AFTER THE ONE-NIGHT CONTRACT WITH MY RIVAL

Killian Mercer is a powerful and emotionally guarded CEO who has built his financial empire around control, discipline, and an unwavering belief in the fine print. Elliot Vance is the brilliant young entrepreneur who became his fiercest rival after leaving Mercer Capital six years earlier, convinced that Killian had betrayed him and destroyed his future. Now, circumstances force the two rivals into a business merger-and a strange one-night agreement designed to convince investors that they can work together.
But after their contractual arrangement ends, something neither man expected happens: Elliot kisses Killian, and Killian kisses him back. The kiss was never part of the contract, and neither of them can pretend it meant nothing. As the merger progresses, public appearances, media attention, and their unresolved history bring them increasingly close. Killian must confront the emotional walls he has built throughout his life, while Elliot discovers that the betrayal he believed had destroyed their relationship was actually the result of a hidden scheme involving Killian's father and the company's board.
Through their time together in Manchester and the Lake District, rivalry gradually gives way to trust, vulnerability, and genuine affection. Killian finally begins to understand that Elliot is not another clause in a contract, but someone he genuinely wants in his life.