about strategy. Bloodlines. Status. Power. "
I smiled tightly. "Trust me, Mother. If anyone knows how to play the game, it's me."
Her eyes narrowed. "Very well. Vet her properly. Present her to the board within the month."
"Of course, mother."
She rose gracefully, not a strand of hair out of place, "Don't disappoint me, and I really hope you know what you're doing."
With those words, she left the office, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.
As the door closed behind her, I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my desk.
A strategic marriage.
A partnership based on mutual gain.
That's exactly what Kyomi needed too, wasn't it? She'd been discarded like yesterday's news by a family who only valued her as long as she was useful. She needed protection. She needed a way to rebuild, a means of starting over.
And maybe...maybe I needed her just as badly. Besides, my mother would get what she wanted, and I also stood to gain out of it. A whole lot.
My skin heated at the memory of her underneath me, the soft sounds she made whenever I–
I bit back a groan, feeling myself growing harder underneath my slacks.
A contract marriage.
Clean. Practical. Beneficial to both of us.
I would give her security, and she would give me the stability the board craved.
It was a win-win situation.
I smirked, energized for the first time in weeks, as I poured myself another glass of scotch.
"Find her," I ordered Oliver later that afternoon, pacing the length of my office.
"Already on it," he said, typing rapidly on his tablet. "I pulled up her last known address."
"Good. Arrange a meeting with her. I don't care what it takes."
Half an hour later, I was in my car, speeding towards the apartment complex Oliver had found. It wasn't much, just a modest building in a quieter part of the city, but it suited her. It was unpretentious. Honest.
I climbed the narrow staircase two steps at a time, my heart hammering in my chest.
Apartment 5B.
I stopped in front of her door and knocked once. Twice. No answer came from within.
"Kyomi? It's Camden," I called out.
Silence answered me.
A gnawing sense of unease crept in. I tried the door– iit was ocked. I pressed my ear against it to see if I could hear anything, but there was no movement. No sound.
I turned to find the landlord, an elderly man in overalls, eyeing me warily.
"You looking for the girl in 5B?" He asked.
"Yes, I am. Kyomi Wallace."
He shook his head. "She moved out last week. Paid cash in full,and didn't leave a forwarding address."
My stomach dropped.
"Did she say where she was going?" I asked, growing desperate.
"Nope. Just packed up and vanished."
Vanished.
Just like that.
I thanked him mechanically and made my way back to the car, my mind racing.
Why would she leave so suddenly?
Where had she gone?
Was she running from someone…or something?
I punched the steering wheel in frustration.
This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
As I sat there, trying to piece together my next move, my phone buzzed.
It was Oliver again.
"Sir...we may have a bigger problem."
"What now?" I barked into the phone.
"Wallace Industries just announced an emergency merger. Rumors are swirling about an internal scandal. And...your name came up."
I froze.
"What do you mean, my name came up?"
"Someone leaked information that you were seen with Kyomi Wallace shortly after her divorce. They're spinning it like you seduced her to weaken the Wallace family."
My blood ran cold.
"Find out who's behind this," I snapped. "Now."
Because if Wallace thought he could use Kyomi as a pawn again, dragging her through the mud to save himself, he was about to find out that Camden Brown didn't play fair.
And no one, absolutely no one, would lay a finger on her without going through me first.
I started the car, tires screeching as I pulled into traffic.
I was going to find her.
No matter what it took.