THE CEO's TEMPORARY WIFE

Chapter 1 – An Ordinary Monday Monday mornings always smelled the same inside Cole Group Headquarters... fresh coffee, expensive perfume, polished marble, and ambition. For Nora Adams, it was the smell of survival. She adjusted the strap of her worn handbag as she hurried through the revolving doors, silently praying the security guard hadn't noticed that she'd repaired the same pair of black heels with glue over the weekend. The shoes looked decent from a distance, but every step reminded her they were one rough pavement away from falling apart. The lobby buzzed with employees dressed in tailored suits and confident smiles. Some chatted about weekend vacations while others complained about impossible deadlines. Nora kept her head down and headed straight for the elevator, clutching a paper bag containing the sandwich she'd made for lunch. Buying food from the company café had become a luxury she could no longer afford. Her phone vibrated just as the elevator doors opened. It was a text from her younger brother, Ethan. "Good luck today, Sis. Don't forget the hospital called yesterday." The smile that appeared on her face disappeared almost immediately. She had not forgotten. How could she? Their mother's medical bills were still piling up, and another payment was due before the end of the week. Between rent, electricity, groceries, and Ethan's tuition, every naira she earned had already been spent before it even reached her account. She slipped the phone back into her bag and forced herself to breathe. One day at a time. That was the promise she had made to herself after their father died two years ago, leaving behind more debts than memories. She had been twenty-two then, fresh out of university with dreams of building a career in corporate communications. Instead, she became the family's provider almost overnight. Dreams could wait. Bills could not. The elevator stopped on the thirty-second floor. The executive level was quiet compared to the noisy departments below. Thick carpets softened every footstep, glass walls reflected the morning sunlight, and expensive paintings decorated the hallways. Everything about the floor reminded employees that this was where power lived. Nora walked toward her desk outside the CEO's office. She had barely switched on her computer when another executive assistant leaned over the partition with wide eyes. "Lydia from Finance was fired." Nora blinked. "What happened?" "No one knows. She went into the CEO's office ten minutes after arriving." "And?" "She came out crying." Nora sighed. "Again?" The woman nodded dramatically. "That's the third executive this month." Nora simply returned to arranging the files on her desk. Office gossip spread through Cole Group faster than emails, but she had learned long ago that participating in it only created problems. Besides, everyone already knew the conclusion. If someone left the CEO's office in tears, there was only one person to blame. Damien Cole. The youngest CEO in the company's history. A genius businessman. A nightmare employer. People called him the Ice King when he wasn't around. Some claimed he had never smiled. Others swore he remembered every mistake an employee had ever made. New hires often lasted less than three months before quitting under the pressure. Nora had worked as his executive assistant for eleven months. In those eleven months, she had never seen him laugh. Not once. At exactly eight thirty, the private elevator opened. The atmosphere on the entire floor changed instantly. Employees straightened in their chairs. Conversations ended. Even keyboards seemed quieter. Damien Cole stepped out without acknowledging anyone. His charcoal suit fit perfectly, as though it had been made specifically for him... which it probably had. His dark hair was neatly combed back, his expression unreadable, and his sharp eyes carried the kind of authority that made people lower their gaze without realizing it. He wasn't merely handsome. He was intimidating. The kind of man who could silence an entire boardroom simply by walking inside. He passed Nora's desk. "Good morning, Mr. Cole." A small nod. Nothing more. She was used to it. He entered his office, and seconds later the intercom buzzed. "Nora." She picked up immediately. "Yes, sir?" "My schedule." "I'll bring it in." She grabbed the neatly prepared folder, checked that every meeting had supporting documents, and knocked gently before entering. Damien sat behind his large desk, already reviewing financial reports. Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him, but it did little to soften the coldness in the room. She placed the folder in front of him. "You have a board meeting at nine, a video conference with the Singapore investors at eleven, lunch with the legal team at one, and the acquisition presentation at three." He flipped through the pages with astonishing speed. "The acquisition file." "It's in the blue folder." His eyes lifted. "It should be black." Nora froze. She looked down. He was right. She had placed the documents inside the wrong folder. "I'm sorry." Silence. He closed the folder. "Don't repeat it." Relief washed through her. She had expected something much worse. "Yes, sir." As she turned to leave, his voice stopped her. "The board presentation." "Yes?" "You stayed until midnight preparing it." She looked back in surprise. "Yes." "It was acceptable." Acceptable. From Damien Cole, that was practically a standing ovation. She couldn't stop the tiny smile that appeared on her face. "Thank you." She left the office feeling strangely lighter. Outside, another assistant rushed toward her. "Are you okay?" Nora frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?" "You were inside for almost five minutes." She laughed softly. "I'm still employed." The assistant stared in disbelief. "I don't understand how." Neither did Nora. Maybe because she did her work. Maybe because she stayed invisible. Or maybe because she had learned that Damien Cole valued competence more than conversation. By noon, the office had descended into organized chaos. Phones rang nonstop. Managers hurried from meeting to meeting. Printers worked without rest. Nora barely had time to drink water before another stack of documents landed on her desk. Just as she reached for her sandwich, her phone rang. It was the hospital. Her heartbeat quickened. She answered immediately. "Hello?" "Miss Adams, we're calling regarding your mother's treatment." "Yes." "The payment deadline has passed." Nora closed her eyes. "I know." "We understand your situation, but unless payment is made this week, we'll have to postpone the next stage of treatment." Her fingers tightened around the phone. "Please... just give me a few more days." "We'll do what we can." The call ended. For several seconds, she simply stared at the blank computer screen. She felt numb. She had already borrowed money from friends. Taken extra freelance work. Skipped meals. Sold her jewelry. There was nothing left. A knock on her desk pulled her back to reality. It was Human Resources. "Miss Adams?" "Yes?" "The CEO wants to see you." Her stomach dropped. Immediately? Had she made another mistake? She quickly smoothed her blouse before walking toward Damien's office. Every step felt heavier than the last. She knocked. "Come in." The office was unusually quiet. Damien stood by the window overlooking the city instead of sitting behind his desk. Without turning around, he spoke. "Close the door." She obeyed. Her pulse echoed loudly in her ears. He finally faced her. His expression revealed nothing. "I've reviewed your employment record." Nora blinked. "Sir?" "You've never taken unnecessary leave." "No." "Your performance evaluations are consistently high." "Yes." "You've rejected offers from other departments." "I prefer this position." He studied her for a long moment. "So I've noticed." The silence stretched between them. Nora resisted the urge to ask why she was there. Damien walked back to his desk and opened a thin file. "I also know your father's debts were transferred to you." Her breath caught. "I..." "Your mother's medical expenses." Her eyes widened. "And your brother's education." She felt the color drain from her face. How did he know? Embarrassment burned through her chest. She hated people pitying her. She had worked so hard to keep her personal life separate from her job. "I'm sorry if my personal matters have affected my work." "They haven't." Another silence. Then Damien looked directly into her eyes. For the first time since she'd started working for him, there was something different in his expression. Not warmth. Not kindness. Calculation. As though he had already made a decision long before she entered the room. "I have a proposition for you, Miss Adams." Nora swallowed. "A proposition?" "One that could solve every financial problem you're currently facing." Confusion flickered across her face. "What kind of proposition?" Damien closed the file. His voice remained calm, steady, almost frighteningly casual. "We'll discuss the details tomorrow morning." Before Nora could ask another question, he returned to the documents on his desk. "You may leave." She stood there for a second, completely bewildered. Then she quietly nodded. "Yes, Mr. Cole." As she walked out of the office, one question echoed endlessly inside her mind. What could the coldest man in the company possibly want from someone like her?