Jace sat behind his desk, staring blankly at the documents spread before him. The numbers blurred, the lines twisted, and nothing made sense anymore. His mind wasn't in the office. It wasn't even in the building.
It was stuck in that one moment—
Selena's soft voice, calm, steady, painfully neutral:
"It's fine, Jace. I know my place. It's just a three-month contract—we're already in the second month. I will act my part well."
The words replayed in his head like a knife being dragged slowly across his chest.
She had smiled, even. She had looked unbothered.
As if he was nothing more than a business arrangement.
As if her heart didn't shake for him at all.
As if she could walk away after three months without breaking.
His jaw clenched, the frustration inside him twisting tighter.
She doesn't love me? She truly… doesn't?
He scoffed under his breath, the sound dry and humorless.
Of course she didn't.
How could she love him when he had treated her like a stranger in his own house?
When he had drawn lines, built walls, set rules like a warden guarding a prisoner?
Why would she fall for a man who barely let her breathe freely around him?
But now—
now the thought of her not loving him burned more than he expected.
His chest felt heavy… unfamiliar… unsettling.
For the first time, Jace Arinston felt something he didn't recognize.
Fear.
What if she leaves after three months? What if she never sees me as anything more?
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. At this point, he had no desire to pretend otherwise.
He wanted her.
He wanted her warmth, her laughter, her presence, the way she filled every corner of his house without even trying.
He wanted her beside him—not by contract, not by obligation, but because she chose him.
And if she didn't love him now, then he would make her.
He straightened slowly, determination crystallizing in his eyes.
Jace Arinston wasn't a man who accepted defeat.
He didn't lose what mattered to him.
And Selena… suddenly mattered too much.
He picked up his phone but dropped it again almost immediately.
No.
He wanted to see her, face-to-face.
Minutes later, he stood up, buttoned his suit jacket, and walked toward the small desk tucked in the corner of their shared office—Selena's desk.
The moment she looked up, her eyes widened a little, that natural softness on her face making his heartbeat skip.
"Selena," he said, voice calm, controlled.
Her fingers froze on the keyboard. "Yes?"
"I'll take you home today," he said simply.
Her breath hitched—just a small gasp, but it didn't escape him.
She blinked fast, almost dazed. "M–Me? You mean… me?"
His lips twitched. "Yes, Selena. You."
She stared at him like he had spoken in another language.
And maybe for her, he had.
Even he knew how contradictory it sounded.
She swallowed. "But… you usually don't—"
"We're married," Jace cut in gently, his tone firmer than intended. "We live together. It's normal for me to take you home."
Her mouth parted slightly.
She didn't speak.
She just looked at him with those wide, beautiful eyes that made him want to pull her into his arms right there in the office.
He cleared his throat. "Get your things when you're done."
Her mind was clearly spinning.
Even he could see it.
"I–I'm just… surprised," she whispered.
He almost smiled. Almost.
On her desk lay memories of how cold he once was—the rules, the warnings, the distance he forced between them. He remembered the first nights she stayed in his mansion.
How she walked on eggshells.
How she avoided touching anything unless he permitted it.
How he had watched her from his security room like she was trespassing, not belonging.
And now, he was breaking every rule he created.
"If you're worried people will see us," he added, noticing her concern,"i will leave first.Meet me at the underground parking garage."
She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll meet you there."
He lingered for a second—longer than necessary—just staring at her.
The soft glow of her skin under the office lights.
Her lashes fluttering nervously.
Her small hands twisting the pen unconsciously.
Her heartbeat practically echoing in the air.
He wanted to tell her why he was doing all this.
He wanted to tell her that the three-month contract no longer mattered to him.
He wanted to promise her forever—
But he held back.
Not yet.
He turned away.
As he walked away, a thought slipped into his mind:
I'll do anything she wants. Anything she asks. I'll win her heart… before the contract ends. And maybe then… we change the contract to forever.
Selena sat frozen for almost a full minute after he left.
Her heart was racing, pounding so loudly she thought the entire office could hear it.
Jace… taking her home?
Jace… looking at her like that?
Jace… insisting they go together?
It didn't make sense.
This was the same man who told her not to enter certain rooms in his mansion.
The same man who avoided touching her.
The same man who barely spoke ten sentences to her on the average day.
The same man who slept as far away from her on the bed as physically possible.
So why now?
Was it guilt?
Did he feel bad because Melissa came?
Or was he annoyed that she acted unbothered?
Selena shook her head.
No. Impossible. He doesn't care that much.
But her heart refused to calm down.
Her hands trembled slightly as she packed her things.
Even her bag felt heavier than usual.
She looked in the direction Jace had walked away and let out a tiny breath.
Has he fallen for me? …or does he just want revenge because I didn't act jealous?
She didn't know the answer.
And she wasn't sure she wanted to.
Without thinking too deeply, she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed to meet him.
The drive home was silent—so silent that even the hum of the engine felt loud.
Selena stared out the window, clutching her bag on her lap.
Jace kept his eyes on the road, his grip tightening and loosening on the steering wheel every few seconds as if he was fighting an internal storm.
He wanted to talk.
He wanted to ask if she was truly fine earlier.
He wanted to tell her that Melissa meant nothing.
But he didn't want to say the wrong thing.
Minutes passed, heavy with unsaid emotions.
Finally, after what felt like hours, he cleared his throat quietly.
"Selena," he said, voice low.
She turned her head slightly. "Yes?"
"…Are you okay with eating dinner outside tonight?"