Fallen Star

I was at dinner with my fiancé-to-be when my arch-nemesis decided to crash the party.
As if stealing my contracts wasn't enough, now he was ruining my date.
Getting married after just one week? I never took you for someone who's into beanpoles, Vivian, he sneered, his voice a low rumble. You could do better. Or is he the best you could find?
His chest, his abs, his biceps—they were all practically flexing in my face, making my head spin. I couldn't make out the rest of his taunts over the buzzing in my ears.
Drunk and utterly annoyed, all I could think was how much better life would be if he were mute.
On a dizzying impulse, I stood on my toes and kissed him.
And just like that, the world went silent.

1
I was having dinner with Richard Murray, the man I was supposed to marry.
My interest was lukewarm at best; his politeness was impeccable.
Richard was the optimal solution, the result of a cold, hard cost-benefit analysis. Marrying him would satisfy my parents, which meant the family fortune wouldn't fall into the hands of my good-for-nothing older brother, Tyler.
Sometimes, the unfairness of it all was suffocating. Just because he was born with the right equipment, why did everything I worked for count for less than his mere existence? It was infuriating.
I threw back a few glasses of whiskey, the burn a welcome distraction.
My phone lit up. A message from my nemesis, Leo Rowling.
[Well, well. Enjoying dinner?]
Attached was a photo of Richard and me, right at this very table. Another one of his spies, no doubt, lurking in some shadowy corner.
I fired back without hesitation.
[You’re hilarious. Should I be eating scraps like you instead? And next time you have me stalked, tell your guy to use a beauty filter.]
Leo: [That was taken out in the open. You’re in my restaurant. Who's the guy across from you?]
Oh, right. I’d forgotten. Leo had bought this place last week, right after snatching that massive contract that should have been mine.
I replied: [My new boyfriend. We’re getting engaged next week.]
A flood of over a dozen messages poured in, as if I’d stomped on a dog’s tail.
[What new boyfriend? My mom said your mom was just setting you up on dates last week.]
[Don't you hate blind dates?]
[Engaged?]
[To that beanpole sitting across from you?]
[Are you just trying to mess with me?]
[For real?]
Then, as if talking to himself, he concluded:
[Impossible.]
[You hate men.]
I drained another glass, the frustration boiling inside me.
I typed back:
[I hate you. I hate dogs.]
Heh. He doesn't believe me?
My fingers flew across the screen.
[Who sent you that picture? Tell him to wipe his lens and watch closely. I’ll give him a real show.]

2
Of course, I was just trying to piss Leo off.
There was no way I was actually going to kiss Richard.
He sat across from me, as elegant as a prince, radiating an almost ethereal sense of detachment. We’d only known each other for a week, but he was, without a doubt, the most handsome of all the candidates my parents had paraded before me.
When I’d presented him with my absurd proposal—"engaged next week, married next month"—he had simply smiled and said, "Whatever makes you happy."
I couldn't bring myself to assault a genuinely nice guy.
But when I get agitated, my drinking knows no bounds. Richard politely warned me a few times about the toll it would take, but I just waved him off.
He really was the perfect gentleman. Even on a date, his posture was ramrod straight. He cut his steak without making a sound. And me? Half a bottle of whiskey down, I was slumped in my chair like a rag doll.
Considering all that, I was lucky Richard wasn't completely repulsed by me. With his family's standing, he could have his pick of high-society debutantes. What was I? If I had to pick one redeeming quality, it was that I was a straightforward drinker who didn't play games.
With that thought, I went to pour another glass. My hand trembled, spilling some of the amber liquid on the table.
"Vivian, you've had enough. It's not good for you," Richard said softly, his hand gently covering mine.
I just shook my head with a weak smile, ready to down it anyway, when the bottle was snatched from my grasp.
I looked up. Leo was standing there, panting, his chest heaving.
"That's not how you stop her! You've got to be kidding me," he scoffed at Richard. "Watch and learn."
With that, he tilted his head back and chugged the remaining half of the bottle. Before I could even react, he plucked the glass from my hand and drained that too.
Excuse me?
Was stealing my business deals not enough? Now he had to come all the way here to steal my alcohol?
"Leo Rowling, I'm going to kill you!" I lunged at him, grabbing the collar of his shirt.
Richard quickly stood up to restrain me. "Vivian, calm down."
Leo let me claw at him, sneering at Richard. "Who gave you the right to call her Vivian?" Then his gaze snapped back to me. "You've known him a week and you let him call you that?"
"It's none of your damn business!" I shot back. "Tomorrow I’ll be calling him ‘honey’!"
A faint blush crept up Richard’s cheeks.
Leo's face darkened into a thundercloud. He grabbed my arm. "You're drunk. I'm taking you home."
Richard took my other arm. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Rowling. I'll see Vivian home."
Both of them, wanting to take me home.
Did neither of them realize that home was the last place on earth I wanted to be right now?
I drunkenly pointed a finger at Leo. "Your family owns hotels, right? Get me a room. The most expensive one you have!"
Then I swung around to face Richard. "Let's go. We're getting a room!"

