Adriana avoided Marco for the rest of the night.
She locked herself in the guest bedroom, staring at the ceiling as his words echoed in her mind.
“If we can’t convince each other, how do you expect to convince them?”
The way he had looked at her—like he was pulling her into something far deeper than just a fabricated engagement—unsettled her. Because for a split second, she had felt it.
The warmth of his touch. The way his voice had softened, teasing the edges of something dangerously intimate.
And that was dangerous.
The rules of their arrangement were clear. This was a business deal. Nothing more.
So why did it feel like she was already losing control?
She squeezed her eyes shut and willed the thoughts away. Sleep didn’t come easily that night.
The next morning, Adriana stepped
