A woman who's been strong all her life never likes to compare herself to others. So, in a fit of frustration, I impulsively blew my year-end bonus and let my best friend book a top male model to save the day. After seeing his face, I thought my money was well spent. It wasn't. Make the most of what you have, right?

I was clinging onto the man, nibbling at his collarbone, when my phone buzzed with a message from my girlfriends.

[The new guy was too nervous and bolted.]

Wait... then who am I holding onto right now? Later that week, rumors swirled that the new CEO parachuted into our company was none other than the "prince" of the corporation.

When I saw his face, my knees buckled. He walked right up to me, smiled knowingly and helped me up. "Still so easy to make weak in the knees, huh?"

——

The company’s atmosphere was tense with the sudden arrival of the new president—aka the group’s prince. Department heads were scrambling, terrified of making mistakes. This kind of thing usually had nothing to do with me.

But of course, luck wasn’t on my side and I was tasked with delivering documents to the top floor. I wasn’t nervous at first.

That changed the moment I stepped off the elevator and saw our most sycophantic manager walking out of the office with red-rimmed eyes. When he nearly ran into me, I swear he was about to burst into tears. I silently closed my mouth, trying to offer a reassuring smile while internally praying for my survival.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked. A low, commanding voice came from inside. "Come in."

I stepped in, only to see a tall figure standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, his broad shoulders looking oddly familiar.

"Good day, Mr. Simon," I said hesitantly. "I’ve brought the documents..."

He turned around. And I dropped to my knees.

Can someone please explain how last week’s hired male model turned out to be the company’s heir? He crouched down in front of me, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Linda, it’s only been a few days. Why so formal all of a sudden?"

***

A week ago...

Our high school reunion was a big deal. If it weren't for being dragged into it, I wouldn't have gone at all. It all started when I was casually snacking during a work break and suddenly received a call from my manager. The shock made me accidentally send an emoji into the class group chat.

From there, there was no escape. They all knew I saw the message. To make matters worse, one of my old classmates knew where I worked and the reunion was conveniently close to my office.

I reluctantly showed up. Listening to everyone bragging left me fighting off yawns. Then, the door swung open. I assumed it was just the waiter—until the chatter stopped and everyone stared at me. I turned around and felt my stomach drop. It was Zian Simon, my ex-boyfriend.

I met his gaze for a fleeting second before looking away, pretending he didn’t exist. But of course, others weren’t so subtle.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Simon! Rare for you to join us with your busy schedule."

"Just happened to be in the neighborhood for business," he replied smoothly.

And then I noticed he wasn't alone. A stunning woman stood beside him and Zian casually wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Care to introduce your friend?" someone asked eagerly.

He smirked. "My girlfriend."

A collective pause followed, then the floodgates of gossip burst open.

[Guys, don’t you think Zian’s new girlfriend looks familiar?]

"Wait... I remember now! She’s from the university next door, right?"

"Yeah, I’ve seen her before. Pretty sure she’s famous too."

[OMG, she’s an influencer, isn’t she?!]

I don't know who shared the link, but when I clicked on it, it led straight to that influencer's homepage. She had a massive following. I couldn’t figure out how someone like her ended up with Zian. Maybe she found the life of an ordinary person refreshing after living in luxury for so long.

It was annoying to see my ex thriving while I was... well, not. I went to the restroom and did three deep squats to calm myself down. When I stepped out, I ran right into Zian. He looked like he’d been waiting for me.

I had nothing to say to him, so I pretended not to notice and tried to walk past him. But he wasn’t going to let me go that easily—he grabbed my wrist.

"Linda, let's talk."

"Do we even know each other that well? What's there to talk about?"

"You’re still the same as before," he said, curling his lips into a slight smirk.

"Heh, save your commentary, Zian."

"It’s just... hard seeing you like this."

I glanced down at myself. A red sweater, yellow sweatpants and hair that hadn’t seen shampoo in two days. Yeah, maybe I did look a little rough, but hey, I got dragged here straight after work.

I woke up early and threw on whatever I could find. It’s not like I expected to run into him.

"Let me drive you home when this is over. It’s tough getting a cab around here."

His persistence made my stomach turn.

"No thanks, my boyfriend’s picking me up."

