I stepped off the plane, ending three years of grueling expansion in Europe, carrying a signed ten-billion-dollar contract in my hands. My four partners, who had promised me a grand homecoming celebration, hadn’t even bothered to send a low-level assistant to meet me. Suddenly, a sleek, glowing virtual screen floated in the air before me: [Talk about a tragic founder. While she was half-starving in London, building their empire from scratch, her four male co-founders were back home in New York, playing prince charming to a brainless intern.] [The moment she lands, they’re going to kick her off the board to clear the way for their sweet little darling.] [That’s what she gets for being too strong. Men only want soft, weeping damsels in distress these days.] I stared at the panel, a dry, cold laugh escaping my lips. Perfect. It saves me the trouble of dividing my shares. I turned on my heel toward the airport’s VIP lane, tilting my chin toward the man waiting for me. “Let’s go, Mr. Miles.” The virtual screen flashed a violent red: [WARNING! PLOT DEVIATION! Who is the woman clinging to?!] [Are we insane?! That’s Nicholas Miles, the ultimate predator of the financial world. Those four boys wouldn’t survive a single day in his arena!] 1 I slipped my hand through Nicholas’s arm, feeling the solid warmth of his muscles and the faint, grounding scent of silver fir that always clung to his expensive tailoring. Nicholas Miles was a titan of Wall Street. I had met him in London while securing the funding for our ten-billion-dollar venture. In the city’s elite circles, he was known as a ruthless, cold-blooded executioner. Getting an appointment with him was harder than pulling teeth. Yet here he was, quietly letting me lean into him, even gently carrying my battered, overstuffed leather briefcase in his free hand. “Lola, are you really just going to use me and run?” Nicholas leaned down slightly, his dark eyes catching mine, carrying a look that was almost pouty, though his low voice remained dangerously smooth. “Who said I’m running? I’m bringing you home to show you the sights,” I teased, giving his hand a reassuring pat. During those three years abroad, I had practically stripped off a layer of skin to secure that massive multinational project. Nicholas had appeared right when I was at my breaking point. He didn’t just provide the financial backing; he had attached himself to me like a shadow I couldn’t shake. I had always assumed he was just a wealthy, persistent playboy. It wasn’t until this strange screen started glitching into my vision that I realized he was the most powerful shadow player in the entire city. [What the hell?! Why is this financial predator acting like a needy golden retriever around her?!] [This is the man who can bankrupt those four idiots with a flick of his wrist! How does she dare treat him so casually?] [I don’t believe it! Nicholas Miles must be playing with her. Once the novelty wears off, she’s going to crash harder than anyone!] I ignored the hysterical text scrolling across my vision. Playing with me? I wondered who it was that had insisted on holding me all through last night, mumbling in my ear about making things official the moment we touched down. “Where are those four useless partners of yours?” Nicholas asked, his eyes sweeping over the empty arrivals gate, his tone dripping with jealousy. “Didn’t you say they were throwing you some grand homecoming dinner?” “They’re probably dead to me,” I replied, my voice flat. Right then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Jared, one of my co-founders. “Lola, Daisy accidentally cut her finger today, and we’re all at the hospital with her. We have to postpone the dinner. Just grab an Uber back to the office.” Daisy. The clumsy, fragile intern the screen kept talking about. I let out a soft, humorless laugh, turned my phone off, and tossed it into my bag. “Let’s go, Mr. Miles. I’ll show you what a disaster looks like.” Nicholas’s eyes lit up. He turned his hand, locking his fingers tightly with mine. “I’ll clean up any mess you want,” he murmured, leaning closer, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper. “But you can’t back out on your promise. You said the moment we landed, I’d get to be your official boyfriend.” Looking at his handsome face—which practically had “make me yours” written all over it—I couldn’t help but smile. “We’ll see how you behave.” 