Mariam_Oseni

In the glittering heart of New York City, where power, money, and status define everything, Kate Johnson lives in the shadows—quiet, hardworking, and overlooked. As a live-in maid in the luxurious penthouse of Jade Williams, a cold, enigmatic billionaire heir, Kate keeps her head down and her heart guarded.

But one fateful night changes everything.

After an unexpected encounter laced with vulnerability and forbidden desire, Kate finds herself tangled in a web of secrets, betrayal, and passion. She soon discovers she’s pregnant—and her world flips. Jade, known for his ruthlessness in business and indifference to emotions, steps up with a shocking proposal: marriage. Not for love, but protection, reputation, and legacy.

What starts as a contract turns into a complicated dance of suppressed feelings, heated arguments, stolen glances, and undeniable chemistry. As Kate navigates the cold world of Manhattan elites and the vicious media, she begins to uncover truths about Jade’s past, including family betrayals, corporate conspiracies, and a hidden will that could destroy everything.

With a baby on the way, enemies circling, and a love neither of them expected growing in the unlikeliest of places, Kate must decide: is she just a pawn in Jade’s world—or the queen he never knew he needed?

Tangled with the Boss

Kate Johnson wasn't used to being the one people scrambled to impress.

But there she was, seated in a private dining room at The Lafayette Club, where billionaires made deals over vintage wine and marbled duck. The chandelier sparkled above her like she belonged — and for the first time, she didn't feel like an imposter.

Across from her sat Vivian DuPont, CEO of a top Fortune 500 tech firm and one of the most powerful Black women in America. Her reputation was razor-sharp. Her stilettos were red-bottomed. Her voice? Velvet over iron.

"I saw your interview," Vivian said, sipping her cabernet. "You don't blink. I like that."

Kate offered a polite smile. "Thank you. I just spoke my truth."

Vivian chuckled. "There's a difference between truth and brand. You've managed both. That's rare."

A waiter brought the main course. Vivian ignored it.

"I want you to join my board," she said suddenly. "We're expanding into community-driven initiatives. I need someone with vision — and teeth."

Kate's fork paused mid-air. "You're offering me a seat?"

Vivian leaned in. "A trial seat. Temporary. Six months. Generous stipend. You bring credibility, fresh voice, youth. In exchange, you don't stir too much chaos. Play smart. Say the right things. Keep the personal stuff out of the press."

Kate cleared her throat. "And the campaign?"

Vivian shrugged. "Empower can stay. But keep it clean. Corporate-friendly. I'm giving you a ladder — not a megaphone."

It was the kind of offer people would kill for. It would triple her network, boost her résumé, and elevate her voice...

But only if she softened the edges.

That night, Kate stood in her apartment, staring at the city lights. The air was cool through the cracked window. Her phone buzzed.

He arrived twenty minutes later, still in his blazer but with his tie loose — the casual version of serious Jade.

Kate poured them both a glass of whiskey and explained everything.

Vivian. The seat. The silent terms.

Jade listened quietly, his jaw tightening.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"I'm thinking… I didn't fight this hard to be told how to behave again."

He stepped closer, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You don't need anyone's ladder, Kate. You are the ladder."

Her eyes shimmered. "But what if this is the only chance to build something massive?"

"Then build it your way," he said. "If you shrink for them now, you'll always have to."

Silence stretched between them. Heavy. Honest.

Then Kate whispered, "I want you."

She nodded, pulling him into her like gravity. "Now."

They barely made it to the bedroom.

Her fingers tangled in his shirt buttons, lips pressing heat into his neck. He lifted her with ease, laying her down with a reverence that made her ache.

It was need — raw and messy and real.

Clothes scattered across the floor like falling defenses.

Jade's mouth explored her skin like it was familiar territory he still couldn't get enough of.

She gasped as his hands found all the places that made her tremble, his voice a low growl against her collarbone.

"You drive me insane, Kate Johnson."

She arched into him, breathless. "Then don't stop."

The night burned — fast, hard, then tender. The kind of intimacy that said I see all of you and I still want more.

And afterward, wrapped in his arms, her head on his bare chest, Kate whispered, "I'm going to turn them down."

The next morning, Kate sent her reply.

> Thank you for the opportunity. But I didn't come this far to sit quietly. I came to roar.

She closed the laptop and opened her notebook.

At the top, she wrote: New idea: Women Who Dared.

And this time, she wasn't asking for permission.

Chapter 15