3
Somehow, I ended up being hauled into a car by Leo.
Richard was driving. He was the only one of the three of us who hadn't been drinking.
The moment I was in the car, I passed out.
When I woke up again, the first thing I saw was the face of the person I despised most in the world.
"Here. Hangover cure."
Leo held a bowl out to me. "Honey, apple, and pear. I had the chef make it specially."
I turned my head away. "I don't want it! I, Vivian Lin, do not accept charity!"
It was only then that I realized I was, in fact, in the presidential suite of one of Leo's hotels. The living room was big enough to host a track meet.
My head was pounding, the alcohol making my vision swim. Everything seemed to have a double.
"Why are you still here? I'll have my fiancé wire you the money for the room. Hey, where is he anyway?"
Leo suddenly leaned in close, pinching my cheeks together and forcing the bowl to my lips.
"Just drink it. You'll thank me tomorrow when your head isn't splitting open," he muttered. "And stop talking. I haven't liked a single thing you've said tonight."
I choked, sputtering, and swatted the bowl away, sending its contents splashing all over his shirt.
"Get away from me!"
Alcohol has a way of turning up the volume on emotions, and a wave of raw misery washed over me. This was supposed to be Leo's moment of triumph, wasn't it? Last week, he’d swooped in and snatched a major government contract right out from under me.
Because of that, I was now fighting a war on two fronts. My father, convinced that a woman could never truly run the company, was demanding I hand over my executive powers to my brother, Tyler—that useless parasite who knew nothing but partying.
If I wanted to stay at Lin Corp, my only option was to play nice and secure a strategic marriage. I couldn't let years of my hard work go up in smoke. So yes, I was willing to gamble my own marriage to win this fight.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. And the source of all my misfortune was standing right in front of me.
My words came out in a drunken slur. "I hate you! You're the person I hate most in this entire world! You sabotage me, you steal my clients, and you love watching me fail! Are you satisfied now? I'm about to get engaged to a man I've known for a week. Are you happy?"
I grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and hurled it at him. "Get out! Just get out!"
Having spent the last of my energy, my body gave out. I collapsed onto the sofa and fell back into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Well, not entirely dreamless. I'm pretty sure I murdered Leo Rowling at least eight hundred times.

