Chapter 2

I officially retired my plan to marry into wealth and resigned myself to being a corporate drone again. Just like that, I was back to the grind—surviving on caffeine, overtime, and absolutely zero social life.

Anyway, my hard work at my previous firm paid off. After just one week, the managers drafted me into the bidding team for a massive construction project.

It was a crazy coincidence. I knew this project inside out. At my old job, my very last task was finishing the proposal for this exact project. Then, they fired me.

Now, I was sitting across the battlefield as their competitor. I didn't just want to win. I wanted to bury them.

With the bid opening days away, I was fueled by pure spite. Securing this contract for the Lynch Group was going to be the ultimate middle finger to my old boss.

That night, after I stuffed myself with free office snacks, I ordered an Uber.

The company had a sweet perk: if employees worked past 10 PM, rides were fully expensed.

Since my new condo was out in the boonies, that ride would have cost me a fortune.

It was a small win, but I took it.

I stepped toward the elevator and nearly choked on air. Xavier, my big boss, was standing right there.

I knew exactly who he was. I had spent the last few days staring at his impressive profile in our project files.

My instinct was to flee. I immediately stepped back, craning my neck to check the sign, convinced I had wandered into the private executive lift. Anyway, I didn't make that mistake.

Before the doors could close, Xavier hit the open button and held it there.

"Come on in," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle.

I wiped the shock off my face, plastered on a polite smile, and walked inside.

The doors closed, sealing us in silence. Then, without warning, a loud burp escaped my throat.

A low chuckle broke the tension.

"So," Xavier said, clearly amused. "How's the cafeteria food these days?"

I stood up taller because I was an expert on this subject.

I had only been there a few days, but I had definitely eaten enough to earn back half my paycheck.

"It's amazing," I answered honestly. "But if we could get a DIY salad bar and a fresh pasta station, it would be next level."

Xavier actually seemed to consider this for a few seconds before he replied seriously. "You're talking about made-to-order meals. With the amount of staff we have, the lines would be a nightmare."

He shot down my idea, but I felt a wave of excitement anyway.

It felt like writing a fan letter to a celebrity and actually getting a handwritten response.

I immediately pivoted to agree with him. "You make a great point. Efficiency is key. The current setup is perfect."

The elevator dinged at the lobby. I said a quick goodnight and scrambled out before I could embarrass myself further.

I knew he was staying on to head down to the private garage, while I made my escape to the street.

*****

I reached the street and checked my app, only to realize I was early. My Uber was still miles away, so I backed into a well-lit corner near a streetlight to wait.

My fingers flew across my screen as I texted my best friend, Mia. [You are not gonna believe this. Just shared an elevator with my big boss. Holy shit, he's so hot.]

To prove my point, I forwarded two candid photos of Xavier that my colleagues had shared in the office group chat earlier that day.

I had to admit, working at HQ definitely had its perks.

Mia fired back a string of voice notes. I meant to tap the button to transcribe it to text, but my thumb slipped and hit play.

Her voice blasted into the quiet night. "Did you save the galaxy in a previous life? That is the heir's dad? He looks young enough to be the heir.

"I need you to find out everything about him. Right now.

"Wait, how old is he? There's no way he's over forty. He looks like a celebrity who found the fountain of youth.

"You have to find out who his skin doctor is. Seriously, get me the name of the clinic, or I will die."

The notes started auto-playing, one after another. Panic surged through me as I frantically mashed the volume button and killed the app.

The street was quiet again. I looked around nervously. Luckily, the street corner was empty.

Just as I started to breathe again, a deep, amused voice spoke from directly behind my shoulder. "I'm thirty-four. And for the record, I've never been to a skin doctor.

"I assume when your friend says 'heir,' she means Gabriel? I'll let you in on something, but keep it to yourself.

"Gabriel's actually my older brother's son. My father had me adopt him on paper for... family reasons."

My stomach dropped. I wished the sidewalk would crack open and swallow me whole.

It was humiliating enough that he heard my friend drooling over him. But now, he was casually dropping massive family secrets on a street corner.

Was I going to get fired for knowing too much?

And why was a powerful billionaire explaining his family tree to a random employee like me?

A black luxury car pulled up to the curb, saving me from having to answer.

Xavier opened the back door but didn't get in. He looked at me. "Hop in. I'll drop you off."

I forced a smile that felt more like a grimace. "Oh, no, thank you, Mr. Lynch. I live way out in the suburbs, and my Uber is already on its way."

Xavier didn't blink. "Get in."

It did not sound like a request.

As I numbly walked toward the car, I wondered if I could still cancel my Uber without a fee.