Betrayed By The Billionaire...

ed behind his every word. She knew she'd made a terrible mistake by reading the letter, but something about Ethan's reaction had struck a nerve. There was a side to h

nt all night convinced she'd be fired the next day. But as she checked her email ear

r, his gaze unwavering. "What you read yesterday," he began, his tone steady but strained, "was a personal matter. It was not something meant for anyone's eyes but mine." "I'm so sorry, Mr. Rivers," Lena stammered, struggling to meet his eyes. "It wasn't intentional. I just... I didn't know what I was looking at until I had already read too much. Please, I didn't mean to-" Ethan held up a hand, silencing her. "Intentional or not, it's done," he said flatly. He took a long breath, glancing down at his desk as if lost in thought. After a long pause, he looked back at her. "You have a right to know why I hired you." Lena bli

settled on her, steady and intense. "I'm asking you to consider a contract marriage. It would be purely for appearances. Nothing more." His tone was calm and unyielding, as if he'd already decided everything in his mind. "We'd enter a marriage for the sake of fulfilling my cousin's wish, and, once he's gone..." His voice trailed off, his meaning clear. Lena stared at him, stunned. The idea was absurd, but at the same time, she understood why he would think of it. For someone like Ethan-closed off and unwilling to let anyone in-a marriage of convenience would be the perfect solution. But what did it mean for her? "Why me?" she asked finally, her voice barely above a whisper. He seemed to hesitate before answering. "You were... convenient," he said bluntly. "No family ties, no connections that could complicate things. You're someone who could disappear from my life once this is ov

low and deliberate. "In public, we'd need to appear like a married couple. But privately, things would be separate. Our lives, our decisions-entirely our own." Lena's thoughts spun as she weighed his words. This wasn't a real marriage; it was more of a partnership, a practical arrangement to satisfy someone else's wishes. But it was still marriage. It would still tie her to Ethan Rivers, a ma

meet his gaze. "I'll consider it," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "But I need some time." Ethan's gaze softened just slightly, though his expression remained guarded. "Take all the time you need," he replied, his tone less sharp. "But remember, my cousin's condition is wo

rt system. That night, as she lay in bed in her tiny apartment, she couldn't shake the memory of Ethan's intense gaze, his sharp words echoing in her mind. She knew he saw her as nothing more than a tool to solve his problem, a means to an end. Y

stone. She knew what she had to do. But she also knew that this was onl