4
From a distance, I could hear the faint sound of running water.
I rubbed my temples, trying to clear the fog from my head. I had no idea how long I’d been asleep, but I felt a little more clear-headed.
Someone had draped a blanket over me. I pushed it off and stood up, but before I could take two steps, I collided with Leo as he walked out of the bathroom.
He was bare-chested, a single white towel slung low on his hips.
Seeing my shocked expression, a slow, lazy grin spread across his face. "You're awake."
My eyes widened. "Were you taking a shower in here?!"
He shrugged, completely unfazed. "I paid for the room. Why can't I shower in it?"
As infuriating as always.
"I told you I'd pay you back!"
"Do I look like I need the money?"
I was speechless. There was no one on this planet more insufferable than him.
"You're a pervert!" I seethed.
He tilted his head, shaking a drop of water from his ear as if he hadn't heard me. "No good deed goes unpunished. I try to give you a hangover cure, you dump it all over me. I had to wash it off before I could leave."
I had no memory of that. I just rolled my eyes at him. "What hangover cure? Where's Richard?"
Leo let out a sharp "tsk" and began to close the distance between us. "You wake up and the first person you ask for is him? You really care about him, huh?"
I stumbled backward as he advanced, my heart starting to pound for no reason at all. The sudden proximity was unnerving. Luckily, my mouth was as stubborn as ever.
"Of course! Should I be asking about you instead?"
He continued his slow, predatory approach until my back hit the wall. I was trapped.
"I never knew you were into beanpoles," he murmured, his voice low. "Why are you blushing?"

5
I swallowed hard, forcing my gaze away from the chiseled torso that was mere inches from my face.
"I am not!" I retorted, my voice betraying my confidence.
A low chuckle rumbled in Leo's chest. He reached out and pinched my cheek. "You totally are. Raise your standards a little, Viv. You should find someone who actually fits your tastes. Or is that the problem? You can't find anyone?" He clicked his tongue. "Then again, I guess a bookworm like him is all you can get."
I shut my eyes, silently chanting a mantra. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. This is just a trick from the enemy. He's using his ridiculously good body to mess with me. Beneath those eight-pack abs lies a heart full of pure evil.
Leo leaned in, bracing his hands on the wall on either side of my head. "Cat got your tongue? Did I hit a nerve? Don't go crying into your pillow later."
The alcohol still swirling in my system made my head feel like it was floating. He was so close I could smell the fresh, clean scent of his body wash. And he just wouldn't stop talking.
God, it was so annoying.
"You bastard…" I muttered under my breath.
His voice was a deep vibration right above me. "Such a filthy mouth. I can't imagine who would ever marry you."
He kept murmuring something, but the words were a jumbled mess in my buzzing brain. But his body… Damn it, his body was undeniably perfect. How could someone so infuriating be blessed with a face—and a body—like that? The universe had made a grave mistake.
Leo was still talking, his lips moving, forming words I couldn't process. They were… surprisingly sensual.
If only he were a mute.
That thought was the final spark. My brain short-circuited. I surged up on my toes, grabbed his face with both hands, and smashed my lips against his.
It was the quickest way I could think of to finally shut him up.

6
Just as things were getting heated, Leo pulled me off him.
"Vivian," he said, his voice strained. "Do you know who I am?"
Being interrupted at a moment like this was beyond frustrating. Who in their right mind stops to talk?
"You talk too much…" I grumbled.
He watched me intently, a nervous energy about him. "You don't think I'm Richard, do you?"
"Do I look blind to you? You're Leo Rowling."
The mood was instantly shattered. I gave him a shove. "Never mind. If you're not into it, then get off."
The next thing I knew, I was being pulled into a powerful embrace. In a fluid motion, our positions were reversed. He was now pinning me, his eyes glowing with the intensity of a predator in the night.
Just when I expected another barrage of insults, his lips crashed down on mine.
…
I think I might have gone to war in my dreams.
When I woke up, every single muscle in my body ached. As I shifted, I realized I was being held in someone's arms.
I turned my head in a panic and came face-to-face with a man whose features were as handsome as they were infuriating.
Then it all came flooding back.
I remembered how I had silenced him, and how he, in turn, had made sure I couldn't get out of bed.
If I wasn't so afraid of waking him, I would have slapped myself silly. Damn my weakness for attractive men. If I was going to have a one-night stand, couldn't I have picked someone—anyone—else?
But now wasn't the time for self-flagellation. What was done was done. The immediate priority was to execute Operation: Great Escape.
I stealthily gathered my clothes from the floor and, after a frantic search, located my purse in the living room. There was no time to find my shoes. I slipped on a pair of hotel slippers and bolted.

