Akisuki glanced at the clock on her desk for what felt like the hundredth time that day. The elegant silver hands pointed to 6:45 p.m., but the office still buzzed with energy.

People scurried through the hallways with files clutched to their chests, desperate to finish their tasks before the CEO's famously sharp gaze landed on them.

Her gaze shifted to the towering figure behind the glass wall of his office. Vincent Carter, the CEO of Carter Enterprises, was as calm and composed as ever, his piercing carbon grey eyes scanning the report in his hands.

His tailored suit remained immaculate, not a single hair out of place despite what had surely been an exhausting day.

Unlike Akisuki, who had spent hours navigating the minefield of clingy socialites and overconfident executives, Vincent had been locked in a battle of wits with the company's most troublesome investors.

The morning had started simply enough - or as simple as it could be when working for someone like Vincent.

Akisuki had arrived early, as usual, armed with coffee and a meticulous schedule. The first few hours had passed in a blur of meetings, emails, and phone calls. By noon, the chaos began.

Akisuki had just finished typing out a summary of the morning's meetings when a voice, honey-smooth but tinged with entitlement, interrupted her concentration.

"Miss Akisuki," the woman began.

Akisuki looked up to find Cassandra Rowe, a socialite who often loitered in Carter Enterprises under the pretense of "discussing opportunities."

Dressed in an impeccable cream suit that probably cost more than Akisuki's monthly salary, Cassandra leaned gracefully on the edge of the desk. Her long manicured nails tapped lightly against the glass surface, her posture casual but calculated.

"Mr. Carter isn't busy, is he?" Cassandra asked, though the question was clearly rhetorical.

"He's in a meeting," Akisuki replied with a polite smile, the kind she reserved for these encounters. "Do you have an appointment?"

Cassandra laughed lightly, as though Akisuki had told a charming joke. "Oh, I don't need an appointment. Vincent and I are... close. He won't mind if I drop in for a moment."

Akisuki kept her smile intact, though her patience wavered. "Mr. Carter asked not to be disturbed. Perhaps I can relay a message?"

Cassandra tilted her head, her carefully curled blonde hair falling over her shoulder. "I'm sure he'll make an exception for me." Her tone was sweet, but there was a sharpness underneath it, a warning not to push too hard.

Akisuki's grip tightened slightly on her pen. This wasn't her first encounter with Cassandra - or women like her. Vincent's wealth and power attracted them like moths to a flame, each convinced they were the one exception to his notorious disinterest in personal relationships.

With practiced ease, Akisuki responded, "I'll let him know you stopped by."

Cassandra's perfectly shaped brows furrowed for a fraction of a second before she pushed off the desk. "You do that," she said, her smile tight.

Akisuki watched as Cassandra sauntered toward the elevators, her heels clicking loudly against the marble floor. Once the doors closed behind her, Akisuki allowed herself a quiet sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose begore readjusting her glasses. Another disaster averted - for now.

The rest of the day had been a balancing act. Between dodging Vincent's admirers, fielding calls from board members, and ensuring the office ran like a well-oiled machine, she barely had time to breathe.

Meanwhile, Vincent had been facing his own battles. She'd caught snippets of his conversations as she passed his office - terse, commanding, and laced with the kind of authority that made even the most stubborn investor back down.

When the clock struck 8 p.m., the office began to empty. Akisuki remained at her desk, organizing files and preparing for the next day. She could hear Vincent's voice faintly through the glass, a sign that his workday was far from over.

By 10 p.m., her exhaustion was palpable, but she stayed put. Leaving before Vincent was unheard of. She had learned early on that working for him required stamina - and a willingness to go above and beyond.

At midnight, Vincent finally emerged from his office. He glanced at her, his expression unreadable.

"You're still here," he remarked.

"So are you," she replied, her tone light but respectful.

He didn't respond, but a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips before he disappeared into the elevator.

As he disappeared for until the next morning, Akisuki stretched her arms over her head, feeling the faint crackle of her stiff joints. The glow of her laptop screen illuminated the otherwise darkened room as the clock on the wall ticked closer to 3 a.m.

Despite her exhaustion, her fingers continued to dance across the keyboard. Wrapping up reports was part of the job, even when the rest of the world was asleep.

Her phone buzzed against the desk, startling her out of her concentration. She grabbed it, squinting at the bright text, rolling her eyes when she felt her eyes irritating a bit, despite her blue light protective spectacles.

Vincent Carter: Come over to my penthouse. Now.

Akisuki blinked at the message, reading it twice to ensure she hadn't misunderstood. She rubbed her eyes before readjusting her glasses, half-convinced that the late hour was playing tricks on her. It wasn't like Vincent to send cryptic messages, much less request her presence at his apartment in the dead of night.

Her fingers hovered over the screen, torn between questioning his request and complying without hesitation. The latter won. She was his secretary, after all.

Grabbing her dark grey suit jacket and biker's helmet, she stepped into the chilly night air. The roar of her Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R shattered the silence as she zipped through the empty streets. The ride cleared her mind, but the nagging question remained: Why now?

When she reached his apartment complex, the towering building loomed above her, its sleek design reflecting the cold glow of city lights. The elevator ride up felt longer than usual, her heartbeat echoing in her ears as the numbers ticked upward.

When the doors slid open, she found herself facing Vincent's door. Her press on the doorbell button was firm but hesitant. It swung open moments later, revealing Vincent in a way she'd never seen him before.

