chapter 1

On Valentine's Day night, Adrian Stewart said he had planned the most special engagement party for me.

He got a bunch of his friends to decorate the house, then quietly pulled me out to the balcony while they were busy.

"Babe, I gotta talk to you about something," he said.

I looked up at him and asked, "What's up?"

He sighed and said, "Emma Johnson always says she's just a sporty girl. She's too rough, you know, all tomboy and all muscle. She's scared no guy will ever marry her. Last time at dinner, she cried and said she'd never get a proposal ring in her life."

I glanced over at Emma—wearing a skimpy sailor outfit, lace ribbons jingling, butt in the air while hanging balloons.

Adrian went on, "I'm thinking of proposing to her now—just to make her dream come true. Let her borrow your ring for a photo."

He took my hand. "It's just pretend. Once she's had her fun, she'll give it back to you."

I took a sip of wine and gave a small, cold smile. "No need to give it back. You two might as well make it real."

"What the hell are you talking about?" His face twisted with anger. "Mia Clark, what's with the damn sarcasm?

"Why can't you be more generous like Emma? You're always nitpicking and whining about every little thing all day."

I stared at Adrian with a laugh that had no warmth in it. "Adrian, without me, you'd still be a security guard in an old apartment complex.

"You're the general manager at a subsidiary of my dad's group, pulling in a seven-figure salary with shares to match, and now you're telling me I'm not generous?"

He froze for a second, then tried to twist it around. "I'm talking about basic class. And you don't have a shred of it?"

I nodded sharply. "Nope, I sure don't."

As the only heir to the Clark family, I save my so-called "basic class" for business partners—not for this bullshit.

"Either you propose to me today, or you walk out of my company and go live happily ever after with her. Your call," I said.

My tone made it clear. This was his last chance.

He suddenly threw his glass to the floor. "You'd fire me just because I want to grant Emma a wish?

"Since the day we started dating, have I just been one of your employees? Do I even need your damn permission to breathe?

"So what, being your boyfriend means I'm not even allowed to have female friends now?"

He'd always been the calm one.

Even with the toughest clients, he could keep his cool and play the gentleman.

I met his gaze, calm. "So you really plan to propose to her tonight?"

His jaw clenched, eyes cold as ice, refusing to give me an inch.

Emma suddenly came over and hooked an arm around Adrian's neck. "Hey Mia, what did my dumb boy do this time? I'll apologize for him.

"He's a total idiot. You don't know—back then he tried to buy me pads and came back with a bunch of condoms instead."

She laughed and lightly punched Adrian's chest, her fitness band clicking against his shirt.

My glass trembled in my hand.

Seeing my face darken, she just grinned like nothing had happened. "Don't read too much into it. I was on my period at that time, all flushed and uncomfortable, and Adrian just wouldn't let it go—said he wanted to know what it felt like to 'run a red light.'"