Chapter 10
The waiter began serving the multicourse feast with practiced elegance.
Scallops, lobster, and delicate garnishes were bathed in the soft, golden glow of candlelight, looking almost too beautiful to touch.
Kinsley was still caught up in the lingering sweetness of the drive.
Throughout the journey, she had cradled the flowers, and every time she stole a look at him, their eyes met.
Could he really be starting to like me? she’d dared to wonder.
Kinsley couldn’t help but wonder:does he actually like me, even just a little?
“The dinner tonight was quite elaborate,” she said as the waiter uncorked the champagne and poured.
Aaron raised his glass.
“I officially secured the chairmanship today. Thank you for your part in this.Cheers.”
“Thank me?”
She hesitated, lifting herglass.
“Exactly. My father’s will imposed strict conditions on the succession: I had to be twenty-eight, and I had to be married.”
Her grip on the stem of the flute tightened until her knuckles turned white.
“So…” she whispered, the tremor in her voice lost to the swell of the soft violin music.
“That’s why you were in such a rush to marry me? Is that it?”
“You’re sharp,” he said, his tone infuriatingly steady. “I needed a marriage. The timing was perfect.”
The glasses clinked—a crisp, melodic sound that felt, to Kinsley, exactly like her heart shattering.
She forced a smile and downed the champagne.
It was clear and brilliant, yet it tasted like bile.
In that moment, everything clicked.
The reason he hadn’t given her a second to think on the day of the contract.
The reason the signing, the registration, and the wedding had been jammed into a whirlwind of a fewhours.
It wasn’t love at first sight.
He just needed an actress for his takeover, and she had been in the right place at the right time.
How pathetic.
The kisses, the flowers… she’d actually been foolish enough to believe they were real.
Aaron seemed to be in a magnificent mood tonight.
His usually icy eyes caught the candlelight, softening with a warmth she hadn’t seen before.
But to Kinsley, his gaze felt like needles.
Her fingers had gone numb; she could barely hold her cutlery.
She forced a mask of calm.
“Since the mission is accomplished, can we terminate the contract early?”
A tight, brittle smileappeared on her face,“I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“No. I won’t be ending the contract early.”
He smiled, his gaze lingering on her face with a softness that made her head spin.
“Why?”
Is it because of me?
Does he still need me for the next phase?
Or is this just about the sex?
Regardless of the answer, her mood was spiraling into the abyss.
“Excuse me. I need a moment.”
She stood abruptly and walked away, her throat tight with unshed tears.
In the restroom, Kinsley stared at her reflection. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her expression raw and ruined.
She splashed cold water on her face.
Don’t be an idiot, she scolded her reflection. You knew it was a delusion from the start. Why are you letting yourself sink deeper?
Just smile. At least you were the key player.
.
She forced a smile at the mirror, though it felt stiff and alien.
She pulled out her compact, dusted her face, and used her fingers to push her lips into a higher, more convincing curve.
Look beautiful. This is work hours.
When she returned, Aaron stared at her for a long, searching beat.
“What’s wrong? Your eyes are red.”
“I don’t know… must have gotten something in them. They’re irritated.”
She lowered her eyes, mechanically spooning the cream of mushroom soup.
A sumptuous spread was laid out before her; yet, she had no appetite at all.
She eventually set her fork down, finished.
As they exited the restaurant, Kinsley deliberately slowed her pace, lagging a half-step behind Aaron.
But he caught her arm, pulling her flush against his side.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
Kinsley stared at him, stunned.
He his voice was barely a whisper, “There are reporters in the lobby.”
Kinsley caught his signal instantly.
She gripped the lapel of his shirt, pulling him in while forcing a sweet, affectionate smile.
His chest was solid and warm; her fingers, resting against it, twitched with a sudden urge to pull away.
Yet her rational mind forced her to continue the intimate caress, keeping up the charade.
Two men emerged from the shadows, wearing professional smiles.
“Mr. Hoffman, what a surprise to run into you!I heard the transition is finally complete, and you’ve taken the helm as Chairman. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Aaron tightened his hold on her, guiding her toward the car.
Kinsley could feel the camera lenses trained on them; nerves surged, and she leaned into him, doing her best to shield her face.
“There are rumors that your sudden marriage is merely a power play—a marriage of convenience. How do you respond to that?”
Aaron stopped in his tracks, turning to face them with a voice that had turned ice-cold.
“My private life is not something I owe you an explanation for.”
He turned back to Kinsley, his gaze softening into a look of warmth and tender devotion.
“Darling, don’t mind them. Let’s go home.”
He drew her closer and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips.
Once they were finally inside the car, Kinsley let out a long, shaky breath.
She couldn’t help but glance back toward the spot where the men had been standing.
“Are they gone? Are you… are you well-acquainted with them?”
Aaron seemed unimpressed.
“Don’t worry about it. Those kinds of baseless tabloid reports have no impact on me whatsoever.”
He cupped her face, tilting it up so she was forced to look at him.
“Were you scared?”
She remained silent.
He waited, his eyes locked onto her face.
She took a deep, steadying breath. After a long moment, she brushed his hand away and shifted slightly further back.
“I’m fine. My acting is good enough—I can handle it.”
The smile on Aaron’s face stiffened. The darkness of the night hid the flash of annoyance in his eyes.
“You think what we just did was work?”
“Of course,” she replied, staring straight ahead. “Any time I’m out with you, it’s my ‘on-the-clock’ time. As long as it falls within the scope of our contract, I’ll cooperate.”
Aaron shifted his gaze back to the road and slammed his foot on the accelerator, bringing the car to life with a jolt.
Though she spoke with ease, her heart felt as if it had been slashed by a knife.
The pain was so sharp that even breathing became a struggle.
Of course it was just work—it could only be work.
The car exited the parking lot and merged onto the main road, the speed climbing.
Kinsley turned her face toward the window.
Streetlights flickered past one after another, casting shifting, rhythmic shadows over them.
He didn’t speak again.
And neither did she.