2 I took Nicholas straight to the office. The moment I pushed open the double doors of the main conference room, a wave of warm laughter drifted out. “Daisy, does it still hurt? Let me blow on it.” “Jared, don’t do that. Lola will be furious if she finds out.” “Why even mention her? That workaholic wouldn’t understand. She doesn’t have a gentle bone in her body, unlike you.” I stood in the doorway, watching the cozy, domestic scene of the five of them. It was deeply pathetic. Jared, Victor, Garrett, and Kyle. These four men had been my closest friends in college. We were the founding team. When we first pooled our pennies together to start this company, so poor we lived on white bread, I was the one who went out to charm investors, pitch clients, and build our reputation brick by brick. Later, for the long-term survival of the company, I volunteered to spearhead our overseas expansion, leaving everything behind for three grueling years. I thought we were all bleeding for the same dream. But while I was working myself to the bone in cold London offices, they were back home, orbiting an intern who probably didn’t even know how to clear a paper jam. The virtual panel flickered back to life: [She’s here! She’s here! Queue the drama!] [Poor Daisy, her finger is bleeding, and you know this cold-hearted woman is just going to scream at her.] [Protect Daisy! Throw this heartless monster out of the company!] I looked coldly at Daisy, who sat in the center of the room. She was undeniably pretty in a fragile, doe-eyed way, holding up a finger wrapped in a cartoon band-aid like it was a purple heart. The moment they noticed me, the laughter in the room died instantly. Jared was the first to recover, his brows knitting together as he stood up. “Lola? When did you get back? Didn’t I tell you to just take a cab?” “If I didn’t come back, how would I get to enjoy this touching family reunion?” I shot back, my voice laced with ice. Victor pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone instantly defensive. “Lola, drop the attitude. Daisy was trying to prep for your welcome dinner when she cut herself. We’re just looking out for her. Is compassion foreign to you?” “Seriously, you walk in the door and immediately start throwing your weight around like you own the place,” Garrett muttered, crossing his arms. Kyle stepped in front of Daisy, shielding her from me as if I were a wild animal. “Lola, please don’t be mad at them. It’s all my fault…” Daisy’s eyes welled with tears on cue. “Save the waterworks. I don’t have the patience for theater today.” I pulled out a leather chair, sat down, and tossed my briefcase onto the glass table. “Since everyone is here, let’s have a meeting.” Jared sat back down, his face hardening. “Good. We actually have something to discuss with you, too.” He glanced at Daisy, then cleared his throat. “Lola, you’ve worked hard overseas these past few years. But the landscape has shifted. Our core business is domestic now, and frankly, your rigid management style doesn’t fit our rhythm anymore.” “So, the four of us have discussed it. We’ve decided to relieve you of your management duties. We’ll buy out your shares at fair market value.” On the virtual screen, the text went wild: [Yes! Finally kicking the old maid out!] [Daisy is the heart of this company anyway. Good riddance!] [She’s going to cry and beg them now, isn’t she? She literally built this place from nothing.] I looked at Jared’s self-righteous face, a wave of dark amusement washing over me. “Buy me out? With what money?” Victor let out a cold sneer. “We’ve already initiated talks with the Miles Group. Once we land the major municipal contract next month, they’ll inject capital. Buying you out will be pocket change.” Hearing the name of his own conglomerate, Nicholas, who had been standing silently behind me like an elegant shadow, let out a soft, dark laugh. The sound finally drew the eyes of the four men to him. “Who are you? This is a private board meeting. Get the hell out,” Garrett barked, pointing a finger at him. Nicholas slowly took off his sunglasses, revealing a face so strikingly handsome yet utterly chilling that it seemed to drop the room’s temperature by ten degrees. He stepped closer, resting a hand casually on the back of my chair, looking down at them like they were bugs under a microscope. “An outsider?” Nicholas murmured. “The Miles Group you’re begging for money happens to be my personal playground.” “And let me introduce myself. I’m Nicholas Miles. I also happen to be Lola’s… soon-to-be fiancé.” 3 The silence in the room became absolute. Jared and the others looked like they had been struck by lightning. Daisy’s eyes widened so far her tears dried up instantly. The virtual screen practically exploded: [Holy crap! Nicholas Miles just self-revealed!] [What did he just say?! Fiancé?! Oh my god, Lola is playing on a completely different level!] [No way! There’s no way a man like Nicholas Miles would fall for a ruthless workaholic like her!] Jared was the first to find his voice. His face turned a sickly green as he glared at me. “Lola, where did you hire this actor? You’d really go this far just to hold onto your position?” Victor joined in with a mocking laugh. “The head of the Miles Group? Falling for you? Lola, this is pathetic, even for you.” “Lola, I know it hurts to leave, but you shouldn’t lie to everyone like this…” Daisy whispered, though her eyes kept drifting toward Nicholas’s towering, perfectly tailored frame. He was stunning. Impeccable suit, broad shoulders, and an undeniable