"That's right." Alicia's palms slicked with sweat as she sank her teeth into her lower lip. "Jared, I know Michael hired you to pose as him."

A subtle curve tugged at Jared's mouth while his steady eyes lingered on her face. "And when did you put that together?"

"Yesterday." Her brows knit tightly, unease sharpening her voice. "Then who are you really, and what do you want from me?"

At her question, Jared let out a low, amused laugh.

Casually, he shifted his weight and leaned back against the wall, an indolent smile hovering at the corners of his lips. "Me? I'm just a nobody scraping by."

Fixing him with an unblinking stare, Alicia retorted, "That's a lie."

Everything about him—the way he carried himself, the quiet pressure in his presence—screamed authority far beyond anything her investigation had uncovered.

Yet with Jared refusing to reveal a single truth, she found herself backed into a corner, with no move left to play.

Drawing in a steady breath, Alicia buried the odd flutter in her chest and pushed a proposal forward. "I don't know why you stepped in for me back there, but whatever Michael offered you, I'll pay twice as much. All I need is for you to just keep acting like my husband and do what I say."

A sharp glint crossed his eyes as Jared advanced without warning.

With his height casting her into shadow, his predatory stare pinned her in place, sending a jolt of unease racing through her pulse.

Instinctively, Alicia lifted a hand between them, trying to carve out space.

But Jared caught her wrist, his fingertips grazing her skin in a way that felt far too deliberate to be accidental.

"Alright, I'll play along." A low, magnetic laugh rolled from his chest as he tilted his head. "So what am I today—your husband, or your employee?"

Relief finally slipped from Alicia's chest in a quiet breath.

Yanking her hand free, she fixed him with a cool, distant look. "Keep this in mind! Except when we're putting on a show for others, we keep our distance."

A wry glint flickered across Jared's face as his brow arched, his careless smile carrying the air of someone humoring a sharp-clawed kitten that posed no real danger.

Somewhere along the way, it became painfully clear that she truly no longer remembered him.

By the following day, a routine examination cleared Jared to leave, and the doctor signed off on his discharge.

Once they returned home, Alicia gestured toward the bare floor, her expression unyielding as she laid down her rule. "From now on, that's where you're sleeping."

Casually slipping his hands into his pockets, Jared remained loose and unbothered as he looked at her. "And if Michael shows up without warning?"

A faint curve tugged at his lips as he pressed the point. "Wouldn't it look strange if he realized we weren't sharing a bed?"

Heat flared behind her eyes as Alicia shot him a fierce look, then sliced an invisible boundary straight down the mattress with her hand. "You take that side," she warned coldly. "And don't cross this line."

Before Jared could answer, a sudden ringtone cut through the room.

Noticing her good friend's name on the screen, Alicia knit her eyebrows. She stepped away from Jared and accepted the call.

"Hey, Alicia—did something happen? Why are those investment firms cutting ties with Gill Group out of nowhere?" Renee Mills' anxious voice crackled through the phone, thick with concern.

Alicia replied coolly, her tone steady over the phone, "It's complicated. Let's get a drink tonight—you choose the place."

"Serendipity, then. I'll swing by and pick you up."

Once the call ended, Alicia pivoted toward the walk-in closet.

Before she could take a step, a steady, heated grip closed around her wrist.

She hadn't noticed Jared trailing her, his tall frame leaning in, his proximity instantly oppressive.

One brow arched as a playful curve touched his mouth. "Do you want me to come with you, sweetie?"

That single word brushed her ears like a feather, playful and deliberately provocative.

"You don't have to." Frowning, Alicia yanked her hand free, her face turning glacial. "Don't forget—I'm just your employer, nothing beyond that."

After that, she seized her cane and walked off without another glance.

Amusement flashed briefly through Jared's eyes as his phone buzzed insistently in his palm.

After he checked the caller ID, his expression darkened, and he answered. "What do you want?"

A teasing laugh drifted through the line. "Is that how you speak to your aunt now, you little menace? I've booked a room at Serendipity tonight—get over here."

