Chapter 4
989 Words
Ethan Lyric didn’t wait for anyone. The moment the doors shut behind him, he headed straight for the private elevator reserved for the Lyric family. His steps were sharp, controlled—forced, even. He had built his entire life on precision and discipline, yet today, the ground felt dangerously unstable beneath him.
Marry before his thirtieth birthday… or lose the entire company to his uncle.
His uncle—Marcus Lyric—who had already begun smiling too widely, as if he could taste the victory.
Ethan’s jaw tightened. That wouldn’t happen. Not while he was still breathing.
The elevator chimed open on the penthouse floor. His personal suite—sleek walls, dark colors, modern furniture—usually brought him peace. Tonight it only made him feel the weight of the entire world pressing down between his shoulders.
He loosened his tie and tossed it aside, then pinched the bridge of his nose.
A marriage. In three months. To someone suitable. Someone believable. Someone who wouldn’t destroy his image or the company’s.
He sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on his knees, and exhaled deeply.
There were million-dollar deals he could negotiate half-asleep. There were business wars he could win without breaking a sweat. But a wife?
That was a battlefield he’d never prepared for.
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Downstairs, in the guest wing of the Lyric penthouse, Amelia Hayes was trying to figure out how she had ended up in the wrong office, the wrong city, and probably the wrong life altogether.
She had come to Lyric Industries for a simple administrative job interview—her first real chance after months of rejections—and instead found herself accidentally walking into a board meeting so intimidating it could stop someone’s breathing.
She still wasn’t sure exactly what had happened. One moment she stepped into an open door looking for the receptionist; the next moment, she was staring at a room full of men in expensive suits and a lawyer reading a billionaire’s will.
She had been escorted out very quickly.
Her cheeks were still burning with embarrassment.
She stood in the guest lounge, holding her small purse to her chest. She had been told to wait—apparently Ethan Lyric himself had asked for her presence.
Her heart thumped unevenly.
Was he going to sue her? Demand compensation for walking into a confidential meeting? She didn’t have money. She didn’t even have enough cash to take a taxi home.
The door clicked.
She froze.
Ethan Lyric walked in.
Not with loud footsteps or arrogance. He moved with calm authority, the kind that made everyone in a room straighten their posture. His shirt sleeves were rolled to his elbows, revealing strong forearms; his expression was unreadable but intense.
Amelia swallowed.
He was… intimidatingly handsome. But that wasn’t the problem.
The problem was that now he was looking directly at her.
“You’re Amelia Hayes,” he said. Not a question—just a statement.
“Yes, sir,” she managed, her voice small. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. I—I’m really sorry. I can leave now—”
“Sit,” he said gently, gesturing to one of the chairs.
His voice wasn’t cruel. If anything, it held a calmness that surprised her.
She sat slowly. Ethan remained standing, hands in his pockets, studying her as though trying to solve a puzzle.
“You walked into a meeting that even some board members aren’t allowed to attend,” he said, not accusing but simply stating facts.
“I know, and I swear I didn’t mean to. I was looking for the receptionist and the elevator took me to the wrong floor and—and—”
“And you panicked,” he finished.
Her lips pressed together. “Yes.”
He exhaled softly, then finally sat opposite her.
To her shock, he smiled slightly—just faintly, but enough to soften the sharpness of his features.
“You looked like you were going to faint,” he said.
“I almost did,” she whispered, embarrassed.
For the first time since the will was read, Ethan felt something lighten inside him.
She was honest. Too honest. Refreshingly honest.
No hidden agenda. No business tone. No pretended confidence.
She was the kind of person who didn’t belong in boardrooms filled with sharks. And yet, something about her felt… grounding.
He leaned back. “You came for an interview?”
“Yes, sir.”
“For an entry-level admin role.”
“Yes.”
“And you have no experience with corporate environments?”
“I have experience with trying my best,” she said, eyes dropping to her hands. “I know that’s not the same thing, but I really need a chance.”
Her words hit something deep in him.
Need. Desperation. Determination.
He knew all those well.
A silence stretched between them—soft, but charged.
Ethan studied her one more time. Not as an intruder or a mistake—but as a possibility.
A foolish idea flickered in his mind.
He needed a wife—fast. Someone believable. Someone without motives. Someone who wouldn’t betray him.
Someone simple.
Someone honest.
Someone like her.
He shut the thought down immediately.
Ridiculous. Impossible. She would never agree. And he didn’t trust himself enough to involve anyone innocent in Lyric family politics.
Still… the idea wouldn’t leave.
He rose slowly. “You’ll get another interview,” he said. “And this time you won’t walk into the wrong room.”
Her head snapped up. “Really? You’re giving me another chance?”
“Yes.” He paused. “And Amelia… try not to get lost again.”
She laughed nervously. “I’ll try, sir.”
As Ethan left the room, he found himself thinking—
Maybe the universe sent her into that boardroom for a reason.
And for the first time that day, he wasn’t entirely angry about it
- Writer
