My father’s face darkened thunderously. "Have you lost your mind?"

"I’m merely proposing an idea." The corner of my lips twitched, and I made no effort to conceal the amusement glinting in my eyes. "There’s no need to get so worked up."

Jessica finally stepped forward, her voice soft and trembling in that perfectly rehearsed way she always used whenever she wanted to appear innocent. "If this is really what you want, I wouldn’t mind leaving Hart Group," she started, her eyes already shimmering with crocodile tears. "All I care about is dad’s health and the company’s reputation—"

"Stop."

The single word cracked through the air like a whip, and Jessica faltered.

I took a step forward, moving around Rhys despite the protective tension radiating from him.

"You disgust me," I stated coldly. "There’s no need for all this performance. If you’re so willing, then leave Hart Group."

Her face paled, and panic started shining in her eyes.

My stepmother immediately moved to her side, wrapping an arm around her protectively. "How dare you speak to your sister like that? You have no rights chasing her out when your father offered the position to her."

I smiled. "Did you not hear what she said earlier? She clearly told me she wouldn’t mind leaving Hart Group." I turned to face the crowd this time, sweeping my gaze across the stunned employees. "You all heard her say that too, didn’t you?"

Murmurs rippled through the room as several people nodded in agreement.

My grin widened as I turned back to my stepmother.

"You see? I wasn’t mistaken."

Her mouth snapped shut.

"It’s...fine." Jessica lowered her gaze, her voice trembling. "If Evelyn wants it, I can give it to her." Right on cue, tears started spilling down her cheeks now.

Perfect timing. She always did know exactly when to cry.

My father looked absolutely livid. "Enough!" He barked. "Jessica will not be leaving Hart Group. You will apologize to your sister right now."

Before I could respond, Rhys stepped forward again. The air around him seemed to shift instantly, his calm authority settling over the room like a storm about to break. His hand found mine again, his fingers tightening reassuringly around it.

"Mr Hart," he said, his voice low and dangerously controlled, "I have already warned you once."

My father sneered. "This is a family matter. Stay out of it."

Rhys’s expression turned glacial. "The moment you laid a hand on Evelyn in my office, it became my concern."

The sheer force behind his words made even my father hesitate. Rhys took one deliberate step forward, his sharp gaze pinning my father in place.

"You assaulted my girlfriend on company property, in front of my staff. That alone is grounds for having security escort you out."

The entire room erupted into louder whispers. My father’s eyes widened slightly, while Jessica’s face went stark white and my stepmother looked as though she might faint.

"You wouldn’t dare. You cannot do this to us. I am the CEO of Hart Group. I can sue you for assault."

Rhys let out a cold, humourless chuckle. "Try me."

My father’s eyes snapped to me, as though expecting me to intervene. "Are you seriously going to let him speak to us this way?"

"That will be enough." Rhys’s voice thundered through the office before I even uttered a word.

Everyone froze.

His sharp gaze swept over my father, stepmother, and Jessica with open disdain.

"Leave now, or I will have security remove you." The finality in his tone left no room for argument. When they didn’t budge, he continued. "Would you rather walk out on your own, or have my guards drag you out? Because I assure you, I would have no hesitation throwing you out myself."

For several tense seconds, no one moved. Then my father shot me one last venomous glare, his cheeks flushed crimson from anger and embarrassment.

"This isn’t over. I will be back."

I met his stare without flinching. Something in my expression must have told him I no longer care. Because after a long, seething pause, he turned sharply on his heel.

My stepmother quickly followed, dragging a humiliated Jessica along with her. The sound of their retreating footsteps echoed through the office until the elevator doors finally slid shut behind them.

It was only then that my body finally felt at ease for the first time since I stepped into the office this morning.

"Everyone back to work," Rhys said smoothly, his sharp gaze sweeping across the gathered employees.

The authority in his voice was immediate. People scattered at once, quickly returning to their desks while pretending they hadn’t just witnessed enough drama to fuel office gossip for the next decade.

The four of us headed back to Rhys’ office, closing the door behind us. Thomas was the first to break the silence.

He stepped forward this time, his gaze shifting to Rhys, his expression thoughtful. "So, tell me..." he said evenly, a polite smile tugging at his lips, "how exactly are you planning to pull this off?"

I couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t question the legitimacy of our relationship, instead, a polite smile formed on his lips. It appeared that we put up a convincing performance. I guessed you could say that my family’s antics helped.

Beside me, a slow smile spread across Rhys’ lips. "Instead of holding a press conference to address this matter, we’ll invite the press to the gala this week. It’s the perfect opportunity to formally announce my appointment at TechHub while simultaneously confirming my relationship with Evelyn."

The way he said my name made my heart betray me, skipping stupidly in my chest.

His dark eyes met mine. "What do you think, Evelyn?"

I looked up at him, unable to stop the smile curling across my lips. "I think it’s a brilliant idea."

He turned back to Thomas. "Well then," he said smoothly, "that’s settled. Any objections?"

Thomas exhaled heavily. "Well, if we’re doing this, we’ll need to move fast. Once news of today’s little confrontation gets out—and trust me, it will—we’ll need to control the narrative before Hart Group spins it against us."

Benjamin nodded in agreement. "I’ll coordinate with PR immediately. We can frame the gala as both a leadership announcement and a strategic partnership event. That way, the relationship reveal won’t feel abrupt."

Rhys gave a curt nod. "Handle it."

I watched as the two men scrambled out of the office right after, leaving just Rhys and me alone.

"The gala is three days away," he reminded.

I nodded.

"We’ll need to make this convincing."

There was that word again.

Convincing.

A reminder that this was still an arrangement. A strategic move. Nothing more. So why did disappointment curl low in my stomach?

Rhys leaned casually against the edge of the dark wooden desk behind him, his dark eyes fixed on me.

"That means we’ll need to spend time together. Public appearances. Rehearsing answers for the press. Learning enough about each other to sell this."

I forced myself to focus. "Alright."

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"There’s one more thing."

"What?"

A slow, almost dangerous smile curved his lips.

"To make this believable, you’ll need to move in with me."