Liam's POV
It was just one of those days,
You know those days when everything seems off? Well, that was me today. I barely caught any sleep last night, and my mind was racing with a million thoughts. Work was piling up, deadlines to meet, and then there was that ridiculous mess with that picture online.
The truth is, I've dealt with scandals before, rumors and gossip comes with the job. But this one, this one felt different.
Because it involved Ayla.
And now I was stuck in a corner, trying to figure out how to face Richard and his wife this Friday with the woman I introduced as my fiancée.
Only, Ayla didn't know any of this yet.
I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the back of my neck. It was sore.
And on top of it all I noticed Ayla wasn't herself again today.
She walked around like her soul wasn't fully inside her body like she was here, but her mind was a million miles away. I saw her blank out at her desk, her fingers relaxed on the keyboard like she forgot how to move.
It wasn't just the online talk, I was sure of that now. Something deeper was eating her up.
Still, I kept hoping she would come talk to me to ask about the news, or ask what was going on, but she didn't.
And that made me feel worse.
I had already told Nathan to get the picture taken down everywhere. I didn't want her name dragged through the dirt because of it, she didn't deserve that.
I tried to keep my head down and focus on the day, but everything was irritating me. A deal fell through, a report came back with missing figures, my phone wouldn't stop buzzing, then I remembered Friday's dinner and the fake fiancée situation, and I could feel the pressure building behind my eyes.
When Ayla finally came in to drop off a report, I was already on edge.
She walked in quietly like she always does, holding a folder "Here is the file you asked for Sir."
I nodded and reached for it, but just as she placed it on the desk, her hand brushed against my glass of water. It tipped over, and before I knew it, water was rushing everywhere, soaking the documents on my desk.
I stood up too quickly.
"Damn it, Ayla!"
She froze and looked at me stunned, glanced down at the mess, then back up at me, panic written all over her face.
"I didn't mean to"
"Just go," I said, sharper than I intended. "Take a break or something."
But she didn't move.
And then she started crying, right there in front of me.
It began with a small sniff, barely audible, then a shaky breath and before I could even register it, the tears came raw, uncontrollable sobs that shook her entire body. She was clearly trying to keep it together, but it wasn't working.
I just stood there, stunned. Totally frozen.
"I'm sorry," she choked out, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm so, so sorry."
Something twisted in my chest, I felt bad but didn't know what to say or do. I felt really uncomfortable seeing her cry.
Her hands were shaking, still holding the folder. Her shoulders rose and fell fast, like she couldn't breathe properly.
"I didn't mean to ruin your work," she said through tears. "I didn't mean to ruin anything"
"Ayla" I tried to speak, but she didn't hear me.
"Why does everything fall apart no matter what I do?" she cried. "Why is the world so cruel to me?"
My heart ached watching her.
"I lost my parents," she went on, barely catching her breath. "I lost my home. I owe debts I didn't even make, and now even my boss hates me."
"I don't hate you," I said quietly.
But I don't think she heard that either.
"I can't take it anymore, I'm tired. Every time I think maybe things will get better, something else crashes down on me." She looked up, her eyes red, with lips trembling. "Is there something wrong with me?"
"No," I said firmly. I stepped around the desk, slowly. "Ayla there's nothing wrong with you, you've just been through a lot, more than anyone should have to."
She looked down, blinking fast. Her voice was low.
"I'm just tired of pretending to be okay all the time.
I didn't know how to fix this. I didn't even know how to comfort someone like her. Everything inside me wanted to reach out, pull her into a hug, tell her it would be okay but I didn't know how to do that without making it worse.
So I did what I could do.
"I want to help you," I said.
She looked at me slowly, like she wasn't sure she heard right.
"I'm not saying all this because I want your sympathy," she said softly.
"I will take care of the debts," I told her. "I will find you a place to stay. You don't have to go back there."
She looked at me like I was speaking in riddles.
"But why?" Her voice was small, confused. "Why would you do that for me?"
"Because no one should have to carry all that on their own," I said gently. "Especially not you."
Her lips parted slightly. Her eyes shimmered, on the edge of fresh tears but this time, she didn't cry. She just stared at me, like she couldn't quite process what I'd said.
"I just.. I don't want to owe you," she whispered. "I don't want to feel like I'm some kind of burden. Is there anything I can do in return?"
That was it. The opening I hadn't known how to ask for.
"There is one thing," I said quietly, my voice softer than before.
She looked up at me, tilting her head slightly. She still seemed shaken, like she was doing her best not to fall apart.
"I need you to pretend to be my fiancée."
She blinked, stunned. "Wait what?"
"Just for a little while," I said, trying to keep my tone calm. "It's kind of complicated. But it would really help me. There's this dinner on Friday with a major client. He thinks I'm engaged." I ran a hand through my hair. "I didn't mean for it to get this far, but "
She didn't get upset. Just looked confused, like she was trying to figure out if I was serious.
"Is this because of that photo?" she asked.
"It's sort of connected," I said, not really wanting to explain the whole messy story just yet.
Her brows drew together. "Are you asking me to fake a marriage?"
"Only on paper," I said quickly. " It's just for appearances. No one else has to know the truth, just us."
"And if I agree, this is actually going to happen?"
"Yeah. But just so you know, I was going to help you anyway."
She didn't say anything for a while. Just stood there, quiet, like she was trying to figure out if this was a mistake or maybe her only way out.
Then, barely above a whisper, she said, "Okay."
I almost missed it. "Okay?"
She nodded slowly. "I'll do it. But only because I don't know what else to do right now."
I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding.
Neither of us smiled. It wasn't a happy moment, just quiet. Like we both knew something had changed, even if we couldn't say it out loud.
Something shifted between us like we crossed a line we couldn't uncross. We didn't talk about it, but it was there.
And deep down I had this feeling.
Like whatever this was, it wasn't going to end as simply as it started.
It felt like the start of something real.
Something we hadn't planned for.
And maybe something neither of us was ready for.
But ready or not, it had already begun.