She Made a List of the Perfect Man — Then Fell for the One Who Failed Every Rule
Chapter 12
Michael didn’t speak.
Jessica suddenly became terrified.
“I know I don’t deserve another chance.”
“You don’t.”
Her heart sank.
Then he continued.
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to give you one.”
Jessica looked up.
Michael stepped closer.
“You lied to me.”
“I know.”
“You manipulated your way into my company.”
“I know.”
“You wrote about me without telling me.”
“I know.”
“And somehow…”
He smiled.
“…I still fell for you.”
Jessica stared at him.
“You did?”
Michael laughed softly.
“I tried not to.”
“When?”
“Probably the day you told me my tie made me look like a bank manager.”
She laughed through her tears.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I was right.”
“You were.”
They both laughed.
Then Michael became serious.
“I don’t want to be the perfect man in your article.”
Jessica shook her head.
“I don’t want that anymore.”
“What do you want?”
Jessica looked at him.
“You.”
Michael pulled her closer.
She wrapped her arms around him.
For the first time, there was no article.
No assignment.
No fake resume.
No checklist.
No pretending.
Just two imperfect people standing together.
And when Michael kissed her, Jessica realized something she had spent years refusing to understand.
The best relationships weren’t always the ones that looked perfect from the outside.
Sometimes they were the ones that survived the truth.