Inside a secluded private room at Serendipity, Renee exploded the moment Alicia finished speaking. "Those people are unbelievable. How could they treat you like that? Still, at least you finally see Michael for what he really is."

Dislike for Michael had always been there, but Renee had kept quiet out of respect for Alicia's feelings.

"A few years ago, when the economy nearly collapsed, their company would have gone under if you hadn't stepped in and secured those investments. Without you, Michael would never have climbed into a manager's position. Thank God they have no idea you're Aurora. If they did, who knows how much more they would have drained from you," Renee muttered, her voice sharp with anger.

Alicia hid the pain in her chest and forced herself to sound composed. "That means I don't owe the Gill family anything anymore. I'm done holding onto resentment. I'll just treat everything they gave me as payment for raising me."

Renee was seething, but when she noticed how exhausted Alicia looked, she bit back her fury and settled for a dry, crooked smile.

If the Gill family ever found out that the globally respected venture capitalist Aurora was the adopted daughter they always looked down on, the shock alone would be worth watching.

After a brief pause, Renee leaned forward. "What about Michael then? Are you really going to let him walk away untouched?"

Alicia lifted her glass and took a slow sip, her eyes sharpening with resolve. "Not a chance. I'll make him return every single thing he stole from me. By the way, did you hear that Frank Powell's estranged grandson just came back to the country?"

Renee gave a small nod, curiosity creeping into her expression. "I've heard about him, but why bring him up now?"

"Word is that Frank's health has been getting worse, and the Powell family is already tearing itself apart over the inheritance. Michael is an illegitimate son, but you know he won't miss a chance to grab his share."

Confusion crossed Renee's face. "Why would Frank's estranged grandson suddenly come back?"

"Most likely because of the Powells. There's also gossip going around that his mother's death wasn't as simple as it seemed."

"So you're thinking about tracking him down and teaming up with him?"

Alicia answered with a quiet nod.

Doubt immediately surfaced on her face as Renee shook her head. "That feels risky. None of us know him. What if he's all talk and no substance? If he ends up pulling you under, the loss would be enormous."

Alicia's gaze darkened as she spoke. "The Gill family only got this far because I worked behind the scenes. Now that Michael is tied to them, dealing with him won't be simple. I need someone stronger backing me up, and he fits perfectly. Besides, if he lacked ability, he wouldn't dare set his sights on becoming the head of the Powell family."

Faced with Alicia's unwavering expression, Renee sighed and gave in. "Alright. What do you need me to do?"

"Dig into everything about him."

"Leave it to me." Renee straightened at once, confidence returning as she tapped her chest. She lifted her glass with a grin. "To your vision returning and to finally breaking free from all this mess. Cheers."

Alicia returned the smile and gently clinked her glass against Renee's.

After a brief pause, she rose from her seat. "I need to use the restroom."

The moment she stepped into the hallway outside the private room, a woman's voice drifted from the next room, clearly calling out a familiar name.

Alicia stopped short.

Jared?

Her heart skipped before reason caught up.

There was no way it could be him. He had no reason to be here. Plenty of people shared the same name.

With that thought, she prepared to walk away. Before she could take another step, the door beside her swung open.

Lifting her head, Alicia froze when Jared appeared in front of her. Her eyes flicked past him into the room, disbelief written all over her face. "Do you work here on the side or something?"

"Wait. That's not what you think," Jared responded, trying to speak up.

Before he could say more, the woman from inside the room stepped closer and casually hooked her arm around his neck. "Jared, who's this?"

Alicia slowly sized the woman up from head to toe.

She was not young, but everything about her appearance was carefully kept, and her charm was impossible to miss.

Catching Alicia's sharp stare, Jared stiffened and immediately shrugged the woman's arm off. "Sweetheart, please. Let me explain this properly."

"There's nothing to explain," Alicia replied coolly as she reached out and pulled him behind her.

Planting herself firmly in front of him, she fixed her gaze on the woman. "Whatever you paid him, I'll give you twice that amount. Just stay away from my husband from now on."

Jared stood behind Alicia, his eyes lighting up in joy.