7
I had an appointment with Richard today to pick out our engagement outfits.
Thankfully, the night of debauchery hadn't ruined my sleep. I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed, without a hint of a hangover. After a quick shower and a change of clothes at home, I headed out to meet him.
I was trying on the second wedding dress when Leo's call came through. Normally, I would have ignored it, but today, a tiny bit of guilt gnawed at me. I slipped outside the shop to answer.
The fury on the other end of the line was practically melting my phone.
"Vivian Lin, what the hell is the meaning of the two hundred dollars on the nightstand?!"
I held the phone a little farther from my ear and forced a laugh. "Hey, don't take it the wrong way. I just thought you… put in a lot of effort last night. It's for, you know, nutritional expenses. It was all the cash I had on me. I'm not really sure what the going rate is, so if it's not enough, I can wire you the rest."
Before leaving, I had emptied my wallet onto the nightstand. I’d hoped he would appreciate the gesture of my sincere apology.
Clearly, he did not.
Then again, for a face and body like that, maybe I had lowballed him.
There was a moment of stunned silence on his end, followed by a voice seething with rage. "Are… you… treating me… like a gigolo?!"
I glanced nervously back into the shop. Richard was still patiently browsing the racks, oblivious. I lowered my voice. "Those are your words, not mine."
Leo must have noticed my hushed tone. "Where are you right now?" he demanded.
"Oh, I'm trying on wedding dresses," I blurted out without thinking.
The line went dead quiet. For a second, I thought the call had dropped. Then, Leo's voice came back, low and menacing.
"Send me your location. Now."
A shiver went down my spine.
But then his tone softened slightly. "Don't get the wrong idea. I just wanted to return the shoes you left behind."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "Oh. Well, that's thoughtful of you. Thanks."
Fifteen minutes after I hung up, a sports car screeched to a halt in front of the bridal shop. The sound was impossible to ignore. I gave Richard an apologetic smile and hurried outside.
Leo looked like he hadn't slept a wink. His face was so dark he could have been mining coal.
"Wow, that was fast. Did you fly here?" My awkward attempt at a joke fell flat. He just glared at me, his expression stony, as if I owed him a fortune.
I wasn't in the mood to coddle the big baby. I held out my hand. "So, the shoes? Give them to me so you can get going."
He glanced down at my outstretched hand, then back up at me, his eyes cold. "You sleep with me one night and you're trying on wedding dresses the next. You've got some nerve, Vivian."
"It's for the engagement party," I corrected, then immediately regretted it. Why was I even explaining myself? What happened last night was a drunken mistake. That's an understanding all adults should have, right?
I pressed on. "The shoes?"
"Is there anything else you want to say to me?"
"Uh… thanks for last night?"
That seemed to be the last straw. "Vivian!" he roared.
I desperately wanted to clamp a hand over his mouth. I shot a panicked look back at the shop and saw Richard walking toward us. My heart leaped into my throat. I yanked Leo's arm. "Keep your voice down! Are you trying to advertise this?"

8
Richard reached my side and calmly extended a hand to Leo. "Mr. Rowling, thank you for arranging the room for Vivian last night. If you don't mind, I'd like to add you as a contact so I can reimburse you for the expense."
The ice on Leo's face seemed to thicken. "Not convenient," he grunted.
I was mortified, my eyes darting between them. Leo was a loose cannon. If he decided to spill the beans right here, right now, I was completely screwed.
Sure enough, Leo opened his mouth, a malicious glint in his eye. "Oh, the trouble she caused me last night involved more than just booking a room…"
"Ah!" I shrieked, cutting him off. "Leo is my best friend! My gay best friend!"
Both men stared at me, dumbfounded.
I pressed on, digging my hole deeper. "He's just here to help me pick a dress! You know, a gay man's eye for fashion is… sharper."
Leo was frozen in place, utterly stunned by my declaration.
It was Richard who recovered first, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Is that so? Well then, please, come inside and help us choose. Vivian's friend Chloe couldn't make it today, so your input would be greatly appreciated, Mr. Rowling."

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