Liam Sterling finally looked up. His gaze was a physical weight, cold and analytical, stripping away her socialite veneer. He didn't see a grieving heiress or a scorned fiancée; he saw a variable he hadn't accounted for.
"Project Aegis is a myth to the public," Liam said, leaning back into the shadows of his leather wingback chair. "How does a woman who spends her afternoons at gala fittings know about my encryption protocols?"
"The same way I know that your Chief Technology Officer is currently meeting with your rivals at the Meridian Hotel," Evelyn replied, checking her watch. "They're discussing the backdoor he installed in your 'impenetrable' firewall. You have forty minutes to lock him out of the system before the data dump begins."
Liam's hand tightened around his glass. The "Ice King" didn't show panic, but the air in the room suddenly felt electric, charged with a lethal tension. He made a single gesture to his shadow—a silent assistant who vanished into the darkness to verify her claim.
"Why tell me?" Liam asked. "Information like that is worth billions on the black market. You could have sold me out."
"I don't want your money, Mr. Sterling. I have plenty of my own," Evelyn said, leaning forward. "I want your protection. And I want your name."
A dark, amused smirk touched Liam's lips. "You want to marry me? You just broke an engagement an hour ago. The ink on the tabloids isn't even dry."
"Marcus was a mistake of a past life," she said, her voice hard. "You and I are a strategic necessity. I have the design patents for the next generation of smart-fabrics and the foresight to navigate the market crash coming in six months. You have the infrastructure and the sheer, terrifying power to keep my 'family' from burying me."
She slid a folder across the table. It contained a list: names, dates, and stock tickers.
"A marriage of convenience," Evelyn continued. "Two years. You get a wife who handles your social obligations and provides you with the intel to crush your competitors. I get a fortress that Marcus and the Matriarch can't touch."
Liam studied the list. His eyes narrowed as he saw names of people he considered allies—names Evelyn knew would betray him in the original timeline.
"You're either a prophet, a spy, or the most dangerous woman I've ever met," Liam murmured.
"Does it matter?" Evelyn challenged. "As long as I'm on your side?"
Liam set his glass down with a definitive clack. "My assistant will call you in the morning. If your 'market tip' is correct, we'll discuss the terms of our contract."
"The market opens at 9:30 AM," Evelyn stood up, smoothing her coat. "I'll be waiting by my phone."