His marriage had ended in betrayal and heartbreak. Lisa had chosen Ben over him, had abandoned him when he was injured and vulnerable. That wound was still fresh, still raw, still making him cautious about opening himself up to anyone.And beyond that, there was the complication of his new position. The wealth, the power, the resources he now controlled. How could he trust that anyone's feelings for him were genuine and not influenced by what he represented? How could he be sure Mia liked him for who he was rather than what he'd become?She knew you before the inheritance, a small voice in the back of his mind pointed out. She offered you a place to stay when you were just a firefighter with nothing. Her feelings predate your wealth.But even acknowledging that didn't make the fear go away. Didn't make him any more ready to open himself up to potential hurt."Mia," Alex started, his voice gentle but uncertain, "I—""You don't have to say anything," Mia interrupted, her head dropping t

She set down her fork, her appetite fading as she talked about it. "And if I refuse Simone Greene, if I defy them on this... it won't just be losing my position in the company. They'll cut me off completely. Blacklist me from business opportunities. Make sure no one in our social circle will associate with me. Basically destroy any chance I have of building a life in this city."Alex's expression darkened. "That's not control. That's emotional abuse. Financial coercion.""It's how my world works," Mia said with a bitter smile. "But I'm not completely helpless. I've been... preparing. For years, actually. Building a backup plan in case they ever pushed too far."She pulled out her phone and showed Alex some documents. "I have a secret company. Established under a different name, through shell corporations that can't be traced back to me. It's small now—tech investments, some real estate, minority stakes in promising startups. But it's mine. Completely mine."Alex's eyes widened as he s

Mia's carefully maintained composure faltered the moment her eyes locked onto Simone Greene. Her breath caught, her shoulders tensed, and her hands—which had been resting lightly on Alex's arm—clenched into fists so tight her knuckles went white.No, she thought desperately. Not here. Not now. I wasn't ready for this. I didn't prepare for facing him tonight.The universe truly seemed to be mocking her. Just when she'd decided to defy her family, to refuse the arranged marriage, to take control of her own life—here was the very man they wanted to force upon her, appearing at an event she'd thought would be a safe distraction.But Mia was nothing if not well-trained in the art of social performance. Years of navigating high society, of maintaining appearances even when everything inside was screaming, kicked in automatically.She couldn't reveal her emotions in front of Simone. Couldn't show weakness or disgust or fear. That would only give him—and by extension, her family—leverage.So

Simone's expression shifted, his earlier charm giving way to something more businesslike and direct. "I only arrived in the country last night, actually. My parents decided it was time to finalize the engagement arrangements. They've been in discussions with your family for months, and apparently everyone agreed the timeline should be accelerated."Mia's face changed completely. The color drained from her cheeks, her eyes widening with a mixture of shock and barely suppressed panic. "Accelerated? What do you mean accelerated?""The engagement party has been moved up," Simone said, watching her reaction with calculating eyes. "From three months to two weeks. My family felt there was no point in prolonging the inevitable. Your father agreed wholeheartedly.""Two weeks?" Mia's voice came out strangled. "That's—that's not enough time to—""To prepare?" Simone interrupted smoothly. "Don't worry. My family has event planners handling everything. All you need to do is show up and look beauti

The romantic story clearly resonated with several female attendees, Alex noticed. Even Mia was looking at the artifact with more interest now."The Last Eye can be incorporated into jewelry," the auctioneer explained. "Set as the centerpiece of a ring, incorporated into a necklace, attached to a bracelet. It can even be sewn into formal attire as a decorative element. Its versatility and beauty make it a truly unique acquisition."He paused for dramatic effect. "We will begin bidding at twenty million dollars."The room erupted in excited whispers. Twenty million was just the starting point—the final price would likely be astronomical.Alex glanced at Mia, expecting her to look interested in bidding. But instead, her expression had become complicated—something between longing and resignation."You're not going to bid?" Alex asked quietly.Mia shook her head. "I want to. The Last Eye is... it's been a dream of mine to own it ever since I first heard the story years ago. A symbol of ete