My Contract Husband Hides His Billions

les white. She swiped at the already spotless espresso m

he counter, a persist

. A

s her tell. When the world spun out of control, she cleaned. She organized. She tried to fo

w fell

there. The man standing before her was dressed in a suit so sharp it could have cu

suggesting she was a disappointing

This was him. Mr. Price. Her mother's

cloth drop to the counter. "I a

een here for hours, dre

. "My mother says you own this place." He sat down at the small table she'd reserved by the window

wasn't making conversation;

ike a mask cracking.

for an hour, typing silently on his laptop, a half-empty mug of black coffee beside him. She'd barely registered him before

te Mr. Price,

ague. Wall Street. A dizzying list of assets and acquisitions. He spoke of h

ying, ticking off points on an invisible list. "Supportive of my caree

r expectantly, as if she

much of Kyle, her ex. The same transactional view of love, the sa

't do this

d, her voice quiet but firm

n-financial question. "Fun? I op

f spending another minute with this man, le

oasted coffee beans grounding her. "Mr

mug superiority, morphed into disbel

customers glanced over. The man in the corner pau

e was now loud enough to carry across th

cend. She was done. Done with her moth

opened her wallet, pulled out a crisp twen

she said, her voice even. "

in the shop

t, knocking his chair back. The sound echoed like a gunsh

r behind him so hard the little

ck with embarrassment. Anika sank back into her chair, the adr

again. A new text

with the wonde

ed despair washed over her. She silenced her phone and shove

feeling heavy. She just wanted to go home,

laptop now closed. He had deep, startlingly intense eyes, and his expression was unreadable

, then pushed the door open and

e corner. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched

. "Cancel my two o'clock. And find out everyt