aura of absolute authority. Nicholas seemed genuinely amused by their stupidity. He leaned forward, placing both hands on the conference table, his gaze sweeping over them with utter disdain. “An actor? Your little startup isn’t worth the cost of the restrooms in one of my minor subsidiaries. You think I’d waste my time acting for you?” He snapped his fingers. Two assistants in charcoal suits stepped into the room immediately. “Mr. Miles, the documents you requested,” one of them said, handing over a thick leather folder. Nicholas tossed the folder directly into Jared’s face. “Open your eyes and look. That’s the risk assessment report Miles Group compiled on your company. A disorganized, chaotic circus like this wanting my capital? You’re dreaming.” Jared fumbled with the folder, opening it. His face drained of what little color it had left. There, stamped in gold leaf, was the official seal of the Miles Group. “This… this is impossible…” Garrett and Kyle leaned over to look, letting out sharp, horrified gasps. “Believe me now?” I asked, leaning back in my chair, enjoying the view of their crumbling world. “You wanted to buy out my shares? Don’t worry about it. I’m leaving.” I opened my briefcase, pulled out a pre-drafted exit agreement, and threw it onto the table. “Sign it. As of today, Lola Knight has absolutely nothing to do with this company, or with the four of you.” Jared snapped his head up, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Lola, are you insane? You built this company. You’re just walking away?” “Why would I keep a dying shell of a company?” I said coldly. “You think I didn’t know what you were doing back here while I was away? To pamper an intern who doesn’t even know how to run a basic pivot table, you’ve embezzled company funds, alienated our oldest clients, and turned this office into an absolute joke.” I stood up, walking slowly over to Daisy, looking down at her. “Your name is Daisy, right? I heard you can’t even format a spreadsheet, but you sure know how to cry to your ‘big brothers’ for attention.” Daisy shrunk back, tears spilling over again. “Lola, please don’t talk to me like that, I’m trying to learn…” “Shut up! Lola, if you have a problem, take it out on us! Leave Daisy out of this!” Kyle yelled, jumping up to play the hero. “Take it out on her? She isn’t worth my breath.” I chuckled, turning back to Nicholas. “Oh, and one more thing. During my three years in Europe, I didn’t just expand our reach. I secured a ten-billion-dollar partnership with the largest European conglomerate.” I tapped another document in my bag. “I was planning to bring this project back to build our future. But looking at you now… you don’t deserve it.” I slipped my hand into Nicholas’s arm, not looking back as we walked out. “Let’s go, Nicholas. Let’s get some dinner to celebrate my freedom.” A rare, tender smile broke across Nicholas’s cold face as he wrapped his arm securely around my waist. “Anything you want, sweetheart.” 4 We had barely stepped out of the glass lobby when Jared’s furious, desperate roar echoed from behind us. “Lola! If you walk out that door today, don’t you dare come crawling back begging me to take you back!” I didn’t even turn around. It was nothing but background noise. Sliding into the plush leather seat of Nicholas’s Rolls-Royce, I let out a long, slow breath. The suffocating weight I had carried for three years finally evaporated. The virtual panel was still flashing erratically: [Holy shit, she’s incredible! That was the most satisfying shutdown ever!] [But she really gave up her company! Three years of her life!] [Are you kidding? She has a ten-billion-dollar contract and Nicholas Miles. She can start an empire on her own!] [Am I the only one who thinks those four guys are brain-dead? They traded a ten-billion-dollar deal for an intern who doesn’t even know how to use a copier.] I smiled at the text floating in the air. Nicholas leaned over, pulling the seatbelt across me, taking the opportunity to steal a soft kiss from my cheek. “Happy? No regrets about leaving that circus?” I rolled my eyes playfully. “Why would I regret cutting my losses? If you spend too much time around idiots, stupidity becomes contagious.” Nicholas let out a low rumble of laughter, his chest vibrating against my shoulder. “Lola, I swear I love you most when you’re this ruthless.” He caught my chin, his gaze darkening with intensity. “But tell me… did you mean what you said back there? About me being your fiancé?” “What? Does the title offend you?” I teased. “Offend me? I’ve been begging for it,” Nicholas sighed, burying his face into the crook of my neck like a giant, affectionate dog. “Lola, you have no idea how hard those three years in London were for me. You did nothing but work. You barely even looked at me. Now that we’re back, isn’t it time to make me official?” Tickled by his hair against my neck, I pushed him away with a laugh. “Mr. Miles, decorum. You have a reputation as a terrifying