Want to Fall in Love? The Life-Threatening Kind!

I never thought the first funeral I’d attend would be for my best friend, Yina Ford.

Her body wasn’t even cold on the ground yet, and somehow, I was already involved with her man.

The face in the black-and-white photo was far too young. The room was filled with quiet sobs and murmurs of grief. Holding a single white chrysanthemum, I slowly walked up to the front. Out of nowhere, Yina’s mother rushed at me, grabbing my hair and shouting.

Everything turned into chaos. Suddenly, I was pulled into a warm, protective embrace. Through my tear-filled eyes, I looked up and saw him, his face full of guilt and sorrow.

But to Yina’s mother, it must have looked like we were mocking her recently deceased daughter.

After all, everyone knew the man now holding me close, whispering soft reassurances, was Yina’s fiancé when she was alive.

I left the funeral feeling heavy and unsettled.

“I know you’re feeling down, but life goes on, right?” Cason Darken’s voice was gentle as he tried to comfort me. I looked up at him and nodded firmly.

These past few weeks, ever since Yina’s passing, the air had felt thick with grief. She suicided and looked terrible.

The Ford family couldn’t accept their daughter’s sudden, mysterious death. They reported it to the police and were determined to uncover the truth.

But after three months, there were still no answers.

I met Cason during that first week after Yina passed.

He was the kind of man you couldn’t help but notice, handsome, well-mannered, the kind that turns heads. No wonder Yina never introduced him to us, her close friends. She probably feared another woman might try to snatch him away.

But that day in the café, when my eyes met his intense gaze, I knew something was bound to happen between us.

Sure enough, after wrapping up a meeting, Cason walked right over to me.

“I’m Cason. I’ve seen you in Yina’s phone photos.”

I couldn’t believe how smooth and captivating his voice was. Now I understood why Yina kept him hidden.

“I’m so sorry about Yina…” I started, but before I could finish, Cason handed me his business card.

“You were her friend, so I’ll make sure to look after you. If you ever need anything, just call.”

He gave me a brief, charming smile, then walked away.

I held the business card in my hand. It was simple, matte black, with just a gold-embossed name and phone number in the center. A small, barely noticeable logo sat in the corner. Nothing else.

It was just like him, reserved, and mysterious, and the more understated it was, the more it made you want to know everything about him.

For days, Cason filled my thoughts.

His gentle smile from our first meeting began to twist in my dreams, turning into something darker. I woke up in a cold sweat, shaken by the nightmare. Staring out at the moonlit sky, my gaze hardened.

I glanced at the leather-bound journal still in my hand, the one I’d been holding before I fell asleep.

I tucked it away carefully, knowing there was no chance I’d get back to sleep. So I got up.

Suddenly, my phone lit up with a new message. It was just a list of names, all women. Nothing else.

I memorized the names and then deleted the message.

As I stared at those familiar names, I realized it was time to start.

I hadn’t met all these women personally, but growing up with Yina, I knew about them. One thing stood out they all worked in finance.

That clicked something into place.

Later that evening, as I was driving home, I asked my dad for a job at his company.

Yeah, I’m one of those girls who, if things don’t pan out, has a billion-dollar family business to fall back on.

But I was so well-hidden growing up that hardly anyone knew about me. My grandmother raised me, and I even took her last name, Light. My parents named me Wanda.

My distant relationship with them has always been their regret.

So when I finally asked for a job, they were thrilled. They said yes without a second thought.

Two days later, I stepped into Victory Group as the Inspiration Program Manager, directly liaising with the project lead.

When Cason walked into the conference room with the executives, his eyes lit up for a brief moment when he spotted me at the head of the table.

I pretended not to notice, keeping my gaze firmly away from him as if we were strangers.

After a few rounds of negotiations, it was clear that the representative from the Inspiration Program was struggling.

I mean, I was direct admitted to Harvard for my undergrad and was now on track for a master’s and PhD at Oxford in business. I had a few skills up my sleeve.

When it came to negotiation tactics, I knew how to play the game.

The lead negotiator was starting to sweat, looking increasingly uneasy. Just as it seemed we were about to finalize the deal, Cason suddenly called for a break.

I smiled, realizing I had him right where I wanted him.

My secretary led everyone else out of the room, leaving just Cason and me.

I stayed silent, watching him.

He’d have to make the first move.

“I didn’t expect you to be Mr. Carter’s daughter,” he said, breaking the silence.

“You figured it out pretty quickly, Mr. Darken. Impressive,” I replied, raising an eyebrow.

“It was a bit of a surprise. Yina never mentioned you,” he admitted.

I laughed softly. “What? You want me to go easy on you?”

“Not at all. Since you’re Yina’s friend, our bottom line is…” Cason leaned in and quietly shared a number with me. That “commitment” carried weight. He clearly wanted this deal.

I smiled back at him. “Well, thanks, Cason.”

Hearing me use his first name made him smile, too.

He got up and left, then returned shortly with the team from the Inspiration Program.

The next round of negotiations went surprisingly smoothly. I had no idea what Cason had whispered to the lead negotiator, but somehow, they raised the price by five percent on their own.

Half an hour later, everything was settled.

Cason didn’t leave with the Inspiration Program team.

Instead, he lingered by the door of the conference room, waiting for me.

“Want to grab a bite to eat?” he asked.

I agreed with a nod.

We ended up at a steakhouse, not my favorite cuisine, but it felt fitting for the moment.

As we sat down, I dropped my usual sharp demeanor from the negotiation table and let a softer, more vulnerable side show. I could tell he found it endearing.

“I heard you didn’t get involved with the company much before. What’s changed?” he asked, genuinely interested.