A woman who’s been strong all her life isn’t about to lose face now. Back at the table, my phone screen was lighting up with messages.

My girlfriends were on it.

[We need a super handsome guy to save the day.]

"I ran into Zian at the reunion."

That one line was enough to set my best friend’s gossip-loving heart ablaze.

[Don’t worry, I got you. Get ready to play big.]

I didn’t get any updates by the time the party was winding down. Just when I was starting to get nervous, a wave of gasps erupted from my classmates at the door. Curious, I looked up. Black suit. Long legs. Red sports car. A devastatingly handsome face. He matched the profile my best friend sent earlier. Without a shred of doubt, I confidently pushed through the crowd and ran up to him. Throwing my arms around his waist, I felt him stiffen in surprise.

With a sly smile, I leaned in and whispered, "Professional, I’ll leave you a five-star review later."

It seemed like my best friend was right—new hires are always a little nervous. He didn’t react at first, but at least he was cooperative.

"Baby, I missed you so much today!" I said loudly, winking at him furiously.

Finally, he responded.

"I missed you too." His deep voice sent shivers down my spine and for a second, I felt like I might just fall in love.

"Come on, let’s go home!"

Glancing back, I saw everyone’s jaws on the floor—including Zian’s. That smug look he had earlier? Gone.

I had no idea what kind of car my "boyfriend" rented, but it looked expensive. Good enough. Trying to suppress my grin, I casually waved goodbye and slid into the car. Pretending to have your life together was actually... kind of fun.

Once inside, I turned to find that the man—now revealed to be none other than Nick Carter—was still outside. He stood there, one hand in his pocket, talking on the phone. His expression didn’t look great.

After a few terse words, he hung up and finally got into the driver’s seat.

I was still a little excited about my first ride in a luxury sports car.

"Come on, Zian." He turned to look at me, his eyes scanning my face.

I touched my cheek self-consciously. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Nothing," he replied. "Where to?"

Oh, right. The act was over. Technically, I could let him off the hook now, but considering how much I'd spent... well, I couldn’t let that money go to waste. His voice alone was worth another round. Maybe a song?

I gave him a hotel address, planning to book a short stay. However, he frowned at my choice. "I don't stay in places like that."

"Then where do you stay?"

The moment the elevator doors opened at his chosen location, I felt like a small-town girl stepping into a whole new world. The top-floor suite. A luxurious river view.

After my initial awe, panic set in. "How much does this cost?"

"Nothing," he said nonchalantly.

"What do you mean 'nothing'? Does your family own the place?"

He just raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

Excitement, anger and heartbreak all hit me at once. This man was clearly out of my league. Hiring him had drained my entire year-end bonus—brief pleasure at the cost of financial ruin.

The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became. Without warning, I pushed him down onto the plush sofa, straddling his legs. My hands landed naturally on his broad shoulders. The dim lighting in the restaurant earlier didn’t do him justice. Up close, he was even more breathtaking. He was testing every bit of my self-control.

He blinked in surprise at my sudden move, opening his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Shhh... Don't talk. Don't test me."

I leaned in, my lips brushing against his.

His whole body stiffened and I could feel his heartbeat quicken. He tried to push me away gently, but I nibbled at his lips and whispered, "You don’t like it? Too bad. I paid for this."

Whoever pays is the boss. With that, I kissed him again.

This time, he responded. One arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer, while his other hand tangled in my hair, deepening the kiss. He was definitely new to this—his movements were hesitant, awkward even. At one point, he bumped against my teeth and I let out a small gasp.

That seemed to flip a switch in him. Heat flooded the room and I felt the intensity of his kisses rise, leaving my head spinning. Just when things were getting... interesting, my phone rang.

I pushed against his chest, breathless. "Phone."

Clearly annoyed, Zian reached over, grabbed my phone and handed it to me. The moment I took it, the screen went dark—the call had ended. Before I could react, Zian pulled me back in, kissing my earlobe. I shivered. The sensation was electric. Despite his composed exterior, his reddened ears betrayed him.

***

The next morning, when I finally woke up, I grabbed my phone and froze. 99+ messages from my best friend. My stomach churned as I clicked. Among all the messages, one stood out.

[The new guy was too nervous and ran away last night.]

My eyes widened. If the model ran away last night... then... who was I hugging and kissing?!