Mission: From Divorcee to Millionaire

But here's the thing!

He claimed to be all about fairness, but let's be real-he bent the rules at least once. Selena wasn't naive. She knew that Jackson, the secretary from their department, was Margot's cousin, and it was Everett who helped Jackson land that job. Talk about double standards, huh? One rule for everyone else and another for his "true love."

If Selena hadn't been in on the truth, she might've almost swallowed his sweet lies. Luckily, she wasn't here to twist his arm into hiring someone. He turned her down, and that was all she needed to report back to her uncle. Mission accomplished. Selena swallowed her bitterness and forced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Fine, forget it. Pretend I was never here. Goodbye!" she said, and with no further ado, she snatched up her purse and headed for the door.

Everett was caught off guard by her abrupt exit, especially after everything she had done to get there. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Just like that, you're leaving?"

Selena tried to shake him off, but his grip was firm. She turned back with a resigned sigh. "You've already turned me down. What do you expect? Should I stick around and beg?"

That seemed to be exactly what he wanted. His dark eyes bore into hers, silent.

Selena smirked, "Keep dreaming."

Now, Everett got it. Her visit was just a performance, a way to appease her uncle by using him as a stepping stone. Once she got what she needed, she was ready to burn the bridge without a second thought. Basically, she'd outsmarted him yet again. "Let go. I'm leaving."

Selena wasn't about to waste more time here. She had plans to swing by Ink & Insight to see if there were any new gigs she could pick up. With her spousal allowance cut off, she needed to hustle to make next month's salary.

Everett wasn't thrilled about her eagerness to bail, but instead of letting her go, he calmly said, "I could give you a chance to change my mind."

Selena paused, surprised. From

what she knew, Everett was the kind

of guy who never went back on his

word. Yet here he was, after just declaring he wouldn't play favorites,This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

now offering a way to sway him....

Curiosity piqued, she asked, "And how exactly do you think I can do that?"

He tossed back her earlier words. "Just a simple thing. Something you can do with your lips." What on earth did he mean?

Before she could wrap her head around it Everett pulled her in, pressing her against his solid frame. One arm wrapped around her waist, the other cradled her head, drawing her closer.

He kissed her assertively and intensely.

Everything happened so fast. His actions were smooth and intentional. By the time Selena caught on, Everett had already parted her lips, taking what he wanted. "Umm..."

Once she snapped back to reality, she was both furious and flustered. Was Everett seriously taking advantage of the moment?

Maybe it had been too long since

he'd felt this way. His body heat soared unsatisfied with just a kiss. He grabbed her slender waist and gently tossed her onto the plush couch.

In the blink of an eye, his tall frame was over her, pinning her hands above her head, and he claimed her lips again with fervor.