The second dinner was at a private, exclusive restaurant. Ray had insisted she dress nicely,
but when she arrived and saw the setup—polished executives, important investors, contracts
laid out, laptops open—she froze.
"This… this is a business dinner?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ray glanced at her, calm as ever. "Yes. Business wife duties tonight. You're my partner at
the table."
Lila's lips curved, but with an edge. "I don't think I should be doing business wife duties
here. I'm… not a socialite. And I don't attend business meetings just to look pretty."
He studied her carefully, dark eyes unreadable, then smirked faintly. "Good. I don't want you
to be just a prop. I want your mind."
Her heart skipped. This was different than she expected. She had thought appearances,
smiles, polite chatter. Instead, Ray wanted her sharp. Interested. Engaged.
Dinner began. Executives talked strategy. Ray led discussions. Lila contributed subtly—small
suggestions, careful questions, observations that showed insight but didn't reveal her full
capability.
Ray watched her closely. "You think differently than I expected," he murmured during a
pause.
"I think differently from most," she said lightly, keeping her tone casual.
He leaned slightly closer, voice low, almost intimate: "I like that."
Her stomach tightened. No. Focus. She reminded herself—you're here for appearances, not
feelings.
After dessert, Ray offered to drive her back. The ride was quiet, rain drizzling against the
windshield, reflecting the city lights. Lila kept her eyes forward, but tension hung thick in the
small space.
"You handled that well," Ray said, brushing a hand near hers while adjusting the gear shift.
"I wasn't there to impress anyone," she said, keeping her voice steady.
"Maybe not," he said, low. "But you did. And I noticed."
Her pulse quickened. She didn't step back. Something in the way he observed her, calm yet
intense, made her chest tighten.
When they reached the mansion, Ethan was waiting in the hallway, arms crossed.
"I don't want her here!" he shouted.
Ray knelt calmly. "Ethan, she's staying tonight. That's final."
The boy huffed, muttering, but Lila stayed back. Watching. She felt a small, unfamiliar tug—
sympathy, maybe?
Ray turned to her. "Go help him settle down. Please."
Cautiously, she said, "I'll try."
Ethan hesitated, then allowed her to sit next to him. Unlike the first time, she felt a more
warmth than she hadn't expected, seeing him getting relax in her presence.
The mansion was quiet. Rain had returned, pattering gently against the windows. Lila entered
her room, closing the door softly behind her.
She exhaled, finally allowing herself to think about the dinner.
Business dinner… she whispered to herself.
Her heart still raced at some moments—the way Ray had glanced at her across the table, the
way he had subtly included her in discussions, the way his hand brushed hers in the car.
Stop it. You're here for strategy, not feelings.
She crossed to the bed, slipping off her heels, and paused as the door creaked slightly.
Ray.
He leaned against the frame, eyes dark, intense, dangerous.
"You're still awake," he said quietly.
"I could say the same about you," she replied, keeping her tone casual.
He stepped inside, closing the door gently but firmly behind him. "Dinner went… well."
"You mean, you noticed I'm not just a prop," she said, teasing lightly.
He didn't smile. Not fully. But there was a curve in his lips, subtle, that made her stomach
flip.
"Exactly," he said. "You surprised me tonight."
Lila's pulse quickened. "I don't do ordinary," she reminded him.
"No," he murmured, stepping closer. "You don't. And that's… dangerous."
She tried to back up slightly, but he followed, stopping just short of touching her. The space
between them was charged, electric.
He leaned closer, his lips near her ear,"You're playing a dangerous game, Lila," he said
softly, voice low, vibrating in the quiet room.
"I could say the same for you," she replied, heart racing.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached out, lightly brushing a strand of hair from
her face. His fingers lingered at her jaw, warm, gentle, almost intimate.
Her breath hitched. She wanted to pull back, to remind herself strategy, not feelings.
But she didn't.
Instead, she leaned in slightly, almost without realizing it.
Ray's eyes darkened. "Do you always make me work this hard?"
"I'm… not easy to impress," she said, words trembling slightly despite her effort to stay
calm.
His hand moved, cupping her face lightly, thumb brushing her cheek. "I don't want easy," he
said quietly. "I want you."
Then, without warning, he leaned in, hands wrapped around her neck, pressing his lips to
hers.
he kissed her—soft at first, then deeper, more demanding. Her knees went weak and she felt
chills, tension spread through her chest.
Lila froze, shock rooting her in place. She hadn't expected it. Not like this. Not him.
But the warmth, the strength, the undeniable fire of it… she melted into it.
Her breath hitched. "I… I'm not supposed to feel anything," she whispered, but her body
betrayed her, leaning just a fraction closer.
The night stretched in a blur of whispered names, lingering touches, and the intimacy of two
people giving in to desire.
By the time the storm outside got calm, Lila lay against him, flushed and breathless.Their
foreheads pressed together, hearts pounding. Neither spoke, no words could capture what had
just happened but in the way they held each other, the heat between them, and the quiet
smiles exchanged, it was clear
When they finally pulled apart, her chest heaved, her lips tingling.
Ray's expression was calm, composed, but his dark eyes gave him away. He was affected.
Deeply.
"I—" she began, but he cut her off.
"No explanations," he murmured, voice husky. "Not tonight."
She wanted to protest, to remind herself this was temporary, business, a contract.
But she couldn't.
For the first time, Lila realized she wasn't just falling for the idea of a billionaire husband.
She was falling for him.
Ray, of course, didn't admit it. He stepped back, regaining his composure, the mask of the
cold CEO slipping back into place.
But the lingering heat in his gaze betrayed him.
And somewhere in the quiet of the mansion, both of them understood: the game had changed.
Strategy was no longer the only thing at play.
Feelings… were starting to get involved.
After that night, Lila couldn't sleep. She lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, heart still
racing. Her mind replayed the way he had kissed her, the warmth of his hand, the quiet
intensity in his eyes.
I'm not supposed to feel this, she told herself. It's a contract. A strategy. Nothing more.
But the truth was harder to ignore. She wanted to feel it. To feel him.
The next morning, breakfast was tense. Ethan sat with arms crossed, glaring at her as usual.
Ray, however, was different. Calm, collected but she noticed the subtle way he lingered near
her, the way his eyes watched her interactions with his son. Protective. Attentive.
"Ethan, have you eaten enough?" Ray asked gently.
Lila's chest tightened at the tenderness in his voice. She realized something: she wasn't just
falling for his power or his status. She was falling for him, the man behind the billionaire
mask.
Ray didn't comment on her distraction, only gave a small, almost imperceptible smirk when
he caught her glance a hint that he was just as aware of the shift as she was.
Later that evening, she retreated to her room, her mind wandering to the memory of his
touch, his lips, the way he had dominated that night without force, without words.
A small, confusing warmth spread in her chest. She was losing control of her emotions
careful, calculated Lila was starting to feel.
And Ray? He was falling too. But he would never admit it.
Instead, he maintained the mask of the untouchable CEO, keeping the tension simmering
knowing that soon, the lines between business and desire would blur even further.