tyrant. Don’t act like a neglected puppy.” “I don’t care about my reputation when I’m with you,” he said, completely shameless. Over the next week, I worked with absolute efficiency, setting up my new firm and relocating the core team I had built during my time in Europe. Managing the launch of a ten-billion-dollar project was exhausting, and I was on my feet constantly. Nicholas, however, suddenly seemed to have an abundance of free time. He showed up at my temporary office every single day, bringing gourmet lunches and home-cooked soups, looking for all the world like a devoted house-husband. Meanwhile, things at my old company were deteriorating rapidly. The virtual screen kept me updated on their slow-motion train wreck: [This is pure gold. Victor went to beg an old client to renew their contract today, and they threw him out. The client literally said, ‘No Lola, no deal.’] [Garrett’s big project just went up in flames because Daisy put a typo in the bid—she missed a zero, undercutting their own costs!] [Those four idiots are still stubborn, convinced Lola is just playing hard to get and will come begging for her job back once she fails.] I chuckled as I read the updates. Hard to get? They really thought highly of themselves. The afternoon before my new company’s grand launch party, my phone rang. It was Jared. His voice was still dripping with that same unearned superiority. “Lola, have you had your little tantrum yet? If you’ve cooled down, get back here.” “Daisy is miserable over a pricing mistake she made. She’s been crying for days. Come back, clean up her mess, and we’ll agree to let bygones be bygones.” I was genuinely stunned by his sheer audacity. “Jared, is your head filled with water, or is it just Daisy’s tears?” “Your company’s survival has nothing to do with me. You want me to come back and play nanny to Daisy? You must be dreaming.” “Lola! Don’t push your luck!” Jared snapped, his anger boiling over. “You think you can scare us with a fake contract and some hired actor pretending to be a billionaire? Let me tell you something: your little launch party is tomorrow, and I’ve made sure nobody is going to show up.” “We’ve blacklisted you. Anyone who does business with you is an enemy of ours.” I sneered and hung up the phone. Blacklisted? By four men on the brink of bankruptcy? Tomorrow, I’d show them what actual power looked like. 5 On the night of the launch, the venue was packed with the city’s most influential figures. The ballroom was a sea of designer gowns and tailored tuxedos, the air filled with the gentle clinking of crystal glasses. I wore a stunning, backless crimson gown, my arm looped through Nicholas’s as we stood in the center of the hall, greeting guests. “Lola, congratulations! We’re looking forward to collaborating on the European project.” “Lola is truly a force to be reckoned with. Three years away, and you return to shake up the entire city.” Industry leaders lined up to offer their congratulations, their attitudes remarkably deferential. And why wouldn’t they be? They weren’t just here for my ten-billion-dollar contract; they were here because of the man standing beside me. With the head of the Miles Group personally backing me, who would dare stay away? Just as the party reached its peak, the heavy double doors of the ballroom were pushed open with unnecessary force. Jared, Victor, Garrett, and Kyle walked in, flanked by Daisy, who wore a fluffy white princess gown. The chatter in the room died down instantly. Every eye turned to the five uninvited guests. The virtual panel flickered rapidly: [Here we go! Drama round two is live!] [How did these clowns even get past security?] [Do they still think they’re the kings of the city? The people in this room could buy and sell them ten times over.] Jared scanned the room. When he saw the high-profile executives crowding around me, a flash of pure envy and confusion crossed his face. But he quickly masked it, stepping toward me with a sneer. “Quite a crowd you’ve put together, Lola. Must have cost a fortune to hire all these extras.” Victor adjusted his glasses, his tone mocking. “You really went all out for your pride, didn’t you? As if these actual CEOs would waste their time on a dummy corporation’s opening.” The surrounding guests looked at them with utter bewilderment. One older gentleman leaned in, whispering to me, “Lola, who are these people?” “Just some former colleagues,” I said softly, loud enough for the room to hear. “They’re a bit confused. Apologies for the distraction.” Daisy stepped forward, her eyes red and tearful. “Lola, please don’t do this. Jared and the guys are only trying to help you. It’s too hard to run a company on your own… and besides,” she bit her lip, looking up at Nicholas with a look of pure, righteous pity, “we looked into it. The real Nicholas Miles is in Europe right now. This man beside you is a fraud. He’s just a con artist exploiting you!”
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