The Secret between my Ruthless Billionaire CEO Boss and I

The Proposal

Steve's office's silence felt like weight, choking him. Lois stood across from him, clutching the edge of her notepad as though it may provide some solace or some defence against the force of his stare. Their last conversation had been a week ago, the one in which he discovered her hiding papers she wasn't supposed to see.

Her job as his assistant had evolved since then to resemble a tightrope walk. Every chore and every choice she made seemed under close inspection. She used great care with every word and every gesture. Steve was the reason she stayed on edge, not only the weight of her profession.

Eyes never leaving her as she shuffled papers in front of his elegant mahogany desk, he sat behind trying to concentrate. The heavy glass windows muffle the gentle hum of the metropolis beyond, which seemed far away. Just them in the room, and Lois could feel the weight of his presence down on her for the first time since she had started working for him.

"You've been doing well, Lois," Steve murmured, his voice softer than the leather chair under his hands. Still, we have to chat.

froze Lois. Talk, though. Her palms started to sweat and her heart quickened. "Of course," she said, her voice wobbly even with her best effort to appear calm. Looking up at him, she expected the usual commands and the never-ending stack of chores he constantly produced. Today, though, his attitude towards her seemed different.

Steve sat back in his chair and focused his eyes more narrowly. Between them, the silence dense and heated. At last, he said, his words careful. "I need your assistance with something. A personal concern.

The eyebrows of Lois wrinkled in perplexity. She asked again, the words strange on her tongue, a personal affair. Her heart skipped. Was he going to ask her to work on still another delicate project? To manage something morally grey, dangerous, and covert?

Steve's lips curved into a smile that fell short of his eyes. Sure, he answered, staring at hers. As you see, Lois, I need a wife.

Uncertain if she had heard him exactly, Lois blinked. "A wife?,"

He nodded, eyes unbroken. "A bride. And I believe you are the one able to assist me with it."

Lois stared at him, a hundred ideas confused and all contradictory running through her head. Her heart thumped in her chest; for a time, all she could do was stare at him, trying to figure whether this was some sort of prank.

As Lois tried to organise what Steve had just said, her ideas flew all over. a wife? Her pulse was racing and her head was whirling as she tried to respond coherently. Now the room felt smaller, the air thicker, as though the very walls were squeezing in on her.

Her voice strained as Lois said, "I don't understand." "What does a "deal" mean?"

Steve's demeanour stayed the same; his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, as though he were waiting for her to come up to him. His voice low and measured, "I'm offering you something that could solve a lot of problems for you, Lois," he continued. " Married me." It serves purposes more than just appearances. It is for both of our survival.

Lois felt her tummy turn over. Marry him? This felt like a trap, not only a commercial setup. Her first impulse was to laugh, walk out of the office pretending she hadn't heard him, but the weight of his words left her anchored in place.

Her voice almost above a whisper, she asked, "What do you mean by'survival?'"

Steve's eyes never waver and his words were like ice. "I will lose everything if we decide against doing this. my realm. My horizon. And, to be really honest, most likely my sanity. He stiffened his jaw. "This goes beyond just money, Lois. This is regarding authority. Mastery. And you, the one able to bring that about.

The words strike Lois more strongly than any physical force could. strength. Control: You are. He was inviting her to enter a realm that would devour her whole, one she did not know. Still, his comments were a lifeline. Not quite They assured her sister of future security.

the hands grabbing the edge of the desk for support, she tried to remain calm while swallowing hard. Her voice wobbly, she said, "I... I don't know what to say."

Steve slanted forward with dark, fierce eyes. " Right now you don't have to say anything. Just consider it. Your chance comes here. But if you say yes, Lois, you are not only supporting me. You will be supporting yourself as well.

Too good to turn down, too hazardous to take, the offer hung in front of her like a deadly fruit.

The hours went by, but the discussion in Steve's office did not occupy Lois's thoughts. Her mind racing, she stood by the window of her little flat, gazing out at the city. Could she possibly say yes? Could she wed a guy she hardly knew, one so remote, so cold, so calculated? Steve Reynolds?

She had to say, though, the proposition he had given was appealing. Financial stability for her sister's treatment; no more late evenings wondering whether she could pay the bills; no more sleepless nights. It was a flight from reality. a solution for all.

