Chapter Two: The Proposition
Amara didn't think much of it after that strange encounter with Ethan Knight. She left the party early, half-embarrassed, half-relieved to slip back into her world of manuscripts and deadlines. Ethan Knight was the kind of man who lived on magazine covers, not in her reality.
At least, that's what she thought.
Two days later, her office phone rang. The receptionist's voice was breathless.
"Amara, you… you might want to come downstairs."
She frowned. "Why?"
"Because Ethan Knight is here asking for you."
Her pen dropped. Surely it was a prank. But when she descended the stairs of the publishing house, she saw him—tall, commanding, impossible to miss—leaning casually against the reception desk like he belonged there. His presence drew whispers, wide eyes, and even a few sneaky photos from her co-workers.
Amara nearly tripped over her own feet.
"Mr. Knight?" she stammered.
His gaze locked on her, unreadable. "We need to talk."
He didn't wait for her agreement, simply motioned toward the sleek black car parked outside. Against every reasonable instinct, Amara followed. Inside, the tinted windows shut out the world, and for the first time, she was alone with the man who had millions screaming his name.
"Let's get to the point," Ethan said, adjusting his cufflinks. "The media won't leave me alone. The scandal, the lies—it's costing me endorsements, roles, everything. I need a solution, and I need it fast."
Amara blinked, confused. "What does that have to do with me?"
His lips curved, though it wasn't quite a smile.
"I need a wife."
Amara nearly choked on her own breath. "Excuse me?"
"A fake one," he clarified smoothly. "Just for a few months until things cool down. Someone outside of Hollywood—clean reputation, grounded, believable. Someone… like you."
Amara gaped at him. "You can't be serious."
"Completely serious. You'd be compensated, of course. Generously." His voice dropped, persuasive and commanding all at once. "Think of it as a business contract. You help me repair my image. I help you secure a future without money problems. No strings, no real marriage—just an arrangement."
Her heart pounded. A contract marriage with Ethan Knight? It sounded insane, impossible, like something straight out of the romance novels she sometimes edited late at night.
And yet, as she met his steady gaze, something in his eyes told her he wasn't joking.
For Ethan Knight, the movie star billionaire—this was deadly serious.
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