A perfect performance
780 Words
Camera flashes exploded like fireworks the second Alexander kissed her.
Mira’s mind went completely blank.
One second she had been panicking in the lobby of Knight Holdings, and the next, Alexander Knight’s hand was against her waist while reporters lost their minds around them.
The kiss wasn’t soft.
It wasn’t romantic either.
It was controlled. Intentional. Dangerous.
And somehow, that made it worse.
When Alexander finally pulled away, the entire lobby erupted with shouting questions.
“Mr. Knight, are you engaged?”
“How long have you been dating?”
“When is the wedding?”
Mira could barely breathe.
Alexander, meanwhile, looked perfectly calm.
His arm remained around her waist possessively as he faced the reporters with effortless control.
“My fiancée and I appreciate your excitement,” he said smoothly, “but we’d prefer privacy until the official announcement.”
Fiancée.
The word nearly made Mira choke.
The reporters became even louder.
Mira forced herself to smile despite the chaos, suddenly understanding exactly what Alexander meant by maintaining appearances.
This man was terrifyingly good at pretending.
—
An hour later, they were back upstairs in Alexander’s office.
The moment the doors closed, Mira spun toward him furiously.
“Are you insane?”
Alexander loosened his tie calmly. “Probably.”
“You kissed me!”
“You looked unconvinced. Reporters notice hesitation.”
“You could’ve warned me first!”
“And risk you rejecting the idea in front of cameras?”
Mira stared at him in disbelief. “You manipulated me.”
“I solved a problem.”
“You created the problem!”
For the first time, Alexander sighed faintly, rubbing his temple like she was exhausting him.
“My grandfather forced the announcement earlier than expected,” he explained. “The press finding us together complicated things.”
“You mean your fake engagement complicated things?”
His eyes met hers steadily. “You still haven’t said no.”
That irritated her even more because somehow… she still hadn’t.
Mira walked toward the windows, folding her arms tightly.
Down below, reporters still crowded outside the building.
This situation had spiraled completely out of control.
“You realize the internet is probably exploding right now,” she muttered.
“It is.”
She turned sharply. “How do you know?”
“My public relations team already called.”
“Of course you have a crisis management team.”
“I own multiple corporations. Chaos is expected.”
Mira laughed dryly. “You say terrifying things so casually.”
A faint smirk appeared briefly on his face before disappearing again.
Silence settled between them for a moment.
Then Alexander spoke quietly.
“The contract still stands.”
Mira looked at him carefully.
“You really think this can work?”
“Yes.”
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough.”
“That sounds arrogant.”
“It’s observant.”
Mira shook her head slowly. “You honestly treat emotions like business negotiations.”
“And you treat relationships like disasters waiting to happen.”
That shut her up.
Because unfortunately… he wasn’t entirely wrong.
Alexander stepped closer, his voice calmer now.
“This arrangement gives you freedom from your family’s pressure. It protects my company situation. No emotional expectations. No false promises.”
His dark eyes held hers steadily.
“Just honesty.”
The word lingered between them.
Honesty.
Ironically, this fake relationship already felt more honest than most real ones she had seen.
Mira exhaled slowly. “I haven’t agreed yet.”
“But you’re considering it.”
She hated that he could read her so easily.
Before she could respond, Alexander’s phone rang.
His expression immediately hardened slightly when he saw the caller ID.
“I need to take this.”
Mira nodded awkwardly, turning away toward the bookshelf while he answered.
At first, his voice remained calm.
Then suddenly—
“No,” Alexander said sharply into the phone. “I’m not replacing her.”
Mira froze quietly.
His tone had changed completely.
Cold. Dangerous.
“She’s not part of the negotiation,” he continued. “The decision is mine.”
A pause.
Then his jaw tightened.
“I don’t care what the board thinks about Mira Ashford.”
Mira’s stomach dropped slightly at hearing her name.
She remained still behind the bookshelf as Alexander’s voice lowered further.
“She stays exactly where she is.”
Silence followed.
Then quietly, cold enough to send chills down her spine, Alexander said:
“Try to interfere with her again, and we’ll have a serious problem.”
Mira’s breath caught.
Because suddenly, this contract marriage felt far more complicated than she thought.
- Writer
