I Married My Ex To Save My Family

Emiliano Mason and Kayden Wilson walked into the office together, having met in the elevator, their conversation still on work matters. The second Emiliano stepped inside, his eyes locked onto Amaris Mason. His face was unreadable, but his focus didn't waver for a moment.

Seeing Alexis Patel rise to greet him, Amaris reluctantly did the same. "Good morning, Mr. Mason," she managed, the words flat.

Emiliano stopped at her desk. "Amaris, my office. Now."

"Yes, sir," she replied, keeping her tone neutral.

The air in the office thickened the moment the executive door shut. Alexis's polite smile twisted into something envious. She turned to Kayden, her voice dripping with fake concern. "Emiliano's brought in someone with obvious talent. Aren't you worried she's gonna take your spot?"

Kayden stayed quiet, his attention fixed on the day's materials.

"She's got Emiliano in her corner. All you've got is yourself. If you let her get comfortable as chief secretary, you'll be pushed aside—reassigned, or maybe even canned."

Catching the flicker of panic in Kayden's eyes, Alexis leaned in. "Why not have her handle the reception for Roger Blake?"

Kayden's frown deepened at the name. Roger Blake—Brighton's regional distributor. Sure, he was good at his job, but the guy was a total womanizer. Any dinner with a woman present was basically an open invitation for him to make a move. Alexis herself had barely dodged an ugly situation with him once, and only because Emiliano showed up just in time. After that, Kayden always handled Roger's visits personally.

"I've laid it all out for you. You know what to do. If she can't cut it here, she's still got Emiliano to fall back on. But if you're the one pushed out… where are you gonna go?"

Kayden sat with that thought. Back in the elevator, Emiliano had told him to follow Amaris's lead and report any problems directly to her. It felt like an unofficial demotion.

Inside the executive office, Amaris immediately spotted the breakfast spread on the desk. Emiliano sat down and slid the platter her way. "That's for you."

"No, thanks. I already ate," she refused, fighting to keep the irritation out of her voice. The way he was always on her about her meals was overbearing. "Alexis prepared it for you."

Emiliano caught the edge in her tone. "It's part of her job."

"Obviously I know that. So what's your point?"

Her refusal was crystal clear. Staring at that impassive face, he felt like he was trying to melt a block of ice. After a long silence, she let out a sigh. "Can you just give me my assignments, please?"

Emiliano forced his frustration down, keeping his expression hard. He sat up, drumming his fingers on the desk. "Yesterday was rushed. I didn't have a chance to explain. For work, coordinate with Kayden. From now on, you're handling office duties. I expect you to fill the chief secretary role and prove Grandpa's trust wasn't misplaced. That's all. You can go."

"Yes, Mr. Mason," she said, turning on her heel without a backward glance.

He ground his teeth, silently wondering how the hell she managed to be even colder than him.

Later that afternoon, at the hotel, Amaris and Kayden met to welcome Roger Blake and his crew of four. As soon as Roger got out of the car, his eyes locked onto Amaris—instantly captivated. His gaze swept over her with greedy curiosity, silently marveling at the stunning woman standing before him. She was the epitome of human beauty. In the sunlight, Amaris stood tall, her pale skin making her delicate features even more striking. Her blossom-shaped eyes held a slight flush from the heat, looking dewy and soft. Her makeup was sweat-proof, giving her skin a delicate matte finish that only amped up her allure. Roger was absolutely taken with this style.

"Roger, we meet again…" Kayden started, but Roger was completely oblivious, already reaching for Amaris. "What's your name, lovely lady?"

His accented English nearly made Amaris laugh. She sidestepped smoothly and gave a slight nod. "Hello, Mr. Blake. I'm Amaris Mason, Emiliano's chief secretary. Newly appointed."

Despite failing to touch her hand, Roger's interest only deepened. The unattainable always intrigued him more.

"Kayden, you know me well. This choice is way better than the last."

Kayden felt a jolt but filed that remark away for later. With a partial nod, Amaris gestured politely, "Mr. Blake, you've had a long day in this heat. Let's get you settled in, shall we?"

"Thank you, Amaris. Delighted. Dinner together tonight?"

Amaris paused. Kayden was supposed to be with Emiliano at an industry conference—a fancy dinner banquet that Emiliano, as host, couldn't skip. Two dinners at once, no way to juggle. "Yes, Mr. Blake," she agreed, her voice smooth.

Roger arched an eyebrow, his hands clasped behind his back, teasing. "Great. We'll chat more tonight."

After getting Roger's group settled, Kayden rushed back to the office. Amaris arrived early at the reserved private dining room, touching up her makeup and going over her essentials. Tonight promised to be a challenge. She hoped her preparations wouldn't be needed.

As the hour arrived, everyone for the dinner had shown up. Amaris, with her fresh and professional look, needed little to stand out. Her figure brought the simple suit to life. Roger, seeing her again, was stunned all over again. The earlier matte beauty had shifted into a vibrant, confident executive presence. The table was surrounded by seasoned sharks in the business world, all aware of Roger's intentions toward Amaris but playing dumb, waiting to see what went down.

Being pressured to drink was expected, but openly spiking her wine was a whole other level. Amaris hadn't counted on such blatant nerve.

"Excuse me, I need the restroom."

She shoved Roger's wandering hand off her waist without hesitation, cutting off any chance for retaliation, and bolted to the bathroom. Leaning against the door, she panted. The symptoms hit her hard: dizziness, intense heat, restlessness. Her whole body was on fire, her heart pounding in her ears, every cell screaming, blood boiling.

Thank God she'd come prepared.

She turned on the faucet, gulped water, then shoved her fingers down her throat to make herself puke. After a few rounds, the dark wine surged up. Then she wiped aromatic oil under her nostrils, using the sharp scent to stay alert. To really keep her senses sharp, she let a drop fall straight into her eyes.