Chapter 9
Aaron and Albert retreated to the officeafter the board meeting concluded.
Albert headed straight for the bar cart, poured two glasses of champagne, and slid one toward Aaron.
“Congratulations, Mr. Chairman.”
Aaron took the glass, acknowledging the toast with a curt nod.
“Thanks. I couldn’t have pulled it off without your tip.”
He took a measured sip, then set the glass down.
“Did you catch the look on your uncle’s face? He was livid.”Albert let out a bark of laughter.
“I kept everything under wraps. He never expected you to check every single box so suddenly.
“He was already banking on Ethan popping out of the woodwork in ten days to snatch the seat.”
Aaron offered a faint, thin smile.
Taking the marriage registration paperin hand, his eyes skimming over Kinsley’s name—and his composure faltered for a fraction of a second.
“I owe you, bro. You were the one who made this happen.”
Albert finished his drink and gestured toward the registration paper.
“Well, the girl has served her purpose. You can terminate the contract. Pay out the penalty fee and be done with it.”
Aaron froze.
With a sharp, sudden movement, he snatched the paper from the desk and tucked it deep into his drawer.
“No. I’m not in a rush to end it.”
Albert groaned, his voice rising in protest.
“Why? You’ve got six months left on the clock. Are you really going to be shackled to some obscure Z-list actress?”
Aaron didn’t answer. He began stacking the files on his desk with methodical precision.
“Hey, listen to me—this is a bad move. You’re a married man now. The tabloids are going to hover over you like flies.
“The moment you step out to dinner with another woman, they’ll have a field day.”
Aaron stopped mid-motion.
“I don’t care. And I’m not interested in starting a relationship just to cut it short.”
He paused, the word “relationship” hanging heavy in the air, sounding foreign even to his own ears.
Albert blinked, stunned.
It took him a few seconds to process the admission before he nodded.
“Right. Fair point. If you marry and divorce in a heartbeat, Ethan will have all the leverage he needs. Even if he can’t take you down, it’ll be a disaster in the boardroom.”
He riffled through a folder, pulling out the wedding photos and examining them one by one, his eyes brightening.
“How did you find someone so stunning in such a short window?”
Aaron’s expression darkened. He swiped the photos from Albert’s grip.
“None of your business.”
Albert only looked more amused. He leaned in closer.
“That look of absolute devotion in the photo? It’s fucking convincing.
“And thegirlis smokin’ hot. Look at that waist, that ass...”
“Enough!” Aaron barked.
Albert froze, staring at him in sheer astonishment.
“That’s enough. You can leavenow.”
He waved a hand, his impatience palpable.
“Maybe I said too much,” Albert muttered, sensing the jagged edge in Aaron’s tone. “Just… don’t get tangled up just because she’s a catch. Remember: in six months, this ends. Period.”
The office fell back into a hollow silence.
Aaron leaned back into his leather chair and squeezed his eyes shut.
He got the chairmanship.
Everything went according to the plan.
Everything.
Including the wedding.
He reached into the drawer and pulled out the photos, flipping through them.
Kinsley stood in the moonlight, the lace of her veil caught in the breeze, her expression etched with a nervous, fragile sincerity.
That was not the look of a pawn.
Albert called it a “mission.”
Mission...
The word felt like a physical weight in his chest.
Initially, that was exactly how it was supposed to be:
A legal status to silence the board.
A payout for her.
A clear, controlled, rational transaction.
But the problem is—
A variable had emerged since last night.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
A sudden, deeply unsettling realization hit him.
He couldno longer discern if her every advance was a matter of contractual duty or genuine desire.
When she kissedhim, was it out of obligation to the terms, or was she actually falling for him?
The uncertainty stripped him of his composure. It was maddening.
If that contract didn’t exist, he would be free to pursue her.
He would test the waters, even risk rejection, and own the result.
But now?
Any tenderness he offered was tainted by the legal shadow hanging over them.
It put pressure on her, and it frustratedhim all the more.
He stared at the photos.
The tear she’d shed during the ceremony wasn’t a performance.
The trembling of her body against his chest last night hadn’t been a trick.
But what was the truth buried within?He couldn’t be sure.
Aaron let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh.
It was him that had engineered this contract. Now, he was the one trapped in it.
He tucked the photos back into the drawer.
No, he wouldn’t be shackled by these six months.
He pulled up her number and hit dial.
It rang so long he almost suspected she was letting it go to voicemail on purpose. Finally, she answered.
“Why did it take you so long to pick up?” he asked, his voice clipped.
“I needed to find a spot where I was alone,” she whispered.
Aaron’s jaw tightened. He paused for a beat.
“It’s just a phone call. Why the secrecy?”
The line went silent for a moment.
“The campus is crowded.”
He didn’t press.
“When are you done?”
“In an hour.”
“I’m picking you up.”
“Don’t park in the usual spot. I’ll send you my location.”
The line went dead.
Aaron stared at his phone.
The way she was tucking their existence away—the secrecy of it all—made his chest ache with a pressure.
The car pulled up at the exact coordinates, right outside the university gates.
When Kinsley slipped into the passenger seat, she let out an audible sigh of relief.
“Thank god nobody saw.”
Aaron looked at her, his expression unreadable.
He reached into the backseat and produced a massive bouquet of Ecuadorian roses, sliding them into her arms.
She blinked, stunned.
“For me?”
He didn’t answer.
She hugged the flowers, burying her face in the velvet petals.
“Is this a work perk?”
Seeing how happy she was, Aaron found it impossible to stay annoyed.
“Consider it a bonus.”
“Thank you, Aaron.”
“How do you plan to thank me?”
She hesitated, setting the flowers aside, and leaned over to press a fleeting kiss to his lips.
It was light—barely a touch.
“That’s it?” his voice dropped, turning cold.
She leaned closer, deepening the kiss, though it still felt guarded.
Her breath, however, was already betraying her, turning jagged and uneven.
Aaron finally snapped; he grabbed her waist and dragged her closer.
“If this is part of the job, can you try to be a bit more professional?”
She froze, a flicker of panic widening her eyes.
He didn’t give her time to process it, crashing his lips onto hers.
It was a slow, deep, predatory takeover, his tongue invading her mouth with a claim that felt entirely personal.
Her heart hammered against her ribs.
She grabbed the lapels of his shirt, responding to him with a frantic, unthinking heat.
A passerby walked past the car.
Instinctively, Kinsley tried to pull away.
“They’ll see…”
Aaron didn’t let go.
“So what?”
He kissed her deeper.
In that moment, it was clear to both of them—the contract had ceased to be the point.
After a long while, Aaron pulled back, watching the flush spread across her cheeks with a dark, satisfied smile.
He clicked her seatbelt into place, his tone settling back into its icy, calm default.
“Come have dinner with me.”
Kinsley clutched the roses to her chest, looking down at the petals.
“Does this count as overtime?”
“Sure.”
The car pulled away from the gates, silence settled over them once more.
They stared in opposite directions, each lost in their own thoughts.