" Holy shit! You look like a mess, Tess." Another intern, Miles said the moment he saw her. " What on earth happened to you?"

He asked worriedly, quickly taking the coffee from her. Everyone's eyes were now fixed on her, some with concern while some with mockery as they giggled over her ruined shirt and the way she was limping.

" Long story, Miles. Believe me, this day is a bad luck day." She whispered, her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

She cracked a tiny smile of gratitude at Miles as he helped her hand over the coffees to each person.

" But seriously, you need to change that shirt, it's a mess."

" I know, but I don't have any other one here." She murmured, her shoulders slumping as she hung her head low.

How is she supposed to face Tyler with her looking like this? If he sees her like this, he'd definitely laugh and say ' she's messy like always'.

Tears filled her eyes. She was supposed to impress him, not make him laugh at her.

' This must be it, the reason why he never looked my way, the reason why he doesn't love me and that's because.. I just can't seem to do anything right.'

She sniffled and quickly wiped her eyes before anyone would notice or catch sight of her crying.

Just then, someone announced. " Everybody, the boss is here!"

Her heart jumped.

Her head snapped up.

It wasn't only her head that instantly went into chaos, but also the office. Everyone immediately began arranging themselves and their desks, making sure they looked at their absolute best.

" Oh no! I should get away! He can't see me like this." Tessa immediately stood up, with her chest racing, she turned to quickly get out of the office but just then, someone walked in along with two other executives.

She didn't wait to see their faces before she turned instantly.

' Tyler.' she whispered in her mind.

Her body stood frozen along with the office that suddenly became a graveyard.

Miles saw her shaking slightly on the spot and tried to cover her by standing in front of her.

" Good morning, sir." The greetings echoed.

Tessa closed her eyes in self-disappointment. How she wished to see him standing there, so respected and feared by everyone.

Even his presence feels different. The room was instantly swallowed by his aura the moment he stepped in making her feel even more nervous.

" Hey, you!"

Tessa heard a slightly familiar deep, rigid voice filled with disdain. For some reason, it made her chest leap as it seemed to be directed at her.

" Orange shirt, black skirt." The voice called.

Trembling slightly, Tessa took another look at herself, then her head which suddenly felt heavy around her neck lifted up slowly to see all eyes on her.

" The boss is calling you," Miles whispered to her.

' The..the boss? That doesn't sound like Tyler.' Her brow furrowed, but her palms became sweaty, afraid Tyler would eventually see her like this.

She swallowed bitterly and slowly, she turned. Her eyes remained fixed to the ground, her eyes blinking countless times.

" I knew it was you." The voice said, forcing Tessa to look up and she instantly wished she hadn't.

Her jaw dropped to the ground.

Her shoulders lost their lives in an instant.

' He's.. he's the boss?' Her brow knitted deeply in shock.

[ " Are you blind?! / You disgusting, arrogant maggot, you spilled my coffee and you can't even say sorry? This company teaches manners but guess you left yours at home." ]

Memories of her own words flooded in without permission, widening her eyes in horror. ' I'm screwed.' she paled instantly.

He stepped closer to her, not hurriedly, not aggressively, just one step that made the air thin and caused her to instinctively drop her gaze.

Even though she wasn't looking at him, she could feel his piercing glare. She inhaled shakily, inhaling his manly cologne that was both mesmerizing and intimidating.

She could feel her legs wobble as he said in an exasperated tone.

" Arrogant maggot."

The word that now sounds like a mistake made her tremble.

He stopped right in front of her. Close enough that she could see the sharp line of his jaw when she finally forced herself to look up. His expression did not explode in anger. It didn't twist in outrage.

It hardened.

His eyes were dark, not wild, not offended, just coldly assessing, as though recalculating her value.

"Interesting," he said quietly.

Her throat tightened." I. I.." words failed her the moment she most needed them. "Please don't fire me," she found herself blurting out, pride cracking under fear.

A faint curve touched his lips, not warm, not amused. Calculating. "Of course not."

Her brows lifted in surprise as she did not expect him to agree not to fire her. Though confusion still tangled low in her chest as to why he's the boss, and not Tyler.

" I won't fire you." He continued smoothly, " but don't misunderstand," his gaze sharpened. " I'll make sure you beg to be fired."

The words weren't loud.

They didn't need to be.

They crawled under her skin and stayed there.

He then leaned slightly closer, just enough to invade her space without touching her.

"Tessa Monroe," he said, her name rolling off his tongue with unsettling familiarity. "Nice meeting you again."

Her breath hitched.' Wh-what?! How did he know my name?' Confusion tangled violently with fear in her chest as she stared at him.

