The tension in Vincent Carter's office could have suffocated anyone else, but Akisuki Rei sat tall, her spine straight as steel, even if her heart felt like it might give out.

The silence stretched between them, heavy and expectant. Vincent leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his sharp, unrelenting gaze pinning her to the spot.

She swallowed hard but kept her composure. "If we're going to do this, Mr. Carter," she began, her tone formal and clipped, "then there are going to be rules."

His eyebrow arched, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "Rules?" he echoed, amusement dripping from his voice.

"Yes," Akisuki replied firmly, refusing to let him derail her. "This arrangement has to have boundaries if it's going to work."

Vincent gestured lazily for her to continue, his curiosity now piqued.

Akisuki reached for her iPad, flipping the cover open. Her hands trembled slightly, but she masked it by gripping the stylus tightly.

"Rule number one," she began, her voice steady. "No personal information. That means my... history stays private. The same goes for you. Whatever skeletons you have in your closet, I don't want to know, and I won't share mine, unless it's direly necessary."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. "No skeletons here. I'm an open book."

She shot him a skeptical look, tilting her head. "An open book?"

"Fine, maybe a locked diary," he admitted with a smirk. "But still, your skeleton metaphor is a little dark for a princess, don't you think?"

Akisuki nearly froze but quickly covered it with a dismissive wave. "This isn't about metaphors. Rule two: We will do whatever is necessary to make this arrangement believable. Lies, half-truths, whatever it takes."

"Ah, lying," Vincent said, leaning back in his chair with exaggerated ease. "Something you seem to excel at, Miss Rei."

Her jaw tightened, but she forced herself to stay calm. She knew he was mocking and taunting her whenever he called her 'Miss Rei'. "Rule number three: Intimacy is only allowed in private. No public displays unless absolutely necessary for appearances."

Vincent's smirk widened. "Define intimacy, Miss Rei. Are we talking hand-holding, or are you banning me from breathing the same air as you?"

Akisuki's cheeks heated, but she refused to back down. "You know exactly what I mean."

She had zero clue about this man being so unserious. It was refreshingly annoying.

"I just want clarity," he teased, his voice dipping lower. "After all, I wouldn't want to break one of your precious rules by accident."

"Trust me," Akisuki snapped, her tone sharper now as she readjusted her glasses on her nose. "You'll know if you break a rule."

"Is that a threat?" he asked, his grin almost wolfish.

"A promise," she retorted, her eyes narrowing.

"I still need the clarification for your definition of intimacy," Vincent pressed and Akisuki rolled her dual-toned eyes in a way she probably saw her own brain. The sight made him snort a bit.

"Any sort of physical affection," she said simply. He raised an eyebrow, a little mischievous smirk on his lips.

"Any... sort of physical affection?" he asked with a grin, as if planning to play with Akisuki like he was a cat and she was ball of yarn. Akisuki gulped a lump down her throat at the implications of what he had in mind. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, readjusting her glasses.

"It's limited to holding hands, embracing, kissing," she said, her cheeks warming up into a rosy hue. "For now," she muttered, clearing her throat.

Vincent raised an eyebrow, amused by his secretary's words.

"For now? Saving yourself for our first night as husband and wife?" he asked, a deviously charismatic smile on his lips. Akisuki had to treat her gaze away his for a moment to gather herself. She sort of regretted making this rule, but she didn't have a choice - it was necessary.

"Call me traditional or whatever. I don't care. I don't want us to engage in something too physical," she said, looking down at her iPad as she wrote down another rule quickly with her stylus. "Moreover, it's just for show, no pleasure."

Vincent chuckled, the sound low and infuriatingly charming. "Alright, Akisuki. Continue."

"Rule number four," Akisuki said, exhaling slowly as she regained her composure. "We maintain professionalism at work. Whatever this... contractual marriage becomes, it doesn't interfere with our jobs."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Vincent said smoothly, though his gaze lingered on her. "Unless you start swooning in the middle of a meeting, of course."

"I don't swoon," Akisuki said, glaring at him.

"Not yet," he quipped, his grin deepening.

