Kyle Malone had never felt pressure like this before.
Standing in the lobby of the towering Smith Group, he adjusted his suit nervously. The glass building reflected the bright afternoon sun, but inside Kyle felt nothing but tension.
The Malone Group wasn't bankrupt.
But things were getting dangerously unstable.
For the past few weeks, shareholders had begun pulling out one after another. Meetings had become tense, investors were questioning leadership, and the board was demanding results.
And Kyle knew exactly where everything started going wrong.
His mother.
And Hazel.
Kyle clenched his jaw at the memory.
From the moment Hazel became his fiancée, his mother had treated her terribly. Constant criticism. Harsh words. Public humiliation during family gatherings.
Hazel had always stayed quiet, lowering her head and enduring everything.
At first Kyle ignored it. He thought Hazel was too plain and too soft to matter much anyway.
But the tension at home slowly spread into the company.
Some investors disliked the drama surrounding the Malone family.
Rumors circulated.
Confidence began to drop.
And now shareholders were withdrawing their support.
Kyle needed a strong partnership to stabilize everything.
And the only man powerful enough to make that happen was Ryan Smith.
"Mr. Malone, Mr. Smith will see you now."
Kyle followed the assistant upstairs.
When the office door opened, Kyle immediately felt the difference in status.
The office was huge, elegant, and quiet. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire city.
And behind the large desk sat the man everyone in the business world feared.
Ryan Smith.
Ryan didn't greet him.
He simply continued reading a document as if Kyle's presence meant nothing.
The silence was suffocating.
Finally Ryan closed the file and looked up.
His eyes were sharp and calm.
"What do you want, Mr. Malone?"
Kyle forced himself to remain composed.
"The Malone Group would like to secure a contract with the Smith Group."
Ryan leaned back slightly.
"Why?"
The single word made Kyle pause.
"Because cooperation between our companies will benefit both sides."
Ryan's lips curved faintly, though there was no warmth in the expression.
"Your shareholders are leaving."
Kyle stiffened.
Ryan knew.
Of course he did.
"The Smith Group doesn't invest in unstable situations," Ryan said calmly.
Kyle's throat tightened.
If Ryan refused him, the board would lose the last bit of confidence they had in him.
And Kyle couldn't allow that to happen.
His pride cracked.
"Mr. Smith… please reconsider."
Ryan raised an eyebrow slightly.
Kyle Malone.
Begging.
If anyone from the business circle saw this, it would become tomorrow's biggest rumor.
But Kyle didn't care anymore.
"I need this contract," Kyle said.
Ryan watched him quietly.
"What exactly are you offering in return?"
Kyle hesitated.
Then a memory surfaced in his mind.
The charity banquet a few months ago.
Ryan's gaze had paused briefly on someone.
Hazel.
Kyle's chest tightened.
He hated the thought forming in his mind.
But desperation pushed him forward.
"My fiancée," Kyle said.
Ryan's expression didn't change, but his gaze sharpened slightly.
"Your fiancée?"
Kyle nodded.
"Yes… Hazel."
Ryan remained silent.
Kyle continued, forcing the words out.
"She can stay with you."
Even saying it made something uncomfortable twist inside him.
Ryan studied him carefully.
"You're offering your fiancée for a business contract."
Kyle looked away.
"It's only temporary."
Ryan tapped his finger lightly on the desk.
"And she agreed to this?"
Kyle's voice became firm again.
"She will do what I say."
The room fell silent.
Ryan stood up slowly and walked toward the window.
For several seconds he said nothing.
Kyle's heart pounded.
If Ryan rejected him now, he would leave this building with nothing.
Finally Ryan turned around.
"If I sign the contract," he said calmly, "Hazel stays with me."
Kyle's fists tightened.
But he nodded.
"Yes."
Ryan walked back to his desk.
He picked up a pen and signed the document.
The sound of the signature felt strangely final.
Ryan pushed the contract forward.
"Pleasure doing business, Mr. Malone."
Kyle exhaled in relief.
The partnership was secured.
The shareholders would calm down.
The board would stop questioning him.
Everything was under control again.
Or so he thought.
Because Kyle didn't realize one thing that day.
The quiet, gentle fiancée he had traded so easily…
Would soon become someone completely different.
And when he finally saw Hazel again beside Ryan Smith, radiant and confident in a way he had never noticed before…
Kyle would realize too late.
Some deals could never be undone.