He stood barefoot, clad in a plain black t-shirt and grey sweatpants. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, as though he'd run his hand through it one too many times. The usual sharp, polished exterior he wore like armor was nowhere in sight.

"Come in," he said, his voice lower and softer than it had been in the office just hours ago.

Akisuki stepped inside, her gaze flickering over the dimly lit space. The room was minimalistic, much like the man himself, with dark furniture and muted tones. The only light came from a lamp in the corner, casting a warm, golden glow.

"Sit," he instructed, gesturing to the couch.

She hesitated but obeyed, perching on the edge of the plush cushions. "Is something wrong, Mr. Carter?"

"It was important. I apologise for having to call you here at this hour," he sair coolly, leaning against the edge of the coffee table across from her. The formality was jarring.

"That's alright," she murmured, unsure of how to proceed. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, and she realized too late that she was still wearing her gloves. She peeled them off, setting them beside her as he observed her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken.

"I need to ask you something," he said, his voice steady, though his expression was unreadable.

"Of course," she replied automatically.

He leaned forward slightly, the dim light catching the sharp lines of his face. "Marry me."

Her mind stalled. She blinked at him, waiting for the punchline to follow, for the tension in the room to dissolve into laughter. But he didn't so much as crack a smile.

"I... I'm sorry?" she stammered, leaning back instinctively, her mind reeling with the words spoken by her boss.

"Marry me," he repeated, his tone leaving no room for misunderstanding. "For a year."

Her mouth opened, then closed again as she searched for a response. Was this a test? A joke? Something entirely beyond her comprehension?

"Why?" she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper, clearly still in shock.

"For thirty million dollars."

The words hung in the air, heavy and surreal. She stared at him, her pulse roaring in her ears. The sum was astronomical - life-changing in every sense of the word.

"Why me?" she asked after a long silence.

Vincent leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Because you're the only one I trust."

Her breath hitched. Of all the reasons she'd expected, trust hadn't been one of them.

"This isn't a game," he continued. "It's business. A mutually beneficial arrangement. You get the money, and I get..." he paused, as though weighing his words. "A solution to a problem."

"A problem?" she echoed, trying to make sense of the situation.

He nodded. "The board wants stability. They think a married CEO is less likely to take risks. More grounded."

"And you think this will solve that?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"Yes." His answer was simple, direct, and maddeningly confident.

She looked away, her mind racing. Thirty million dollars. It was enough to rewrite her life, to start anew. But the idea of marrying Vincent - not just her boss but a man whose world was so far removed from hers - felt impossible to grasp.

Akisuki raised an eyebrow, trying to process what Vincent just told her. She blinked a few times, her eyelashes batting before they widened like saucers, her cheeks flushing in a soft rosy hue once she finally realised what her CEO just blurted out.

"Pardon, sir... What?" she asked in disbelief, her expression showing her very late realisation. She was probably in a sheer shock a moment ago.

"You must be drowsy and sleep-talking. Let's get you bed, hm? I'll come back in the morning to get you to work," she said as she tried to stand up, her hand tugging on Vincent's much larger hand.

Vincent held her down by her wrist and stopped her from getting up, his strong grip firm and unyielding.

"I'm completely sober and fully awake. And I'm not joking," he stated bluntly, his intense gaze fixed on her. He didn't seem like he was playing around or joking either.

"I'm completely serious. I need a wife for a year. You're the only one I trust to do it. I'm willing to pay you 30 million dollars," he repeated, his voice firm and unwavering.

Akisuki sat still on the couch, her mismatched eyes staring into a pretty vase in a distant, her throat bobbing as she gulped down a lump in the back of her throat.

It was a tempting offer. 30 million dollars was a big number, but the condition Vincent was holding against it was outrageous. Be his wife for a year to get 30 million dollars in return? The gears turned in her head, thinking about this whole thing.

"Alright," she said softly, but there was a firm edge to her tone. "But I need to know the reason and it has to be valid for me. The reason you gave me - the board members one - it isn't as strong for me. I know you're hiding something from me, sir."

Vincent smirked, raising an eyebrow slightly in response to her firmness and ability to see through him. He respected that, and her question was a fair one.

"My father's been pestering me about finding a wife for years," he explained, his intense gaze boring into her own. "He wants me to marry someone soon and start a family, but I have no desire for a permanent wife or children. I just need someone to play the part for a year, so I can stop his incessant nagging."

Wow. Akisuki could relate to that. Her parents had been nagging relentlessly to find a man to settle down since she turned, well... eighteen. She let out a sigh in response, running her hands through her luxurious raven hair, tugging on some fistful of hair out of frustration.

"God, damn it," she cursed under her breath as she fixed her hair and looked up at Vincent, her expression one of annoyance and resignation. "Do I have to decide now?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

He nodded his head. "It's an emergency."

Fuck.

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こんにちわ, みんな!

I am BACK with a new creation — original one. Pretty cool, huh? Ikr.

I know I had disappeared from Wattpad for a very long time, but oh well. A lot happened in my life and it'll take a decade to finish talking about it, so imma just say - it's a long ass story, fam. I'm too lazy to type it out ksjsjs.

I hope you will enjoy this book. This book is inspired by a chatbot in character.ai, named Vincent Carter, by creator @/sofiacocker. I had an amazing roleplay with this particular bot and HAD to write a book about it. It's juicy asf.

Anyway, thank you for coming to my Ted talk. Have a great day or night!

With love,
Ray.