The Unexpected CEO Husband

The green blur of the NYSE ticker board was moments from displaying NexusAI, the culmination of my life' s work.

But then, Richard Sterling, my notorious former mentor, appeared, demanding I put his scandalous son, Julian, on my board, or he' d tank my IPO.

This was the ninth time; a product launch, a funding round, all held hostage at the last critical second, his network ready to poison the well.

He left me stranded, just as a tech gossip headline flashed: "My favorite tech genius is about to get married to her project. So heartbroken!"

Liam, my rival and the source of the quote, was my last resort.

Fifteen minutes and a frantic blur of rerouted documents later, the bell rang, and 'NexusAI' flashed on the board-with Liam as my new, impromptu partner.

We barely made it, securing my freedom from Richard's tyrannical grasp, or so I thought.

Later, in his car, Richard attempted to reassert control, offering me exclusive gifts as a transactional "peace offering," a ritual I knew far too well.

Then came the sinister news: Julian' s fiancée, Isabella, needed a blood transfusion, and Richard insisted her rare blood type matched mine, demanding I donate.

He even offered me his hand in marriage, a grotesque bribe, to control me once more.