Then he leaned back. "Let me teach you the manners that were forgotten at home."

He turned without another word and walked out.

And only then did the room seem to breathe again.

Tessa stood still, shaken and pale, lost at what to do.

"Tessa," Miles whispered urgently behind her. "You're supposed to follow him."

Her stomach dropped.

Right.

The executives were still standing there. Waiting.

With her chest racing and her leg still aching from the fall, she forced herself to move. Each step felt heavier than the last as she limped out of the office.

Whispers immediately erupted behind her.

" She's new here and already in trouble?"

" What did she do? The boss seems really pissed."

" I don't know," Miles replied to the people asking him.

" Well, she's screwed for sure." Another worker added.

Tessa kept limping till she turned the corner and saw him. He was standing by a door at the end of the hallway, hands tucked neatly into his pockets. His posture was relaxed, almost lazy yet there was nothing casual about him.

He wasn't looking at her, he was staring at the floor as if deep in thought.

If she wasn't terrified out of her mind, she would've admitted it, that he looked unreal. Tall. Composed. Untouchable.

His hair was perfectly combed, dark and sleek, his suit - different from the one she had stained earlier fit him like it was tailored by the gods themselves.

Greek lord.

That was the only comparison her mind could make, and that realization made her even angrier.

'Why is he acting like I committed a crime? I'm the one whose coffee he spilled, ruining my outfit. I'm still the one who got humiliated.' Her thoughts tangled as she limped closer. 'Tyler is the boss... he told me this company belongs to him, so.. Maybe this man is just an executive trying to scare me. He doesn't have the same power as Tyler so..'

He looked up just then. The movement was slow, intentional, halting her thoughts instantly with his glare.

"You can't even walk properly?" he said flatly, his gaze dropping briefly to her injured leg before returning to her face.

The irritation in his voice made her stomach clench.

'He sounds horrible,' she cursed inwardly. 'Unlike how he looks.'

She stopped a few steps away from him, unsure whether to stand straight or lower her head. He didn't wait for her to decide, without saying anything, he pushed the door open.

The hinges creaked.

The room beyond was dark and stale, thick with dust, old filing cabinets lined the walls, papers stacked carelessly in corners as though the place had been forgotten for years.

He stepped aside.

"Tidy up this place."

Her head snapped toward him. "What?!" Her eyes widened. "Alone?"

He blinked once, slowly as if her question bored him.

Her chest rose and fell faster. ' No way! How on earth am I supposed to clean this up by myself!' she quickly turned to him."This is impossible," she protested, shaking her head. "I can't do this by myself."

He said nothing.

" I.. I can't." She shook her head, " I am sorry for earlier." She continued, desperation creeping into her tone. " So sorry, I didn't know.. I was frustrated and.." she looked up just then to see him shooting her that cold, unmoved gaze.

' No matter what I say, or apologize, he'll still make me do this, right?' she thought inwardly and swallowed.

"If anything, I'll speak to the boss. Mr. Beaumont."

There it was.

The mistake.

His expression didn't change immediately but his jaw tightened. His eyes darkened not with anger but with something colder, something scarier.

"Too bad," he said quietly.

Her heart skipped.

"I am Grayson Beaumont."

The name landed like a hammer.

" The CEO of King's corporation."

Her body froze, her eyes went wide.' That's not possible, he can't be the CEO, what about Tyler, how is he a Beaumont when Tyler doesn't even have a brother?'

Her lungs for some seconds forgot how to work as he stepped closer, leaned forward, and added as his voice dropped an octave. " And I am your boss. Your worst nightmare."

Grayson Beaumont.

The name that imprinted itself in her head for the rest of the day.

' He's the CEO? A Beaumont? Does Tyler have a brother? But why have I never heard of him?' Her brow furrowed deeply. ' No, there's no way Tyler has a brother and I'm not aware of it. I know everything about Tyler, his likes, his dislikes, there's nothing I don't know about him. And how come will he have a brother but never mention him?'

She reasoned to herself. ' Maybe... he's a cousin. That must be it, if they're cousins then that explains why he's a Beaumont cause Tyler told me the company belongs to him so yeah, Beaumont's family owns the king's company...'

" Tessa!"

The call snapped her out of the thought, and she turned to look at everyone at the table looking at her.

" Are you okay, Tessa?" Ciara, Mrs. Beaumont asked worriedly.

Tessa quickly put on a smile and nodded, adjusting herself in her seat. " I'm totally fine."

" You seem lost in thought for a second."

