---
Ashley's heels clicked furiously against the marble floor as she stormed out of the ballroom. Her heart pounded in her chest—rage and disbelief brewing like a storm.
What gave him the right?
She pushed the heavy doors open and stepped into the chilled night air, arms wrapped around herself. She had barely taken two steps when the limousine door opened behind her.
"Get in," Kelvin said flatly, not a question, not a request. An order.
Ashley stood her ground. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
Kelvin ran a hand through his dark hair, clearly annoyed. "Stop being dramatic. We're not done yet."
She glared at him. "You just told a billionaire that I'm your wife—how exactly are we not done?"
He exhaled sharply. "Do you have any idea what's at stake here? That deal is worth millions. I don't have time to cuddle your feelings, Miss Benson."
Ashley's jaw dropped. "Cuddle? You humiliated me in front of a room full of people—and now I'm overreacting?"
"Let's get one thing straight," he said, stepping closer. "You work for me. When I make a call, you go with it. That's how business works."
"This isn't business," she snapped. "You dragged me into some fake marriage scheme like I'm some prop you can parade around to impress your associates!"
Kelvin shrugged. "If the shoe fits."
She stared at him, stunned into silence.
He adjusted the cuff of his suit. "Look, I don't care if you're upset. You'll survive. What I do care about is not watching a multi-million dollar deal slip through my fingers because you suddenly grew a conscience."
Ashley laughed bitterly. "You're unbelievable."
"And you're naive if you think the business world runs on courtesy. Grow up, Miss Benson." His voice was ice.
Ashley turned to leave. She couldn't be around him any longer.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, bored.
"Anywhere but with you."
Kelvin narrowed his eyes. "Fine. But don't bother showing up to the office again. If you walk away now, you're done."
She stopped mid-step. "Are you threatening to fire me?"
"No, I'm promising to," he said, voice sharp. "This isn't a charity. I pay you to follow instructions, not catch feelings."
Ashley clenched her fists, trembling with fury. "You're a monster."
"And you're replaceable," he replied coldly, turning his back on her. "I suggest you remember that."
Ashley stood frozen in place, chest rising and falling rapidly. Every cell in her body screamed at her to walk away—for good. But her mother's face flashed in her mind. The unpaid bills. The rent.
She took a breath, forced her expression into something neutral, and walked back to the car. Not for him—for herself.
When she got in, she didn't look at him. Not once.
Kelvin gave her a side glance, unreadable. "Smart choice."
She bit back her retort. She'd play his game—for now. But Kelvin Boston had no idea who he was messing with.
---
Dinner at the Vincenzos' mansion was everything Ashley expected it to be—exquisite, intimidating, and painfully suffocating.
The long mahogany dining table stretched like a runway, lined with candlelight and crystal. Mr. Vincenzo sat at the head, his elegant wife beside him, eyeing Ashley like a prized exhibit. Kelvin sat to her left, a glass of red wine untouched at his fingertips, legs crossed, looking like he owned the world.
Ashley, meanwhile, was doing everything in her power to keep her hands from shaking.
"So," Mrs. Vincenzo began, her accent soft but pointed, "how did you two meet?"
Ashley opened her mouth to respond, but Kelvin cut in before she could get a syllable out.
"She was persistent," he said, sipping his wine. "Followed up on her application like her life depended on it. I gave her a shot."
Ashley blinked. Her mouth formed a polite smile, but inside, she wanted to kick him under the table.
"That's not exactly what she asked—" she began.
"She knows what I meant," Kelvin interrupted, eyes still on his glass. "She's smart. That's why I married her."
Ashley gave a tight smile. "Yes. Very... spontaneous of us."
Mrs. Vincenzo laughed lightly. "Oh, young love. Kelvin, you surprise me. I never thought you had the heart for romance."
He smirked. "I don't."
Ashley nearly choked on her drink.
"You're charming," Mrs. Vincenzo said flatly, but she looked at Ashley now, studying her. "And what do you do, dear? Surely you don't just wait at home polishing his cufflinks."
"I work," Ashley said quickly, before Kelvin could speak again. "I'm his executive assistant."
"Oh," Mrs. Vincenzo's eyebrows raised.
"She insists on working," Kelvin added lazily. "Claims she'd lose her mind staying home all day."
Ashley shot him a glare so sharp it could cut steel. "That's because I value independence."
Kelvin turned to her finally, his lips tilting into a lazy, mocking grin. "And yet, you depend on me."
Ashley narrowed her eyes. "Only until I get a better offer."
Mr. Vincenzo laughed at that, delighted. "You married a spitfire, Boston."
Kelvin leaned back. "Unfortunately."
Ashley's hand clenched around her fork.
Mrs. Vincenzo leaned closer across the table. "I must say, your chemistry is… electric."
Ashley gave the woman her best fake smile. "Thank you. We... burn bright."
Mostly from mutual combustion, she thought bitterly.
Dinner continued, the conversation swinging between business and empty pleasantries. Ashley was a master at nodding, smiling, laughing at the right moments—though every word out of Kelvin's mouth made her want to stab something.
As dessert arrived, Mr. Vincenzo stood.
"To new beginnings," he said, raising his glass.
Kelvin raised his. "To profitable partnerships."
Ashley didn't speak. She just drank, willing herself not to explode.
As they left the mansion later that night, Kelvin tossed his jacket into the back seat of the limo and settled in without a word.
Ashley got in slowly, sitting as far from him as physically possible.
"That went well," he said after a beat.
"I should've poisoned your wine," she muttered under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, sir."
He looked at her sideways. "Don't forget your place, Ashley."
She turned her head slowly to face him, eyes blazing. "Oh, I haven't. I'm just counting the days until I'm out of it."
Kelvin gave a dark chuckle. "You think you're tough, but you wouldn't last a day in my shoes."
"I wouldn't want to," she snapped. "There's no soul in them."
He tilted his head, amused. "You know what I like about you, Benson? You've got fight. Shame it won't get you very far."
"We'll see," she said, holding his gaze.
The car fell into silence, heavy with tension, fury, and something else neither of them wanted to name.
They didn't speak again for the rest of the ride.