Before the woman could open her mouth, he flicked her a sharp look, then pressed his palms together briefly, silently begging her to cover for him.

Rolling her eyes in exaggerated annoyance, the woman shifted gears, flashed Alicia a polite smile, and remarked with casual ease, "He owes me $5 million."

Alicia didn't hesitate for even a second as she pulled out her phone. "Send me your account number. I'll transfer it right now."

The second those words came out of her mouth, realization hit her, and a faint flush crept up her cheeks. "Ah—my account's temporarily frozen. Give me the number anyway. I'll wire it to you tomorrow."

With a lifted brow and a knowing look, the woman recited her account details without protest.

Once the phone was tucked away, Alicia seized Jared by the sleeve, tugging him decisively down the corridor.

Only after their figures vanished around the corner did the woman let out a steadying breath. Her gaze hardened with quiet resolve as she typed out a message to Jared. "I know I can't dissuade you from seeking justice for your mother. What happened back then was tangled and painful, but as your aunt, I will always stand behind you. Before she passed, your mother left something for you—it's stored in a bank safe-deposit box. The password is 8564."

…

Afterward, Alicia sent Renee a brief message, explaining that she was going home.

Moments later, she flagged down a passing cab at the curb.

Jared trailed behind her in silence, shoulders tense, clearly holding his tongue.

It wasn't until the car doors shut and the city lights began sliding past the windows that he finally spoke, his voice low and restrained. "I was buried in debt back then," he admitted quietly. "She helped me clear all of it."

"So you've been sleeping with her?" The question slipped out sharp and bitter, a spike of irritation driving into Alicia at the image of Jared leaving another woman's bed only to show up in front of her.

"I didn't touch her," Jared insisted, urgency creeping into his voice as he hurried to explain.

Her expression barely shifted as Alicia responded, "That doesn't matter anymore."

If there had been another way out, who would ever choose to sell themselves?

The moment those words fell from her lips, a shadow crept across Jared's features, his jaw tightening as something dark flickered in his eyes.

"But since I cleared your debts," Alicia continued with icy composure, fixing him with an unyielding stare, "you belong to me for now. At least until this partnership ends, I don't want you tangled up with any other women. Are we clear?"

The sheer dominance in her tone left Jared frozen in place, stunned into silence.

Moments later, he dipped his head in quiet compliance, yielding without another word.

That meek response clashed so sharply with the confidence usually etched into his features that Alicia felt her pulse stutter.

Inside the mildly chilled car, whether from the lingering alcohol or something else entirely, warmth crept up her neck and flooded her cheeks.

Once they reached home, she went straight for the bathroom without a word.

The plan had been to rinse away the chaos in her head, yet the rising steam and residual buzz only made her breaths turn shallow and uneven.

Unwilling to linger, she wrapped herself in a robe and slipped back out.

Jared had been focused on his phone, thumbs moving fast, but the instant he looked up and saw her, his hands went perfectly still.

The loose white robe had slid off her shoulders, baring smooth skin, and the emptiness that usually clouded her gaze had softened into a hazy, unfocused warmth.

His attention locked onto her as she moved closer, throat tightening before he forced himself to look away.

"Why are you dodging me?" Without warning, Alicia settled onto his lap, her arms looping around his neck, her closeness unmistakably deliberate.

Tension snapped through his frame as Jared stiffened, one hand coming up to clamp around her shoulder. "Get off."

A lazy, tipsy smile curved her lips. "Come on. It's not like this would be the first time." Alcohol had blurred Alicia's judgment, erasing the resolve she had sworn to earlier about keeping her distance from him.

Besides, she was spending ten million on him—what did it matter if he ended up in her bed?

Leaning in, she brushed her mouth against his, sealing the thought with a deliberate kiss.

Caught off guard by her bold move, Jared froze, conflicting emotions flickering through his eyes.

It might not have been their first time, but this time he was standing there as Jared, fully himself.

When he didn't immediately respond, Alicia tilted her head and bit lightly at his lower lip, testing him. Her mouth lingered, her tongue moving forward in a tentative, coaxing motion.