SECRETARY MISTRESS,CONVENIENT WIFE

Chapter One** **"You’re fired."** The words sliced through the air like a blade, cold and final. Emily Carter stood frozen in the doorway of Luciano De Luca’s office, her fingers tightening around the stack of files she carried. The morning sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his high-rise office did nothing to soften the harshness of his tone. She blinked, certain she had misheard. "I—I beg your pardon?" Luciano didn’t look up from the contract he was reviewing, his dark brows drawn together in a frown. His jet-black hair was slightly tousled, as though he’d been running his hands through it—a rare sign of frustration in a man who was always in perfect control. "You heard me, Emily. Pack your things and leave." Her stomach plummeted. Five years. Five years of loyalty, of late nights, of anticipating his every need before he even voiced it. And now, just like that, she was disposable? Swallowing the lump in her throat, she stepped forward. "May I at least know why?" Finally, he lifted his gaze. Those piercing green eyes—the ones that had haunted her dreams more times than she cared to admit—locked onto hers. There was no warmth there. Only ice. "Because I no longer require your services." A lie. She knew him too well. There was something else beneath his ruthless dismissal. Emily squared her shoulders. "If this is about last night—" His jaw clenched. "It’s not." But it was. Last night, at the charity gala, she had seen him watching her. Not as his efficient, invisible secretary, but as a *woman*. And when that arrogant French investor had pressed too close, murmuring something crude in her ear, Luciano had been across the room in seconds, his hand possessive on her waist as he growled, *"Touch her again, and you’ll regret it."* The way he’d looked at her after—hungry, dangerous—had sent a thrill down her spine. And then, just as quickly, he’d shut down, leaving without another word. Now, he was firing her. Emily set the files on his desk with deliberate calm. "If you think dismissing me will erase what happened—" "I don’t *think*," he cut in, rising to his full, imposing height. "I *act*." He circled the desk, his tailored suit emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders. "But since you’re so determined to stay… perhaps there’s another arrangement we can make." Her breath hitched. "What kind of arrangement?" A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips. "Marry me." She laughed—she couldn’t help it. "You’re insane." "Possibly." He stepped closer, his scent—sandalwood and power—wrapping around her. "But I need a wife. A temporary one. And you…" His gaze dropped to her mouth. "You need this job." Her pulse roared in her ears. "You can’t be serious." "Deadly." His thumb brushed her lower lip, sending a shockwave of heat through her. "Say yes, Emily. Or walk away forever." The ultimatum hung between them, heavy with unspoken desire. She knew it was a bad idea. Knew he was playing with fire. But when had she ever been able to say no to Luciano De Luca?