" No, it's.. It's nothing." She assured, swallowed as she looked across everyone at the dinner table. All were beautifully dressed according to the occasion. The evening was looking so perfect, expensive wine placed on the covered table, a delicious meal that spread across it, and the nice and expensive perfumes everyone was putting on.

" Was it.. because he's not here?" Ciara added, looking guilty, " I'm so sorry about, he had some business to take care of which is why he won't be present."

Tessa nearly scoffed. ' Of course he has. Tyler always has one or two businesses to take care of, even though I'm damn sure he's at the club picking another girl for the night.'

She said in her mind but the thought made her heart clench.

' Even on our family dinner night?' Her eyes fluttered as her finger curled slightly against the fork in her hand.

Blake, Mr. Beaumont cleared his throat, turning to her. " I'm sure you must be used to it by now, heard you two know each other?" He asked, sounding amused but it didn't surprise Tessa that the parents didn't know that she and their son were best friends. They were hardly around just like her parents, always going overseas for business.

Her eyes lowered realizing how much they've not been present in their lives. Even her parents don't know what her best friend looked like. They're only recently around because of the issues their company is facing.

Though she lacked nothing, except for their presence.

" Yes." She nodded. " Don't worry, I'll give him a call."

" Okay."

Laura slowly reached out her hand and gave her a little squeeze. Tessa smiled as an assurance to her mother's worried gaze.

Everyone resumed eating, chatting, and laughing except Tess.

" Oh, that reminds me. I heard you're interning at our company." Ciara said, grinning.

" Uh.. yes, I started yesterday."

" Great. So, how was work today?"

' Oh don't even get me started, with that annoying dickhead that's the boss, making my day such a miserable one. Should I tell you how arrogant and infuriating he is? or how I already despise my to-be brother-in-law already?'

She wanted to say, but instead, she forced a cheeky smile and replied. " My day was absolutely FANTASTIC."

" Oh, that's great." Everyone giggled, not catching the irony in her words.

Tessa heaved deeply. ' I wish to never see him again.' she said to herself.

The rest of the night pass slower than she wanted, her body aching with exhaustion. After cleaning the whole dusty room, Tessa badly wanted to go back to her bed and have the longest sleep ever.

" Tonight was great." Her mother said to her after they'd returned home but she could only respond with a smile that didn't come from the heart before walking upstairs.

She began texting on her phone as soon as she closed her room door behind her.

" You weren't at the family dinner." She sent the text to Tyler, sat at the edge of the bed, and waited for his response, which came after a minute.

" Yeah, had some business to take care of." He replied.

She scoffed. " Business? What business is more important than your presence there tonight?"

" You should understand love, it's not important I'm there, is it?"

Her lips quivered. ' It's our wedding dinner night ' she wanted to type but couldn't. Her nose burns along with her eyes.

It hurts so much that she knows what business he was talking about, but to think he believes partying and flirting around was more important than being with her made her heart squeeze so tight it hurt.

" Where are you?" She asked for confirmation.

" At the club with Conrad." He replied.

" I knew it." She said to herself.

" I'm sorry Tessy, that I couldn't be there tonight, I promise, I will make it up to you."

" How? How will you make it up?" She asked, tears forming in her eyes.

Even though she was angry, upset, and hurt, she still wanted to know, what he would do to make her stop hurting, to make her really believe he could actually belong to her, and her alone.

" Will a kiss be enough?" The message came in.

Her heart skipped and raced at the same time. Her cheeks turned pink and a smile immediately spread across her face.

' A kiss? He would kiss me?' her mood instantly elevated from zero to one hundred. She bit her lower lip, smiling.

' God,' she called in her mind, grinning, and remembering how many times she'd wished him heartbreak with other girls, maybe then, he'd give her the attention.

But now, he's talking about a kiss.

" I'll take your silence as a yes, Tessy." Another message came in from him, snapping her out of her excited trance. " So get your lips ready for me."

Her cheeks reddened. Her fingers hovered over her phone but her brain was short-circuited, not knowing what to type back.

Her heart was racing so fast that it nearly burst out of her rib when her room door was suddenly pushed open.

" Ah." She jumped, then heaved heavily seeing her mother. " Mum, knock please, I should have moved out." She grumbled and ran her fingers through her hair.

She didn't bother to move out since her parents were barely around.

" Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

" No, you.. startled me."

Laura smiled. " I just came to tell you that the wedding shoot will be taken on the wedding morning."

" Hm? Why?"

"Beaumont's busy schedule, ..or we could.."

" Oh no, it's totally fine, we could take it that morning." She quickly accepted and dismissed her mother.

But little did she know, that-that would be the wrongest decision of her life. That one statement of acceptance, would be stamp to the most painful moment of her life.

