*Shelby*“Of course, I’ll marry you, Michael! I love you so much,” I said.He stood and wrapped me in his arms. I stood on my tippy toes to kiss him, and he slipped his hand up to cup the back of my head. His kisses were as soft as a kitten's but steadily grew in intensity as his hands wandered down my back. My hands gripped the front of his shirt, pulling him closer to me.In a flash of movement, Michael grabbed my thighs and hoisted me into the air. I felt as though I was hanging off the side of a cliff, supported by nothing more than his strong hands, but I didn’t care and kissed him harder.Michael eased us both onto the tartan blanket, where just minutes ago, we had been eating our picnic breakfast. The scratchy wool teased the inch of exposed skin at my waist as my shirt wandered its way up my torso.Michael’s hand explored my body as though determined to memorize every inch of my figure. His hands slipped in the small gap under my shirt and slipped it ov

*Michael*“Billionaire Playboy Settles for a Nobody”I shook my head at the recent headline that Reggie had dropped off on my desk. We’d been seen in Paris the night before we flew home, and in the three days following our return, the magazines and gossip tabloids were having a field day with the news of our engagement. Under the headline was the picture of us at dinner. My hand was reaching out and brushing Shelby’s lip. I had to admit that she looked incredibly stunning in the picture. Of all of the pictures that could’ve leaked, this was the best one. I couldn’t help but stare at the way her lips closed in a perfect cupid’s bow.She had to fly back to Cambridge for the start of her classes after our spring break vacation. I’d been cooped up in my office since returning, trying my best to catch up on the work I missed while we were gone. Also, a larger part of me liked being in the office and away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. With the leaked story

*Shelby*“How did you find all of these articles?” I asked Lin. “I searched Michael’s name instead of yours. Not all of the articles list you by name, probably so they won’t get sued for slander, but you know the internet. If people want to find out who you are, they will,” Lin answered.I scanned over the pages and pages of search results that popped up. All of which didn’t sound as though they were painting me in a very positive light. I clicked on an article titled “Astor's Secret Mistress Goes on a Drunken Ride.”The article had a picture of me right after I’d fallen off of my bike and was wandering into the little village below the castle rental. I was clearly bleeding in the photos, which were followed by a picture of me in the small cafe drinking wine. They painted a picture of me getting drunk on purpose, which caused the bike wreck. When in reality, I fell and then had a drink to calm my nerves. The entire article portrayed me as someone who was comm

*Shelby*With trembling hands, I reached for my phone and started to call Lin. She didn’t answer, and I remembered she was thankfully still in class. A sigh of relief washed over me once I realized she wasn’t home.That meant someone had broken into our house, which wasn’t an ideal situation either. Whatever happened had to have been recent. Surely someone would’ve stopped by if the door was left open for hours. Something was very wrong. My first instinct was to call Michael, but Bruce was the one who handled all security matters, so I rang him instead. I edged closer to the house, trying to hear if someone might still be inside.A feeling of absolute dread washed over me when I heard a phone ringing, the same one I was calling. Before I realized what I was doing, I rushed inside, stepping on broken glass and stumbling over a broken chair leg. Then I saw him.Bruce was on the floor, face down, blood pooling around him. An anguished cry escaped my l

*Shelby*The Express Air building was completely empty by the time I got there. It felt almost eerie to hear the sound of my own footsteps on the marble tile, echoing off the high ceilings. I pushed the button for the elevator, and the doors automatically opened, as if it was waiting there just for me. The lights were still on when I got out of the elevator on the top floor, and I could see Michael sitting alone in his office, staring across the empty room at nothing. Bruce being attacked had clearly upset him deeply.Michael took a slow sip of the whiskey in his hand as I walked through the glass doors that separated him from the rest of the office space.“Hey, Michael. Are you doing okay? Have you had any news about Bruce?” I asked.Michael flinched a little as I spoke; he had been so lost in thought that he did not see me come in. “Shelby? I’m so sorry I didn’t hear the elevator. I’m just trying to put the pieces together in my head. I don’t know ho