I was up to my elbows in files when a new notification on my phone buzzed with another high-profile client request. It was supposed to be just a normal day-a Tuesday with nothing eventful beyond an average, busy balancing of matchmaking half of New York's elite while my best friend and business partner, Zoe, did her magic with the company finances. Together, we'd built a very successful empire from the ground up: *Harmony Matchmaking*, a boutique service for the rich and powerful, and business had never been better. Zoe handled the numbers, I handled the love stories.
"Chloe, I think you're gonna want to see this," Lila, my assistant, called from her desk just outside my office.
I looked up, narrowing my eyes in curiosity. "What is it? Another celebrity with unrealistic expectations?
"Better," she smiled. "You'll see. Check your client list."
I tapped my phone's screen curiously open to the client request. Anticipating some middle-of-the-road somebody needing a second chance at love, or a social climber hoping to marry her way into Manhattan's upper echelons, my eyes landed on a name I never thought I'd ever see associated with my business.
Ethan Cole.
My stomach dropped, and I stared at the name, it felt like, forever. It couldn't be. It had to be some kind of mistake.
"Is this for real?" I muttered, promptly rising onto my feet and hurrying toward Lila's desk, my mind racing. "*The* Ethan Cole? The CEO of Cole Industries?"
Lila nodded as the smile oozed across her face. "It's legit. He submitted a request through the VIP portal. He wants a personal consultation.
My stomach did this weird flip-flop of excitement, immediately followed by dread. This was the Ethan Cole-billionaire tech mogul, known for his razor-sharp business acumen, an even sharper tongue, and basically the kind of guy that could have anything he wanted, except apparently love. But matchmaking for him? Like trying to light a fire in a rainstorm. The man was cold, cold, cold.
Zoe entered the office, coffee in one hand, stack of investment reports in the other. "Why does everybody look like they saw a ghost?" she asked, her emerald eyes darting from Lila to me and back.
I waved the phone at her. "Because Ethan Cole just became a client.
Zoë's eyes went round as she set her coffee down. "Wait, *the* Ethan Cole? What on earth does he need a matchmaker for? Isn't he, like allergic to people?"
"That's what I thought too," I said, running a hand through my hair. "But apparently, he's reached out. And he wants me to find him a match.
Zoe sat on the edge of my desk, crossing her arms. "Oh boy. He's known for being ruthless in business. Are you sure this is a good idea?"
I sighed, sinking back into my chair. "I'm not sure of anything right now. But he's huge. If I pull this off, it could take Harmony Matchmaking to the next level.
Zoe grinned. "I hope you're ready to deal with his icy charm. The man has a reputation for being impossible. Maybe he needs more than a match. Maybe he needs a personality transplant.
I snorted, but the joke did little for the building pressure in my chest. Sure-I was the best matchmaker in the city, and my success rate was pretty well flawless. But Ethan Cole? This was different. He wasn't some other high-profile client, chatting it up on every social calendar from here to Los Angeles. He was a walking fortress. The man was emotionally unavailable by all accounts.
But then again, that was my job, wasn't it? To break down walls and find compatibility in the most unlikely of places. And if there was anyone who could crack Ethan Cole's icy exterior, it had to be me.
The next morning, I stood outside the lobby of Cole Tower, a steel-and-glass monument to Ethan Cole's business empire. Cold, sleek, and intimidating-just like the man who owned it. My hand tightened on my portfolio as the elevator shot up to the top floor, my nerves bouncing with it.
"Relax, Chloe," I muttered under my breath. "You've dealt with powerful men before. You've got this.
The doors slid open, revealing his assistant: an Amazon of a woman who looked like she could snap a man in two over her knee if she so chose. She ushered me into a spacious office with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city. Ethan was seated at a large mahogany desk, staring at something on his tablet. He didn't immediately look up, which gave me a few seconds to study him.
Ethan Cole was dark, sharply cut hair, angular jawline, and eyes so icy blue they practically chilled the room. His suit screamed money, but the stiffness in his posture told me he was every bit as guarded as I'd heard.
"Ms. Hastings," he said after clearing his throat, his deep voice cutting through the silence as he finally looked up. "Thank you for coming.".
His gaze finally lifted to mine, and I felt like I was being sized up, calculated, like some sort of business transaction. I forced a smile, refusing to show him a single crack in my armor. "Mr. Cole. A pleasure.
He motioned me to take a seat, and I plopped myself down in the chair across from his desk, trying to calm the nervous jitters in my stomach. This wasn't some client meeting-this was history stuff, like going into a king in his castle. And I didn't have a single idea how this was going to play out.
"I'll cut to the chase," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I don't have time to play games. I'm busy. My schedule is chock-full. What I need is someone who can understand that and fit into my life without any. distractions."
I raised an eyebrow slightly taken aback with how blunt he was. "Distractions?"
He nodded. "I don't have the luxury of wasting time on dates or relationships that don't work. I need someone who is efficient and understands the demands of my career."
I took a deep breath. I had worked with difficult clients before, but this was entirely different. Ethan wasn't looking for a match; he wanted some sort of business arrangement, something that would fall into place neatly in his well-structured life. Romance, love-those were secondary to him, if they meant anything at all.
"Mr. Cole, efficiency isn't everything when it comes to finding a match," I said carefully. "Relationships take work and time and emotional investment. It's not a business transaction you're trying to complete here."
He raised an eyebrow, and for just a second, I thought I saw something flicker across those arctic blue eyes. "I don't need a lesson in romance, Ms. Hastings. I need results. That's why I came to you."
I tried to clamp down on the frustration rising inside me. It wasn't just that Ethan was demanding; it was that he didn't seem to grasp-or care-that love wasn't compartmentalizable, or at least not this kind. But I couldn't back down now. Not now.
"Well, you will get results," I said to him resolutely. "But it is going to take a lot more than simple attendance. You are going to have to let yourself in the process, and that might very well involve stepping beyond your so-called comfort zone."
Ethan didn't blink, but there was a moment's hesitation before he spoke up. "I'm willing to do what's necessary."
I wasn't quite convinced that he was telling the truth. Yet, something in me-a very small part of me-found this really fascinating: Ethan Cole was a mystery, an unsolved riddle from anyone who had ever crossed his path. Annoying it was, yet I couldn't help but feel the rise of some kind of challenge.
Love for the loveless was my area of expertise. And if anyone needed finding, it was Ethan Cole.
Later that night, back at the office, Zoe found me staring out of the window, lost in my thoughts.
"You look like you've just been through battle," she said, pushing a glass of wine into my hand.
Close enough," I said, taking another sip. "Ethan Cole is. well, he's everything the rumors say and more. He doesn't want love-he wants a perfectly tailored partner to slot into his life without any fuss."
Zoe smirked. "Sounds like your dream client.
I laughed, shaking my head. "Hardly. He doesn't even know how to connect with people. He's so wrapped up in his own world, I doubt he's ever had a real relationship."
Zoe raised an eyebrow. "So what are you going to do?
I leaned back in my chair, swirling the wine in my glass. "I'm going to teach him how. He might not want romance, but he's going to learn how to be human in a relationship, even if it kills me."
Zoe grinned. "I'm not sure what's more ambitious-teaching a billionaire how to love or managing our growing portfolio. You're in for a wild ride."
Tell me about it," I grumbled, the challenge settling onto my shoulders. Yet, in my heart, I knew I couldn't walk away. It was more than business-it was personal now.
And something told me that everything was about to change with Ethan Cole around.