Chapter 2 CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

The Will Reading.

Aria Hartwell.

I almost didn't go for the will reading because I knew he was going to be there, the bane of my existence who was also my stepuncle... My phone rang for the tenth time this morning, and it was the lawyer who called this time.

"I'm on my way, I'm really sorry for the delay." I kept my voice as calm and even as possible.

"Fine." Barr. Harrison responded from the other end of the call. "We've been waiting for you for over an hour."

The attorney's office was big enough, but I still felt sufficated because he was in the same room as I was. I sat as far from Cassian as physically possible, with my chair pressed against the mahogany-paneled wall, and even then, I felt like I wasn't far enough from him. Everytime I got reminded of his presence in the room, I thought about the number of orgasms he have me four nights ago at the masked gala party.

I looked up straight ahead at the lawyer, anywhere but on Cassian, and I apologized for coming in late.

I could feel his hot and intense gaze on me. I had felt it since the moment I walked into the conference room fifteen minutes ago. Even with my head held high with a blank expression on my face, I had almost faltered in my steps when my eyes unconsciously spotted him. He'd stood when I entered, as if to show some manners, and I walked past him without acknowledgment.

I was going to pretend that night never happened.

"Aria, darling, you look pale." My mother's voice cut through my thoughts. Mom sat across the table, impeccably dressed in a cream Chanel suit, her platinum hair styled in its usual severe bob. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.

"Perhaps if you'd spent less time at partying hard and more time resting..." She trailed off with a delicate sniff that spoke volumes about her disapproval of my current behaviour.

If only she knew exactly how I spent my time at that gala four nights ago. The thought almost made me laugh, except there was nothing funny about any of this.

"Leave her alone, Rosa." Marcus, my ex boyfriend's voice was smooth as honey as he reached over to squeeze my hand, and I recoiled at how softly he called my mom's name. "She's grieving. We all are."

I pulled my hand away, ignoring the flash of annoyance in his eyes. My ex-boyfriend had been hovering since my father's funeral, sending all concerned texts and unexpected visits. The attention made my skin crawl, but mom approved of him, and I didn't bother acknowledging him.

"Shall we begin?" The attorney, a silver-haired man named Harrison, opened a thick folder. "This is the last will of Richard Hartwell, executed three months before his passing."

Three months... My father had updated his will three months before he died. Something about that timing made my stomach twist, and I was suddenly filled with a wave of nausea after remembering the night I found my father's cold and lifeless body in his room.

Harrison began reading the will, starting from his employees and charities before talking about family. My mother received a substantial trust fund that made her smile with satisfaction. Marcus received nothing, which didn't surprise me because my father had always disapproved of him, but I noticed Mom's lips thin slightly. I wondered why because Marcus wasn't related to us in any way.

Then Harrison got to Hartwell Industries, my father's hard work over the years, and this was the moment everyone sat up and waited.

"The company shares are to be divided equally between Aria Hartwell and Cassian Kent, with each receiving fifty percent ownership."

Relief flooded my veins after hearing that. I could work with that amount of money, sell my shares, clear my debts and disappear from this depressing place. Somewhere I could start over and forget the nightmares that this city always brought me. Far away from the memories of my father and mistakes with my stepuncle who I couldn't stop thinking about despite everything.

"However," Harrison continued, and tension sat in the room once more, "there are conditions attached to Miss Hartwell's inheritance."

The room went silent. I felt Cassian shift in his seat, sensed him, rather than saw him lean forward.

"What conditions?" I sat forward, thinking that it wouldn't be that bad or anything.

Harrison adjusted his glasses. "For Aria Hartwell to inherit her fifty percent of Hartwell Industries, she must work as Co-CEO alongside Cassian Kent for a period of one full year, starting within one week of this reading. She must report to the company headquarters five days per week, participate in all major business decisions, and fulfill standard executive duties."

I stared in shock. One year? Working alongside Cassian? Five days a week?

"That's ridiculous," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "My father would never make me..."

"There's more," Harrison interrupted gently. "Miss Hartwell's office will be adjacent to Mr. Kent's, with a shared conference room and executive assistant. All major company decisions must be made jointly. Should Miss Hartwell refuse these terms, quit, or be terminated for cause, her shares automatically transfer to Mr. Kent, making him the sole owner of the company."

I felt trapped... Suffocated. What was this? What did my father think he was doing?

"That's ridiculous! What if Cassian tries to force her out? Manipulate the board and everything so he can take the company for himself, what about that?" Marcus asked, his voice tight with barely concealed anger.

"Then his shares transfer to Miss Hartwell." Harrison looked between Cassian and me. "An independent and anonymous board member has been appointed to mediate any disputes and ensure fair treatment on both sides."

I finally allowed myself to look at Cassian. His face was blank, but his hands were clenched on the armrests of his chair, knuckles white with tension. Those same hands that had touched me in the darkness, that had learned every curve of my body... Heat crawled up my neck at the memory, and I looked away quickly. This wasn't the time for it.

"This is outrageous," My mother banged her fists on the table, making everyone jump in shock, she was no longer the docile woman she primed herself to be. "Forcing Aria into a position she's completely unqualified for—"

Okay, that was offensive.

"I have a business degree from NYU," I cut her off, my pride stung despite everything. "With honors."

Mom's eyebrows rose in genuine surprise. She'd never bothered to ask about my education, too busy dismissing me as a party girl wasting my father's money.

"Nevertheless," she continued smoothly, "this arrangement seems designed to fail. Aria and Cassian can barely stand to be in the same room together. How are they supposed to run a company?"

She wasn't wrong. The tension in the conference room was thick enough to choke on. I could feel Cassian's gaze on me again, heavy and assessing, and I refused to meet it.

"There's one final provision," Harrison said, consulting his notes. "Upon successful completion of the one-year term, Miss Hartwell will receive access to a private trust containing documents that Mr. Hartwell believed she deserved to know. This trust can only be accessed after the full year is completed."

My father had left me a mystery. A carrot dangling just out of reach, ensuring I couldn't walk away even if I wanted to. And God, I wanted to. I wanted to stand up and walk out, even if it meant having my shares transferred to Cassian, but this was my only hope now.

"You have forty-eight hours to make your decision," Harrison said, closing the folder. "After that, the terms become void and the shares default to Mr. Kent."

The meeting ended. People stood, gathering their things, but I remained frozen in my chair. One year working beside Cassian. One year pretending that night never happened while my body remembered every touch, every kiss, every whispered word in the darkness.

"Aria." Cassian's voice was low, meant only for me.

I stood abruptly, grabbing my purse. "Don't."

"We need to talk about—"

"There's nothing to talk about." I finally met his eyes, and the impact was immediate. Grey eyes that had darkened with desire in the shadows, that had watched me come apart beneath him. "That night was a mistake. It never happened. And if you think I'm going to let you force me out of my inheritance, you're wrong."

"What night?" His brows scrunched together in confusion, and I felt the words get stuck in my throat.

Didn't he remember? Didn't he take off my mask that night to see?

"Did you drink again last night?" He scoffed and gave me a once-over. "Anyway, what do I expect from a girl who only knows how to party and spend her father's money? You better report to work by 9am on Monday, because the rules are strict. And if you default any rules, you should be prepared for the punishments that would come after that."