The CEO’s Contract Bride

The Grip Tightens

The flashbulbs nearly blinded her as the press corps erupted into chaos, shouting over one another to demand clarifications on partnership shares, joint control, and the sudden alliance between two fierce rivals. Elara forced every ounce of her composure to keep her chin level, refusing to let the cameras capture a single flicker of panic.

​Beside her, Alex didn't flinch. His fingers remained locked around her wrist under the cover of the mahogany table, warm and unyielding, a physical reminder that she had just been bound to his empire in front of the entire city.

​"Questions will be taken through the communications director after the formal presentation," Alex's deep, steady voice cut through the noise like a blade, silencing the room once more with absolute authority.

​When the press conference finally concluded and the lights dimmed, the media scrambled toward the exits to file their breaking reports. Elara yanked her wrist free from his grip, standing up so sharply her chair scraped loudly against the polished floor.

​"You didn't consult me on that," she snapped, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and adrenaline as she glared down at him. "You just branded my name to your holding company in front of every financial journalist in the country without a word of warning."

​Alex slowly rose to his feet, towering over her with that infuriating, calm composure that drove her to the edge. He buttoned his suit jacket, his dark gaze locking onto hers with intense, suffocating focus.

​"Consult you?" Alex stepped closer, closing the distance until the air between them grew dangerously thin. "I just handed you back your family's professional reputation on a silver platter, Elara. Without my public backing today, the vultures in the financial district would have torn your architectural portfolio to pieces by sunset."

​"I didn't ask for your charity," she whispered fiercely, her chest heaving as she fought the magnetic pull of his presence.

​"It wasn't charity," Alex murmured, his voice dropping into a low, velvet rasp that brushed against her skin. "It was an investment. And now that your name is permanently tied to mine on the city's biggest project, you're going to learn what it truly means to play in my league."