"Good morning."
The text woke her at 7:03 AM. Vivian was already half-conscious, staring at the ceiling, her body still humming with unrelieved need.
She typed back: "Morning."
"Did you sleep?"
"Some. You?"
"No."
That honesty made her smile. The billionaire CEO who commanded empires couldn't sleep because of her.
"Nervous?" she asked.
"Terrified. I've never done this before."
"Done what?"
"Been honest without a script. Without a role to hide behind."
She sat up, phone in both hands. "Then practice. Tell me something true."
A long pause. Then: "I recognized you at your interview. Something about the way you held yourself. Like you were controlling every muscle. Every breath. Like if you let go for one second, you'd fall apart."
Her throat tightened. "That's accurate."
"I wante
