The building sat like a smug, glass monolith right in the middle of downtown, pri real estate with a reflective tal façade that flashed sunlight in every direction like it was trying to blind the poor.
Sixty-eight floors of money.
It towered over everything like it knew it owned the skyline.
LGH didn’t just deal in real estate and finance.
They had fingers in every pie—tech, hospitality, tourism, you na it.
If it generated inco, they were knee-deep in it.
The place was also a hotspot for influencers and wannabe TikTok stars.
I’d passed it loads of tis and seen people doing twirls or filming dance routines right outside the entrance.
I’d never actually gone in.
Inside, it was all clean lines, matte finishes, and subtle flexes of wealth.
Like, ‘Yes, this chair costs more than your car, but we won’t ntion it.’
You couldn’t get past the lobby without clearance.
Which ant I was promptly intercepted by the front desk, where a girl with perfect eyeliner looked up and down like I’d shown up to a t Gala in Crocs.
‘You can’t go upstairs without an appointnt,’ she said, smiling the way dentists do before drilling a nerve. ‘Mr Laurent gets swamped with requests every day. His calendar’s booked out months in advance.’
She gave another once-over.
I could tell exactly what she was thinking—here’s another one, trying to land a billionaire with a fresh blowout and a hopeful bra.
Joke’s on her. I hadn’t even bothered with mascara.
‘Maybe co back in three months,’ she suggested, this ti with a sprinkle of pity.
I didn’t argue.
There was no point.
I found a seat in the lobby’s visitor zone and texted him: I’m at LGH. Can I leave the jacket at reception?
Ten minutes ticked by.
Then five more.
By the ti the reply ca, I was seconds away from hurling the jacket at the nearest bin and calling it a day.
Ashton: Contact Dominic Everett, my assistant.
He pushed a phone number.
No explanation.
No ‘thanks’.
I stared at the ssage, already pissed.
All this hassle for one stupid jacket.
First I had to take ti off.
Then I got treated like a groupie or wannabe gold-digger.
Now I had to track down his assistant like I was hand-delivering the Ark of the Covenant?
God, I was such a mug.
All this effort for a guy who texted like a contract clause.
Still, I’d already co this far.
Might as well follow through and avoid the karmic curse of unfinished favours.
I called the number.
Not five minutes later, the lift dinged and out walked a man—tall, sharp suit, not a hair out of place.
He moved like he had three etings and a rger deal waiting, but still smiled when he reached .
‘Thanks for coming all this way, Miss Vance. I’ll take the jacket from here.’
At least soone here had manners.
I handed it over, then asked, mostly to make conversation, ‘Is your boss in a eting?’
Dominic blinked. ‘Mr Laurent didn’t co in today. No etings. He’s... on a date.’
‘A date?’ The word just jumped out. ‘With who?’
Dominic glanced around.
He looked like a kid sitting on a Christmas secret.
Clearly dying to spill, but also shackled by his corporate leash.
I just stared at him.
Waited.
Eventually, the leash snapped.
‘Octavia Grey,’ he whispered, like it was classified intel. ‘She’s been after our boss for ages.’
I blinked.
Octavia Grey.
The hottest A-lister on the planet right now.
She just snagged the biggest film award in the country for so critically acclaid indie drama.
You couldn’t open your phone without her face popping up—red carpets, interviews, aesthetic brunch pics.
She had that lethal combo of fa, talent, and bone structure.
But I’d seen her in clips—she was the definition of icy-hot.
Always looked like she’d sooner roll her eyes than flirt.
And now she was chasing Ashton Laurent?
While I was trying to process the ntal image of those two breathing the sa air, Dominic dropped another bomb.
‘Miss Vance, I’m sure you know, um, our boss is in a rush to get married.’
I didn’t know whether to laugh or wince.
The fact that even Ashton’s assistant was openly discussing his desperation to tie the knot made my brain glitch.
I said, ‘Yeah, I know.’
Ashton had said he wanted to think about his little marriage proposal.
But from the looks of things, I wasn’t the only one with a spot on the shortlist.
If I said no, maybe he’d be signing marriage papers with Octavia Grey by tomorrow.
The man wasn’t kidding about being in a rush.
It was a business deal for him, obviously.
He probably thought any warm body would do.
But was it the sa for ?
If I said no to him, would I also have options?
Technically, yes.
There was Rhys, with Louisa’s blessing, and Leonard Sothing my mother tried to set up with.
Last night, I blocked Rhys.
Felt amazing for about seven hours.
Then this morning, he called from two different numbers like a desperate Tinder ghost who couldn’t take a hint.
And my mother had been blowing up my phone too.
I didn’t even need to pick up to know what she’d say.
Looking at it now, marriage with Ashton might actually be the smartest move I could make, and possibly the only move, short of moving away and changing my na.
Dominic spoke again.
‘Please excuse my being so direct, but I’ve worked with Mr Laurent for years and, trust , he’s not into those celebrity types. You’re the one he’s most satisfied with, Miss Vance. You should really consider your position.’
‘Right.’ I nodded. ‘I’ll think about it.’
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