I CAME FOR BUSINESS, SHE CAME FOR LOVE

CHAPTER FOUR

By the end of the first year, Marcus was no longer an insurance clerk. He was Diane’s "Special Advisor." He had a salary that allowed him to move into a sleek apartment in Canary Wharf. He had a tailor. He had a car.

But more importantly, he had Diane’s trust.

They were in her office late one Friday night. A bottle of wine sat open between them. They had just closed a deal that had taken six months of grueling negotiation.

"We did it," Diane said, raising her glass. She looked tired, but happy. There was a looseness to her that he had never seen before. She kicked off her heels and tucked her legs under her on the sofa. "Come here, Marcus. Stop looking at the contracts."

Marcus sat on the edge of the sofa, careful to maintain a professional distance. "This is just the beginning, Diane. With this capital, we can move into the tech sector. I’ve been looking at a startup in Berlin—"

"Marcus," she interrupted, her voice soft. "Stop."

He turned to look at her. The office was dark, save for the city lights reflecting off the glass.

"Do you ever think about anything else?" she asked. "Don't you ever get tired of the hunt?"

"The hunt is what keeps me alive," he said.

"It’s a lonely way to live," she replied. She moved closer, the scent of her perfume—jasmine and sandalwood—filling his lungs. "I’ve spent fifteen years building this. And tonight is the first time it feels like it’s worth something. Because you’re here."

She was looking at him with a vulnerability that would have made a better man weep. She was Diane Ashworth, the woman of steel, and she was laying her armor at his feet.

Marcus felt a surge of cold, electric clarity.

He didn't love her. He didn't feel the warmth she was radiating. But he felt the power. This was the door. This was the ultimate acquisition. If she loved him, he wasn't just an advisor. He was an heir. He was a partner. He was untouchable.

He reached out and traced the line of her jaw with his thumb. He watched her breath hitch. He watched her eyes flutter shut.

"I thought you’d never noticed," he whispered, his voice a perfect imitation of longing.

When he kissed her, he wasn't thinking about the taste of her lips. He was thinking about the keys to the kingdom.