Chapter Four: Sleepless Dilemma
Amara tossed and turned all night. Sleep clung to the edges of her mind, but every time she closed her eyes, Ethan Knight's face appeared—calm, unreadable, yet somehow demanding. Marry me. Six months. It's just business.
How did her life spin into this absurdity in less than forty-eight hours?
She stared at the ceiling of her tiny apartment, the paint peeling in corners, the pipes groaning whenever a neighbor flushed. Her laptop sat on the desk, open to a spreadsheet of overdue bills. The glowing red reminders of rent and utilities mocked her.
Her phone buzzed. A text from her younger brother, Daniel: Mom's prescription got more expensive again. I'll try to cover it this month, don't stress.
Amara's heart clenched. Daniel already worked two part-time jobs while balancing classes. Their mother's health was fragile, and Amara had promised herself she'd shoulder the burden. But the reality was brutal—her modest salary as an editor barely kept her afloat, let alone helped her family.
She groaned, burying her face in her pillow. Accepting Ethan's offer felt unthinkable. A fake marriage? Cameras documenting her every move? Sharing space with a man who exuded power and intimidation? It was like volunteering to live in a hurricane.
And yet… that contract figure flashed in her mind again. Enough money to pay off her debts, cover her mother's medical care, and give Daniel the freedom to finish school without stress.
Her chest tightened with guilt. Was it selfish—or selfless—to consider it?
By morning, the dark circles under her eyes told the story of her sleepless night. She trudged into work, barely focused. The office buzzed with chatter, whispers about "Ethan Knight being spotted in the building yesterday." Every time someone mentioned his name, her stomach knotted.
Around noon, she stepped into the break room, hoping coffee might rescue her from her fog. Instead, she found her best friend and co-worker, Lila, perched on the counter with a mischievous grin.
"Well, well," Lila teased. "You've been holding out on me."
Amara frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. Ethan Knight showing up here yesterday wasn't exactly subtle. Spill. Why was Hollywood's hottest man alive asking for you?"
Heat rushed to Amara's cheeks. She stammered, "It's nothing. Just a… misunderstanding."
Lila raised a brow. "A misunderstanding that involves his lawyer emailing you today?" She waved her phone triumphantly, displaying a headline: Ethan Knight Rumored to Have Found Mystery Woman.
Amara nearly dropped her mug. "What?"
The article included a blurry photo of her leaving Ethan's car. Her face wasn't clear, but the speculation was enough to send her pulse racing.
"Oh my God," Amara whispered, panic rising. "This is spiraling already."
"Girl," Lila said, eyes wide. "If he's offering you anything, take it. Do you know how many women would kill to be in your shoes?"
Amara shook her head. "You don't understand. It's not that simple."
That afternoon, she couldn't concentrate. Her email pinged twice: once from Ethan's lawyer, once from Ethan himself. His message was short, direct, and impossible to ignore:
Have you decided?
Amara's fingers hovered over the keyboard, her breath shaky. Her heart screamed no, but the crushing weight of responsibility pressed harder.
By the time the sun set, she found herself sitting at her mother's small kitchen table, listening to her cough between sips of tea. Daniel shuffled in, exhaustion etched on his young face. They laughed together, forcing lightness into a heavy evening. But all Amara could think was—how long can I keep this up?
Later, when she was alone, she typed her reply. Simple. Final.
I'll do it.
She stared at the message for a long moment before hitting send.
Her life, as she knew it, would never be the same.
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