The most anticipated day was finally here, yet the morning felt unreal. The room buzzed with stylists, makeup artists, photographers adjusting their lenses, and assistants moving around with bouquets and fabric.

White.

Everything was white. White curtains, white roses, white dress.

Tessa stared at herself in the mirror, her fingers lightly brushing the delicate lace on her shoulder.

Her wedding day.

Her lips curved shyly at her reflection. She hadn't seen Tyler since that flirty chat, but she told herself it was normal; he was probably busy with wedding preparations, knowing how stressful and chaotic they could be.

Then her mind remembered the kiss. Her heart fluttered, her cheeks warmed at the memory of his text.

[ " Get your lips ready for me."]

She pressed her lips together softly, almost unconsciously.

Maybe he wanted today to be special, maybe he wanted their first kiss to be as husband and wife, and the mere thought alone made her chest swell.

" It's time." One of the photographers announced. " Is the groom ready?" He asked.

" Yes, he'll be in soon," Ciara answered from outside.

Tessa's pulse began to race, and her heart was beating almost faster than her breath.

This was it. Finally.

She blushed, eyes fluttering nervously as the door slowly creaked open.

Her breath hitched.

The room went quiet.

Polished shoes stepped in first.

Then a black tailored suit. Broad shoulders. Commanding presence. Aura so magnificent everyone's breath stuttered.

Her smile began forming...and...froze.

It wasn't Tyler who came in.

Her brow knitted together slowly.

Grayson Beaumont. Dressed in a groom's suit.

Her brain didn't immediately process it. It simply refused.

She blinked once. Twice.

Maybe she was nervous, maybe her eyes were playing tricks. But he kept walking forward. Calm. Composed. Like he belonged there, like this was his place.

Her heart began to pound, but not from excitement.

" What .." her voice came out thin. " What are you doing here?" She looked behind him as if waiting for Tyler to come in or if he was hiding behind him.

Murmurs about Grayson's hotness began to spread through the room, but no one moved to correct anything.

Grayson stopped a few steps away from her. His sharp gaze traveled over her, not lustful or soft, it was assessing, possessive, and certain.

Her fingers curled against her bouquet. " Why are you here? Where's Tyler?" She asked quickly, voice shaking.

" Hi, Miss Tessa Monroe." His voice came out soft, unhurried, with a tiny smirk that was so haunting.

Her chest skipped like a nightmare had come for a visit.

" Is this some kind of joke?" She looked around but everywhere was silent.

Ciara and her parents stepped inside just then, smiling and grinning like something was not wrong. No one looked shocked, nor surprised.

" Where is the groom?" She demanded, panic cracking through her tone.

The Beaumonts furrowed their brow in confusion.

" What are you saying? That's your husband-to-be." Ciara pointed.

" No. No. Where's Tyler?" She raised her voice.

Grayson's jaw tightened slightly, but his voice, when he spoke, was calm. " I am the groom."

The words didn't register. She let out a small, breathless laugh.

" No." She shook her head. " No, you're not. Tyler is the groom." Her throat began to burn. " This is my wedding. To Tyler."

Grayson stepped closer, close enough she could see there was no humor in his eyes, only decision, inevitability.

" Tyler was never going to marry you."

The sentence shattered something inside her. Her ears rang, her fingers loosened and the bouquet slipped out of her hand.

" What are you saying?" She whispered, her heart beating painfully hard against her ribs. " No." She shook her head again, more frantically. " No, he.."

The kiss.

She thought, her chest tightened so violently she almost couldn't breathe. She grabbed onto the edge of the dressing table to steady herself.

"This is wrong," her voice broke. "This is wrong. Call him. Call Tyler. He's probably late, he always.."

" Tessy." Tyler's voice ripped out of the people standing, watching. Her glassy eyes moved and landed on him standing beside Ciara.

His face was twisted with worry.

Her mind heaved heavily in relief as if the worst prank was finally over.

He rushed to her side, grabbed her wrist, and turned to Grayson.

" Give us some minutes." He said and dragged her out of the room before anyone could stop him.

" What's going on?" Ciara asked Grayson in confusion, but he gave no response, he stood still, calmly, with his hands perfectly tucked in his pocket.

" No one has changed." He muttered to himself.

***.....

" What's going on? Why is your cousin here as the groom?" Tessa asked the moment they stepped into the empty hallway, her voice already shaking. She needed him to laugh and say it was all a mistake.

Tyler chuckled softly. " Cousin? Who said Grayson was my cousin?" He asked.

" He.."

"..is my brother." He cut in. " My elder brother. Same father. Same mother."

