By the time Erin stepped into the elevator, Derek was already in Alan’s office upstairs, discussing their partnership.“The contract is ready, Mr. Moss. Just a moment.”Alan poured him a drink, then brought over the contract and placed it on the desk. He was clearly determined to make a good impression.“Thank you, Mr. Wells.”Derek picked up the contract and began to read. Before long, a slight frown appeared on his face.Had Alan really drawn up an agreement like this?“This…”For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.The problem wasn’t a hidden clause or an unfavorable condition.Quite the opposite. Almost every term in it favored Derek.In fact, the terms were so generous that unless his company eventually earned tens of millions in profit, Alan would essentially be giving him the money.“Is something wrong, Mr. Moss? Are you unhappy with the offer?”Derek’s frown had put Alan on edge.He had taken considerable care to make the terms appealing. This wasn’t the reaction he’d expec

Derek looked from the torn contract to Alan.“What are you doing, Mr. Wells?”“I’ve underestimated you.”Alan looked almost embarrassed by the admission.“Five million isn’t enough, Mr. Moss. Not after what I’ve seen today. I’d like to invest ten.”He leaned forward, so eager for an answer that Derek didn’t know whether to laugh or shake his head.At last, Derek nodded.“Excellent.” Alan broke into a smile. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I’ll have a new contract drawn up immediately.”Then he added, “And while you’re here, I’d like you to attend Wellspring’s investment conference today as my guest.”Alan’s face was flushed with excitement.He hadn’t expected the meeting to go this well. Without Derek’s warning, Wellspring would have taken the biggest financial hit in its history, and Benjamin would have been furious when he found out.He had one man to thank for preventing that disaster: Derek Moss.“What time does it start?” Derek asked.“We’re about to begin. Everyone pr

“His name is Derek Moss,” Erin said, her voice steady, almost defiant. “He’s my husband, not my assistant.”The words landed like a stone in still water. Derek felt something cold shift in his chest... surprise, maybe, or the ghost of an old wound reopening.In five years of marriage, he could count on one hand the number of times Erin had claimed him publicly. Only when it suited her. Only when being a firefighter’s wife earned her sympathy at a charity gala, or credibility at a community board meeting.Away from the cameras, though, she seemed embarrassed by the connection.She had never introduced him to her business acquaintances. Not once.They had argued about it more than once, but he had always given in. For love, or for the hope that if he gave her enough space, she might eventually make room for him.Now she was announcing their marriage to the very people she had spent years keeping him away from.Before he could respond, Mrs. Cage turned to him in surprise.“Your husband?

“Since you’re such an expert, here’s your chance,” Mrs. Sear said with a cold laugh. “These are our three proposals. Go ahead. Tell us what’s wrong with them.If you can actually do it, I’ll slap myself a hundred times and admit I was wrong about you.”Mrs. Jones gave Derek a cold smile.“But you’d better have something to back it up. If all you can offer is nonsense, I won’t spare your feelings just because you’re Mrs. Bullock’s husband.”Derek glanced at the three proposals and gave a faint sneer. They were practically asking to be humiliated.Fine. He would oblige them.He picked up the first proposal, skimmed it, and tossed it back.“This looks thorough. You’ve done plenty of market research and risk analysis. But the projected return doesn’t justify the risk, and the payback period is far longer than the industry average. You’re tying up too much capital for too little profit. It’s not worth the investment.”The folder struck Mrs. Cage across the face.“You—”She flushed with ang

“I wonder if Mr. Moss is married.”“If he’s single, I’m asking him out. I love my career, but I wouldn’t mind settling down with a man like that.”“Why don’t we ask him afterward? If I’d known he’d be here, I would’ve spent another hour getting ready.”The female executives seemed even more excited than the men, and they weren’t bothering to keep their voices down.Erin heard every word.Her expression tightened.She stared at Derek on the stage, struggling to make sense of what she was seeing.Since when had he become Alan Wells’s business mentor? When had he developed such a sharp instinct for business?And how could she have known nothing about it?“Derek… why didn’t you tell me?”Disbelief gave way to hurt.Then his earlier words came back to her. He had told her to leave, more than once. He had warned her that she wouldn’t be getting any funding today.She had dismissed it all as jealousy and empty threats.But he hadn’t been bluffing. He really could decide whether her project r