However, the price... Could she genuinely wed someone only for survival? Even that, what type of marriage would that be?

She looked down at her phone, the recognisable message from her sister flickering across the screen. She lingered long enough to nibble on her lip. Should she forward the proposition to Sarah? Her sister might view things differently. She typed a reply fast: I'm considering something... I could use your guidance. Tell me when you spare time is.

Lois pushed send and watched, but the weight of her choice made the minutes drag. Not sure what she was looking for, she wandered about her flat. Her fingers floated over her phone once more, as though she were waiting for something to materialise between her ideas and the screen.

Then the response arrived, the sentences brief and unanticipated:

Never do it. Sounds far too risky.

The heart of Lois missed a beat. Her mind racing, she stared at the message. What was absolutely dangerous? From what standpoint was he truly asking her to act?

She dropped into the couch with the phone weight in her hands. Could she turn away from the life she had now, from the person she had laboured so hard to become? Would this really provide the security she so sorely needed?

Their contract resembled a loaded pistol, weighty. Crisp, just printed, every word meant to bind and entwine. Steve Reynolds had fingers tapping against the polished surface of his glass conference table from the head. Except for his icy tolerance, his face was incomprehensible.

Lois sighed. The weight of the moment squeezed down on her, every second fraying. Beyond the floor to-celling windows, the metropolis shimmered, a world advancing while hers stood still.

She said, her voice almost above a whisper, "This is insane."

Steve slumped back, not really disturbed. "Is It?"

Lois gripped her hands tightly into fists. On paper, you are asking me to be your spouse. an agreement. Not one feeling, not one true dedication. And I should assume this is typical?

His lips moved, not exactly a smile, not nearly entertainment. Normal is overrated.

She forced herself to meet his gaze by sharply breathing out. "Exactly what are you looking for from me?"

Steve stood slowly and deliberately, changing the cuffs on his suit. You are going to live with me. Like my wife, go to public events. Go with my guidance. I will make sure your sister receives the best medical attention in exchange.

Lois's stomach contracted at the mention of Lila. He understood exactly where to tug on which chords.

Also in private? She challenged.

Steve's eyes flicked, something unreadable passing behind them. Each of us leads unique lives. I won't interfere with yours; you won't ask questions about mine.

Lys studied him. Steve Reynolds held himself like a man who never lost control, every element about him exact, his fitted suit, the deliberate distance in his voice. Still, something about this offer, about him, felt strange.

She pushed her palms against the cool table top. And should I object?

His attitude worsened. "Then walk away."

Lois hesitated. It was far too simple. Too much practiced. But Steve grabbed the pen and his fingers tightened around it before she could say.

"This is not about romance, Lois," he continued, voice calm yet sharpened. Though you might be assisting your sister, you are going to enter a world you will not be able to readily exit.

The pen made scratches on paper. His name was signed in pen. as committed as a knife is sharp.

Every paper was signed.

A quiet cold descended over Lois as her pen struck the page, therefore securing her death. Not now could one undo it.

Steve compiled the paperwork using the same diligence he used in billion-dollar negotiations. nor a second thought, nor emotion. only business.

Lois let out a breath when reality sank in and grabbed the chair's arm. "how long?"

"eighteen months," Steve said. Long enough to give it credibility.

Real. Twisted inside her was the word.

Steve fixed his eyes on her for a second then straightened his tie. You are going to relocate tomorrow. Early morning will see a press statement issued.

The head of Lois flew up. tomorrow? That soon?

His voice remained constant. Not a game is what this is. We do this exactly if we are doing it.

Her heart thumping against her ribs, Lois ran her fingers through her hair. Less than twenty-24 hours and she would no longer be struggling assistant Lois Frazer. She would be the wife of billionaires Lois Reynolds.

The title seems strange. heavy.

Steve watched her, something sparking under the surface of his manner. "Second thoughts"?

Lois corrected her straightening. "No.," falsehood. A required one.

He nodded slightly, acknowledging her response whether or not it was accurate. "Good.."

He went to the door, stopping just before he left. The air between them changed when he turned back.

"You should get used to lying, Lois," he said, voice filled with something unreadable. "This is only the starting point."

And he left her alone bearing the weight of what she had just done.