She ignored him, running a hand through her silken raven hair and readjusting her glasses yet again, as if that would block out his insufferable presence. "And finally, rule number five," she said firmly, meeting his gaze head-on.

"Absolutely no falling in love."

The smirk on Vincent's face faltered for a fraction of a second before returning in full force. "No falling in love?" he repeated, leaning forward slightly.

"That's right," Akisuki said, her tone unyielding.

"Well, I hate to break it to you," he said, his voice laced with amusement, "but that rule sounds like you're projecting a little, princess."

Akisuki stiffened at the word but kept her expression neutral. "Excuse me?"

"You're worried you'll fall for me," Vincent said smoothly, as if it were the most obvious conclusion in the world.

She blinked, caught off guard for a split second before scoffing. "Please. I'm more worried about you falling for me. Men like you always do."

His laugh was rich and sudden, filling the room and catching her off guard again, her cheeks involuntarily heating up. "Touché, Akisuki. I'll admit, I like your confidence. Delusional as it may be."

Akisuki rolled her eyes, shutting the cover of her iPad with a loud snap. "Are you done?"

"Not even close," he replied, his smirk morphing into something more mischievous. "But I'll save the rest for when you inevitably break rule number five."

She crossed her arms over her chest, leveling him with her fiercest glare. "We'll see who breaks it first, Mr. Carter."

The tension snapped taut as Vincent stood up, his tall frame casting a shadow over her. He circled the desk slowly, his polished shoes clicking softly against the hardwood floor. Akisuki held her breath, her heart hammering in her chest as he stopped just a foot away.

He reached out, plucking the iPad from her hands before she could protest. His eyes scanned the list, his lips curving into a faint, unreadable smile.

"These rules of yours..." he began, his voice low and dangerous as hisbgrey eyes sifted through the illuminated screen, "they're very... you."

Akisuki stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Vincent's smile grew, but it didn't reach his eyes. "It means you're scared. All of these walls, these rules - they're not for my benefit. They're for yours."

"That's ridiculous," she shot back, her head tilting slightly as her odd-toned eyes met Vincent's striking grey ones.

"Oh?" Vincent stepped closer as he tossed the iPad on his desk, his hands holding the armrests of the chair Akisuki was seated on, his face just inches away from hers as he trapped her, his presence overwhelming. "Then why do I get the feeling you're not just protecting yourself from me, but from something - or someone - else?"

Akisuki's breath hitched, but she refused to back down. "I don't have to explain myself to you," she said coldly.

Her mind was reeling because of the sudden close proximity. Vincent's elegant and confident smelling cologne - a mix of bergamot and blackcurrant - filled her senses, making her feel dizzy in an intoxicating way, his warm minty breath fanning her face. She felt her heart thundering in her ribcage, threatening a hole out of her chest.

Vincent held her gaze for a long moment before finally stepping back, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Fine," he said, his voice calm but his tone cutting. "I'll play by your rules, Akisuki Rei. But don't think for a second that I won't test every single one of them."

- 🍁 -

That night, Akisuki lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The day had been a whirlwind of emotions, from the confrontation with Vincent to the weight of her own decisions. She had stood her ground, laid out her terms, but why did it feel like she had already lost?

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, and she grabbed it, half expecting a message from Siwoo. But it wasn't him. Instead, it was Vincent.

His text was short, almost taunting:
"Rule five is going to be the hardest for you, Miss Rei. Sweet dreams~"

Akisuki's fingers tightened around her phone as her jaw clenched. "We'll see about that," she muttered to herself, tossing the phone aside. But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that Vincent Carter was already unraveling the careful life she had built.

Meanwhile, back in his penthouse, Vincent poured himself a glass of whiskey, staring at the screen of his laptop. The report from his investigator was open, and the details of Akisuki's royal lineage were laid bare before him.

"So, Princess..." he murmured to himself, a slow, wicked grin spreading across his face. "Let's see how long you can keep your little charade."

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My man has no right to be this hot. Lemme dump his today's IG story pics here-

And yes, Vincent Carter also has the same tattoos because Bertuğ Altan (@/bertugheon on Instagram) is Vincent's face claim. I imagined Vincent as Bertuğ.

With love,
Ray <3