The CEO's Accidental Bride
The champagne flute in Jane's hand wobbled slightly, sending a tremor through the golden liquid.
She had been prepared for whispers from the jealous women across the ballroom, for the polite smiles hiding razor-sharp gossip, even for the occasional flash from paparazzi cameras outside the gilded doors.
What she hadn't been prepared for… was Alexander Kane leaning down in the middle of the gala, sliding his hand along the small of her back like he owned her, and murmuring in that low, smoky tone:
"Come meet my father-in-law."
Jane froze. "Your what?"
He didn't answer. His grip tightened just enough to make moving away impossible, steering her across the gleaming marble floor toward an older man in a perfectly tailored suit. The man's hair was silver, but his eyes — sharp, assessing, almost cold — were identical to Alexander's.
The older man turned as they approached, his gaze flicking over Jane in one swift sweep that made her feel exposed from the inside out.
"Father," Alexander said smoothly. "This is Jane Miller. My fiancée."
Jane swallowed, pasting on the most diplomatic smile she could muster. "It's… nice to meet you, Mr. Kane."
His eyebrow arched, a movement so slight she would have missed it if she weren't staring at him, desperately trying to gauge whether he believed a word his son had just said.
"Is it?" Mr. Kane's voice was calm, but there was an undertone — something that told her this was a man who weighed every syllable, every breath. "I wasn't aware Alexander had plans to marry. Then again…" His gaze shifted to his son. "…you've always liked surprises."
Alexander smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Some surprises are worth keeping."
Jane almost laughed, except there was no humor in the exchange between the two men — only tension so thick it made her skin prickle.
"I suppose we'll see," Mr. Kane said, his words as light as the crystal chandelier above them, but his eyes… his eyes were a warning.
Alexander's grip on her back shifted, guiding her away before she could speak.
Two minutes later – balcony
The night air was a shock against Jane's overheated skin. She turned to him the moment they were alone, her voice sharp. "Care to explain what just happened? Or why your father—" she jabbed a finger toward the ballroom "—looked at me like I was some corporate acquisition you forgot to mention in your portfolio?"
Alexander didn't answer right away. He leaned on the stone railing, looking out over the glittering city skyline. "My father doesn't like surprises."
"That makes two of us," Jane shot back. "You can't just throw me into a conversation like that without—"
"I needed him to see you," Alexander cut in.
Jane blinked. "Why? So he'll think you're settling down? So he'll stop calling you reckless?"
His eyes flicked toward her then, something unreadable in them. "Something like that."
"No," Jane said, stepping closer. "Not something like that. You're hiding something, and I'm not going to be used as some pawn in a family chess match without knowing the rules."
Alexander's jaw tightened. For a moment, she thought he might actually tell her. Instead, he straightened, all businessman again. "All you need to know is that my father controls more than you think — and convincing him this engagement is real is… necessary."
Jane folded her arms. "Necessary for you. Risky for me."
He stepped closer — too close — until she could feel the heat radiating from him. "Everything about me is risky, Miss Miller. You should've realized that the moment you stepped into my car."
Her pulse spiked. "Maybe I did. Doesn't mean I'm willing to play along forever."
His gaze dropped briefly to her lips, then back to her eyes. "You won't have to."
Before she could ask what that meant, a woman's voice — honey-sweet and edged with venom — broke the moment.
"Well, well. Alexander Kane, finally introducing someone. And here I thought you'd never find a woman willing to put up with you."
Jane turned to see a stunning brunette in a shimmering emerald gown. Her smile was bright, but her eyes… they were all calculation.
"Cassandra," Alexander said coolly.
The woman's gaze slid to Jane. "And you must be the fiancée I've been hearing so much about."
Jane's stomach knotted. Hearing so much about? She'd only been in this fake engagement for forty-eight hours.
Cassandra stepped closer, extending a perfectly manicured hand. "Cassandra Voss. Childhood friend. Former fiancée."
Jane's head snapped toward Alexander, but he didn't flinch.
The air between the three of them was a loaded gun.
Later – in the limo
Jane didn't speak for the first ten minutes of the drive back. Alexander sat beside her, scrolling through something on his phone, as if the night hadn't just dropped a bomb in her lap.
Finally, she couldn't hold it in. "Former fiancée?"
He didn't look up. "It was a long time ago."
"How long?"
"Three years."
"And she just shows up at a gala and acts like—" Jane stopped herself. She didn't want to admit she cared.
"She's harmless," Alexander said.
Jane laughed bitterly. "Harmless? She looked at me like she was measuring me for a coffin."
His gaze finally lifted, locking on hers. "Then you'd better make sure she doesn't get the measurements right."
It wasn't reassurance. It was a warning.
Midnight – Jane's apartment
She should've been asleep. Instead, Jane was sitting cross-legged on her bed, the city lights spilling through the window, replaying every word, every glance from the night.
Alexander Kane was hiding something.
And she had the sickening feeling that whatever it was… she was already too deep to walk away.
Her phone buzzed.
An unknown number.
She almost didn't answer.
When she did, a woman's voice — low and urgent — whispered, "If you want to survive being Alexander Kane's fiancée… meet me tomorrow. Don't tell him. And don't be late."
The line went dead.