Glimmers Of Desperation

ce smooth as aged whiskey, betraying n

d against her ribs. "I think so," she managed to say, gr

have a proposition for you." Her eyes narrowed with suspicion, her

e murmur, "in exchange for financial stability." His

ing over her shock. Her mind spun, grappling with the absurd

d, unfazed by her reaction. "You'll n

n dollars could erase the loans, the threats that nipped at h

She searched for

his lips. "Perhaps. But desperate times

d. It was desperation that had her consideri

a cold, contractual marriage to an arr

r, taking in the weariness that clung to her fra

ol against her skin. Could she do this? Become the w

e looking over your shoulder. No more

in her. This could be the end of her

o herself. The weight of her debts, the constant

t she saw something other than the ruthless businessman he

a miracle, and perhaps this was it, disguised i

. She met his gaze, and in that instant, her fate shifte

a kingdom below his penthouse office. His fingers tapped an erratic rhythm on

composed as the lines of his tailored su

ulse quicken. She watched his every move like a ha

sked, her voice steady despite

was a flicker of something that might have been distasteful.

rother does. It's a game to him, but one I intend t

, meant to lay bare his motivations without exposing any real vulnerabil

prodded, curiosity laced with a twinge of

s lips curled into a half-smirk. "I prefer

dst the chaos of her life. A contract offered her a lifeline, no emot

e word. She extended her hand across the desk, her blue

uch was warm, solid, real in a way that made her heart skip a beat. Not fro

d cold hearts," Sean murmured, releasin

g on her finger. She was stepping into a battlefield disguised as a boardroom

hoed like a judge's gavel, finalizing Harley's fate. Sean's g

voice was smooth, undisturbe

than she felt. Her heart hammered against h

d keeps her in the VVIP room. Harley wonders

said, holding open the door to his sleek bla

her like a promise of comfort she didn't quite trust. The engine purred to lif

with a stranger, entering into a business partnership with someone

em, indifferent giants that had witnessed countless tales of ambition and d

ying to focus on practicalities ins

ne matter-of-fact. "It's where we co

ot

"It's an exclusive

er, a visual cacophony that mirrored the whirlwind in her mind. She

ifferent giants that had witnessed co

ey found herself asking, not sure if

his eyes never leaving the road ahead. "Y

pondered the cost. Money could buy the illus