The air in the Crown Towers boardroom crackled with the tension of a high-stakes meeting. Avery Smith, her heart pounding like a drum against her ribs, pushed through the heavy glass doors, oblivious to the secretary's frantic calls. News she'd heard that morning had ignited a desperate fire within her, overriding all caution.

Her gaze swept across the room, past the stern faces of the board members, until it landed on the man at the head of the table. He was impossibly handsome, even with a coldness that seemed to eman chill the very air around him. This was him. This was Anderson Crown.

"I will not marry you!" Her voice, barely more than a terrified whisper, echoed unnaturally loud in the sudden silence. All eyes, sharp and judgmental, turned to her. Avery's courage, a fleeting spark, vanished, leaving her trembling at the entrance, her long dark hair falling like a curtain around her face. The secretary, equally stunned, approached, but Avery remained rooted to the spot, a deer caught in headlights. She had to make her stand, now, or face a future she desperately wanted to avoid.