: D

rises. The street was loud and messy. A huge crowd of reporters blocked the d

re. I walked past them with a cold loo

osed behind me and shut out the noise. I t

shed in without knocking. He held a tablet i

ss you are here. You nee

side, Julian? Why are

His hands shook as he tapped the screen. "The stock market opened twenty m

ady?" My voice ros

ng every thirty seconds, sir. They a

My jaw felt tight. "Tel

cles on his screen. He took a

be so irresponsible?' They say you got very drunk at a high-end party las

moment, I cou

"That is impossible. Nob

all her

that a

unk and accidentally

bbed the edge of the desk. My

nonymous, sir. T

ws who?" I hit the desk with my hand. "Tell me th

n a billionaire CEO, a man trusted with billions of dollars, walk into a pop-up booth and marry a random stranger

s low and dangerous. "T

we do not stop this story today, the board will hold an emerg

hey cannot do that. I built t

, if the stock

d at the wall. Everythi

this?" I asked

ond. "Only three people,

bout th

e clerk signed a paper. If he speaks, he loses his job. And the hote

is you, m

e full story last nig

r twenty years. You have nothing to gain." I turned back

aybe she told a friend. We

oof. And I will fin

down. His voice beca

not work. People love a big sec

ow

ture. We tell everyone that it was never a mistake. We say you and your new wife fel

ve st

go to big parties together and look like a h

shows, Julian and I do not wan

But your whole emp

ht. I had

know everything about her. Who she is,

lugged a drive into my co

wn folder landed on my desk.

poor side of town. She had no money, no big family name, and no powe

nd the thi

aper. "Her sister is in the hospital with a bad heart. The bi

is des

she is runnin

y face. Desperate peop

tood up and fixed my jacket. "Set up

ll you say t

s and watch her face when she answers

d t

ix the story. She will move into my big house as you suggested and play my lov

If she lives in my house, she is under my control. She cannot talk

second

watch her every move. I can see who she calls, meets and who she talks to. If she di

as not her a

still help me

t does s

single dollar her

nd hurried out

ght she had won yesterday, when she walked out of the legal office and stared at me. She

ith a sharp sound. Jul

s on h