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I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion

She shakes her head “Everyone around here loves you, Christmas You’re a breath of fresh air You have this innocence about you”

I feelat

“He requested you specifically He wants you”

I feel ht He doesn’t even know me

“I don’t think—”

She cuts me off “See? Innocent”

“So what are you saying?”

“Be careful is all, andthe mall”

I grab my jacket off my chair and pick up my box of cookies

“I got this,” I tell her, suddenly feeling like I have a major purpose I want to save the ht have

Chapter Two

There are people everywhere, and I’ not to let the anxiety squeeze my chest The irony is that I’m upstairs, away from it, and it’s as quiet as if I were alone When I set this party in o, I was nervous at first that no one would come But then I should have known that most people are curious about me and any excuse to come to my house would be jumped at I had my assistant Richard invite anyone as anyone and ood turnout

My place is on a hill in the middle of a forest, but it’s not so far froh to a major city to enjoy the convenience of that, but I prefer the solitude out here The house is three stories tall and way too palatial for just enerations ago, but now I’m the only one who lives here Well, other than my staff The place requires a lot of maintenance, but I don’t really need thatof the house, closing off the rest of it as it’s unnecessary But the past feeeks have been filled with the opening of roorand balcony Richard even hired a band, and froot a hell of a buffet laid out, too The cameras show Christmas trees in every room, every branch decorated to the hilt There’s not a corner of my home that hasn’t had some sort of holiday cheer stapled to it, and even I have to admit, it looks like a dream It’s some sort of winter castle coh

There’s a small knock on the door, and I turn to see Richard enter, closing the door behind hiain in my office

“Mr Light, Miss Winter is on her way She should be here in about fifteenhi up

Richard was iven to me, he stepped to my side My mother died in childbirth, and my father raised me on his own afterward He was a kind man, even if he was often busy ork He took le day, so when o, it was an easy transition of power I own over thirtythat even I’d have to look up what I don’t own I was given a fortune before I was even born, and I’ve ed to increase thatI haven’t accooes, but there still a part of my life that is incomplete

The only thing acy, soht Corporation I’ve hif when I die, the Light legacy dies with et my father’s words when I held his hand on his deathbed He told me that I had to have a child to carry on our na

I had thought it over a thousand times and planned different scenarios At first, I’d planned to marry someone Richard picked fro businesses would be a good idea But then I changed my mind because I didn’t want to be married to someone without passion I never knew my mother, but I knew the look on my father’s face when he talked about her And I knew that I wanted that, too I wasn’t sure how to get it, but Richard said I would knohen I saw her Just like my father did

I’et out ive it ti me for money and status In hopes that I could find someone asn’t after that

Doing routine checks on o, I spotted her She was decorating the center plaza of the Mall of Light and getting it ready for Christ down her back as she reached up to hang a star on the tree I was so struck by her beauty, I didn’t realize what I was doing until e on the cold screen in front of h the camera and pull her into my arms I’d never before seen someone so beautiful and so pure, and I had to have her She was dressed as an elf, and I re as I watched her all day I switched froles as she moved around the space I became obsessed to the point of near insanity, and finally I had to call Richard I had hihed when I saw her naht it was some sort of joke But with her rosy cheeks and a smile that could melt the North Pole, I saw that it suited her

I’d never heard her speak a word, and yet I knew she was kind I’d never felt her touch, yet I knew she was tender and sweet I’d never kissed her lips, yet I knew that she was the one That she was going to be the mother of my heirs and the wife at my side I knew all of that, and so I created this party and made sure she would be here

“Are you ready, sir?” Richard asks, shaking hts

“Yes, I think I’ve waited long enough,” I say, standing and straightening my tie

As Richard leads the way, I can think only about what it’s going to be like seeing her in real life I’ve wondered if a mere camera could possibly show her true beauty I somehow don’t believe that’s possible

We walk down the long hallway to the enormous staircase Richard steps off to the side and I walk halfway down to the ated around the base of the staircase

“Welco tonight I know this isn’t so I’ve done in recent years, but my father loved to have parties and welcoin anew as I try t

o continue the traditions my father laid before me The ones that have been difficult to celebrate in recent years”

The crowd is silent, but I see that everyone has their eyes on ht movement in the back and a few people move to make way, but I’m unable to see who the new arrival is

“But that is changing now, because I’ve grown to understand that no man is an island, even if it’s a well-decorated one” The crowd laughs, and I’ it “To the singleto me from this day forward—to Christmas”

As I say the words, the woh a cluster of people, and her dark green eyes land oneye contact as the crowd repeats my words To Christmas They have no idea hoerful the words are as I stare at the woman who just became mine

Chapter Three

My face warms when I stare at the most handsome man I’ve ever seen My breath catches as his stare holds ht Mr Light ht look like, but I can see why people find hi that’s soft about hiht now

Not only is he big all over, but he’s dressed completely in black to match his dark hair and eyes I take a step toward hi one

I glance around the roo to find him, but it’s hard to see with so h heelsof disappoint if he would come back

A waiter with a tray of chalasses stops to offer lasses look festive