Her stomach dropped.

" What?! But..but you never mentioned him."

" He's not relevant, and moreover he's barely around so what use is it mentioning him?" He shrugged like it was nothing.

" well it mattered now," her body shivered, her fingers curled into her dress. "So why is he here?"

Tyler tilted his head, studying her like she was something fragile and fascinating. "Come on, Tessy," he said gently. "That's the man you're marrying."

Silence.

"What do you mean the man I'm marrying?" Her voice cracked.

"Weren't you told you're marrying a Beaumont?"

"Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont's son. And the only son I know is you."

Tyler stared at her for a long second. Then something almost amused flickered in his eyes.

A slow breath left him. "Oh, Tessy..." he murmured, not shocked, not confused, just watching her unravel.

"But we never talked about marriage," he continued calmly. "We talked about the wedding. The arrangement. You assumed."

Her trembling lips parted, her heart squeezed so painfully she wanted to yell as if it would stop this nightmare.

Trembling, she said. " I never use the word 'us' because I never wanted you to be uncomfortable, or pressured." Her shaking voice said. " But you knew."

Tears blurred her vision.

He didn't deny it.

"You knew it wasn't you I'd be marrying," she choked. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Tyler held her gaze. "Because you were happy," he said quietly. "And I liked that you were happy... with me."

She let out a broken laugh.

"Tessy," he stepped closer, lowering his voice.

Her tears fell freely now. "You know how I feel about you, didn't you?" she demanded. " You knew I thought it was you and you didn't say anything." Her lips quivered.

He exhaled slowly."I know," he admitted. No hesitation. "I know you love me."

Her breath hitched.

"And I'd be lying if I said I don't feel the same way about you," he continued, voice smooth. "I do. You matter to me. More than anyone."

Hope flickered in her eyes.

He swallowed, stared right into her eyes as he held her shoulder, and said. " But I won't marry you."

Something shattered in her.

" I don't want to lose you, Tessy." he continued. " Not for anything. If we date-we could break up, if we marry-we could divorce, and I'd rather have you always...than risk losing you completely."

Hot tears dropped down her cheeks. Her fists clenched so hard as she stared back at him.

" So you're saying you love me?"

" I do." He nodded, trying to look as sincere as possible.

" Yet, you'd let me marry your brother?"

" No one cares about me, Tessy. No one ever chooses me." His voice softened. "Everyone chooses him. But as long as you're still mine... in the ways that matter... I don't mind."

" Well, I do! I won't marry anyone that's not you, no I won't!"

For a split second, satisfaction flashed across his face, he smiled and made to reply when Laura's voice cut through the air.

"Tessa." She stepped forward and grabbed Tessa's arm firmly. "I need to speak to my daughter."

" Sure." He nodded and left to give them some privacy.

She glared at him as he walked away. She had heard most of their conversations and couldn't help but get annoyed about him not telling Tessa the truth about who she was marrying.

" Tessa, sweetheart." She called softly, turning back to her daughter.

" Mum, I'm not marrying him." She shook her head, shaking with tears smearing her makeup.

Laura gently held her hands. " I'm sorry sweetheart, what I just saw made me realize you did not know who you were marrying. The moment we told you his family name you immediately accepted and said you knew him."

She shook her head. " Well, it's not too late, let's just cancel the wedding."

No response.

She looked at her mother, "What?"

" We can't," Laura told her remorsefully.

Tessa pulled away. " What do you mean by we can't?"

"This marriage will save us." Colton, her father said from behind where he was standing.

"Save us?" she laughed brokenly. "By selling me?"

Her father's jaw tightened. "Watch your tone. This is all because of your mistake, you were the one who claimed to already be best friends with the groom."

Her tears fell faster now.

" Colton," Laura called cautiously but he ignored her.

"If you call off this wedding, the Beaumont deal collapses. We are on the verge of bankruptcy, Tessa. Do you understand that?"

She stared at him.

"We will lose everything."

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. "So I'm collateral?"

"It's not like that." Laura tried to convince.

"It is exactly like that!" she cried.

Her mother's softened voice said desperately."If this deal doesn't go through today, we're finished. The houses. The company. Everything."

Her mind spun.

Her whole life, the comfort, the status, the stability - balancing on her answer.

" But how can I marry someone I know nothing about when my heart beats for someone else?"

"You have no choice," her father said finally, coldly.

That was it.

No choice.

Twelve years of loving her best friend all for nothing, the day he finally confessed his feelings for her was the same day she had to marry his brother, her boss. Not for love, but for money.

She turned away from everyone and wept bitterly.