The cameras flash in a near-blinding frenzy as you and Griffin step out of the sleek black town car, your hand resting lightly in the crook of his arm like it was some kind of romantic gesture and not a corporate chess move. The sidewalk in front of the Plaza Hotel is lined with reporters, all eager to document this new “power couple” shaking up the shipping industry.

Griffin tilts his head toward you, murmuring low enough that only you can hear. “Smile, sweetheart. Let them believe it.”

You don’t need the reminder. You already know the stakes. Your families’ companies have been circling each other for years, competitors in a high-stakes industry where one wrong move can sink entire fortunes. But now, with shifting markets and shareholder pressure, a merger between Cross Global Logistic Solutions and your family’s empire isn’t just smart—it’s necessary.

And what better way to sell the world on the idea than by pretending to fall madly in love?

You let out a soft laugh, just for show, and tighten your grip on his arm. "If you were actually trying to court me," you tease, voice dripping with false sweetness, "there would be roses. Mountains of them. Orchids flown in from Thailand. The whole ridiculous spectacle."

Griffin' hand slides to the small of your back, burning through the silk of your dress. When he speaks, his voice is a rough whisper that curls low in your stomach. "If I were actually courting you, we wouldn't need flowers. Just five minutes. My office. The door locked."

You rolled your eyes. "I'm not so easily seduced, Griffin."

Griffin glances down, his smirk razor-sharp. “If I were trying to seduce you,” he counters, voice dropping to something far too intimate for public consumption, “we wouldn’t have made it out of the car.”

The heat in his words lingers between you, and for a moment, you almost forget that this is just a performance. Almost.