Chapter 3 The Aftermath (Jace's POV)

The boardroom was silent as a tomb.

Jace kept his expression neutral as the final merger vote was tallied, but beneath the surface, his mind was still tangled in the memory of *her*-the way Arianna had gasped his name last night, the taste of her skin, the fire in her eyes when she'd challenged him.

*Focus.*

"All in favor?" The chairman's voice snapped him back to the present.

Jace raised his hand, along with eleven others. The motion passed. The $2 billion acquisition was his.

He should've felt triumph. Instead, all he could think about was the way Arianna had looked at him this morning-like he was the villain in her story.

"Congratulations, Jace." His father clapped him on the shoulder, grip tightening just enough to convey a warning. "Now clean up your mess."

The unspoken threat hung between them. Richard Hudson didn't tolerate distractions, especially not ones splashed across tabloids.

Jace waited until the boardroom emptied before pulling up the TMZ article again. The photo was grainy, but there was no mistaking Arianna-his shirt barely covering her thighs, her hair a wild tangle from his hands. The headline made his blood boil:

**"Jace Hudson's Latest One-Night Stand: Who Is the Mystery Woman?"**

His assistant, Elena, appeared in the doorway. "Sir, the press team has drafted a statement denying-"

"No." Jace shut off his screen. "I'll handle it."

"But your father-"

"*I'll handle it.*"

Elena retreated.

Alone, Jace pulled the sapphire earring from his pocket-the one he'd found tangled in his sheets. It was cheap costume jewelry, the stone already chipped. Nothing like the diamonds his usual companions wore.

That was the problem.

Arianna Jason wasn't like the others. She hadn't flirted for his attention or simpered at his wealth. She'd *argued* with him. Challenged him. And when he'd kissed her, she'd kissed him back like she wanted to devour him whole.

His phone buzzed. A text from his head of security:

**Background check complete. Arianna Jason, 26. Junior event planner at Luxe Affairs. No criminal record. $92K student debt. Lives in a walk-up in Hell's Kitchen. Father deceased, mother in assisted living in Jersey.**

Jace frowned. No trust fund. No connections. Just a woman trying to survive in a city that ate people like her alive.

Another alert popped up-a Google News notification.

**"Luxe Affairs Employee Identified as Jace Hudson's Mystery Woman!"**

*Fuck.*

He clicked the link. There she was-Arianna, caught on camera entering her office building, her face pale beneath yesterday's smudged makeup. The article named her employer, her job title, even her fucking college.

His fingers flew over his phone. "Elena, kill the story. Now."

"It's too late, sir. It's already-"

"I don't care what it costs. Buy the outlet if you have to."

A beat of silence. Then, carefully: "There's... another issue."

Elena forwarded an email. The subject line made his stomach drop:

**Termination Notice: Arianna Jason.**

Attached was a dismissal letter from Luxe Affairs' HR department, citing "conduct unbecoming of company values."

Jace was out of his chair before he finished reading.

---

**Luxe Affairs, 11:47 AM**

Arianna's boss didn't even look up from her desk. "HR already packed your things."

The words hit like a punch. Arianna gripped the back of the guest chair, her nails digging into the leather. "You're firing me over a *tabloid photo*?"

"Over *breach of contract*." Cynthia Lawson finally met her eyes, mouth pinched. "Page 14, section 3: 'Employees shall not engage in behavior that brings disrepute to the company.'"

Arianna laughed bitterly. "You sent me to that gala!"

"As a *representative* of this firm. Not to fuck the client!"

The office had gone dead silent. Every intern, every planner, even the mailroom guy was staring.

Arianna's cheeks burned. "Jace Hudson wasn't our client."

"He is *now*." Cynthia slid a contract across the desk-the Hudson Foundation's logo glaring at the top. "Signed this morning. A three-year exclusive partnership. So tell me, how does it look if our junior planner is spreading her legs for-"

The door burst open.

Every head swiveled.

Jace Hudson stood in the doorway, his tailored suit and icy glare cutting through the room like a blade.

Cynthia shot to her feet. "Mr. Hudson! What an-"

"Out."

The single word sent employees scrambling. Cynthia opened her mouth to protest, but Jace's look silenced her. She fled, slamming the door behind her.

Arianna didn't move. Couldn't.

Jace stepped closer, his gaze raking over her. She looked exhausted-shadows under her eyes, her usually vibrant curls limp. The blouse she'd thrown on was wrinkled, as if she'd grabbed the first thing from her closet.

He hated that he noticed. Hated that he cared.

"You didn't have to come here," she said quietly.

Jace set the termination letter on the desk. "You're not fired."

"Pretty sure I am."

"Not if I say you're not." He pulled out his phone. "I own forty percent of this company."

Arianna's breath caught. "*What*?"

"A recent acquisition." He tapped his screen, forwarding the paperwork to her email. "Check your inbox."

She did. Then paled. "You *bought* Luxe Affairs?"

"Enough of it."

"Why?"

Jace stepped into her space, close enough to smell her shampoo-something sweet, like vanilla. "Because no one fires what's mine."

Arianna's eyes flashed. "I'm not *yours*."

"Aren't you?" He pulled the sapphire earring from his pocket, dangling it between them. "You left this in my bed."

She snatched it from his hand. "A mistake. Just like last night."

The lie was so obvious it almost amused him. He'd felt how responsive she was to his touch, how eagerly her body had arched into his.

"Tell me something," he murmured, tracing the curve of her jaw. "Did you think about me this morning? When you touched yourself in the shower?"

Arianna jerked back. "You're *disgusting*."

"And you're a terrible liar." He caught her wrist, pulling her flush against him. "I could make you come right here, just by reminding you how you screamed for me last night."

Her pulse rabbited under his fingers. "Let go."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll knee you in the balls again."

Jace laughed-a real, startled laugh. Christ, she was magnificent. "You'd lose your job."

"I don't want this job if it means being your *charity case*."

The words struck deeper than they should have. Jace released her. "Fine. Resign. See how far you get with no references and a reputation for sleeping with clients."

Arianna flinched.

He knew it was a low blow, but he needed her off-balance. Needed her to *listen*.

"Here's the deal," he said, straightening his cuffs. "You keep your job-no strings attached. In return, you attend the Hudson Foundation's next gala as my date."

"Why?"

"Because the press already knows about you. Showing up together kills the 'one-night stand' narrative."

Arianna crossed her arms. "And if I say no?"

Jace smiled-the slow, dangerous smile that made CEOs sweat. "Then I withdraw Luxe's contract. How many jobs do you think Cynthia will cut to balance the budget?"

Her breath hitched. She knew the answer: dozens.

"You're a bastard," she whispered.

He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear. "And you love it."

---

**One Hour Later**

Jace stared at the signed contract on his desk-Arianna's agreement to the gala, with one added clause in her messy handwriting:

**"No touching. No kissing. And DEFINITELY no sex."**

He traced the words, already planning how he'd make her break every rule.

His phone buzzed. A message from his doctor:

**"Your results are in. Please call to discuss."**

Jace deleted it. He had more pressing matters.

Like how to make Arianna Jason surrender to him-body, mind, and soul.