Empty Kingdom

I never planned to give my V-card to a gorgeous stranger I met at a bar. But for once I didn't let myself overthink things. In the few hours we spent together, he managed to push me outside my comfort zone. And I loved every second. I never expected to see him again. Let alone sitting at the head of the boardroom table during my architectural firm's pitch to design his new hotel chain.

That was the whole point of stepping into the shadows of an exclusive club—to forget the world, the stress. What I didn’t expect was the masked stranger I shared a brief, electrifying encounter with turning out to be Tate King—billionaire, notorious playboy, and my brother’s former college roommate. The man I used to avoid at all costs. Now he wants something from me: a fake relationship to clean up his public image—and in return, he’ll throw a lifeline to my struggling café. On paper, it’s a perfect arrangement. Until pretending starts to feel a little too real.

I need this job. Not for ambition or pride—but because my father’s medical bills don’t pay themselves, and I stopped believing in safety nets a long time ago. Becoming assistant to Roman King—billionaire CEO, untouchable powerhouse, and emotionally walled-off—isn’t a dream. It’s survival. He thinks I’m too young. Too soft. A risk he didn’t sign up for. But I’ve spent my whole life being responsible, making the careful choice. And working for Roman? It’s the first time I’ve ever felt reckless. Because when his gaze lingers, when his control slips, something breaks open in both of us.