This wasn't just a job offer. It was a deal with the devil… wrapped in Armani and sealed with a promise she wasn't sure she could keep.
She inhaled shakily. "And what exactly are the rules?" she asked, voice low.
Damien's lips curved slightly. "Rule number one: don't fall for me."
Damien leaned back in his chair, his gaze unreadable as he listed the final terms of the arrangement.
"You'll live with me throughout the four-month contract. Appear at press events, dinners, board meetings, wherever I go, you go. To the world, we'll be the perfect couple. But behind closed doors, we're strictly business. No strings, no confusion."
Ava shifted in her seat, trying to process everything. "And no one else can know this is fake?"
"Exactly," he replied. "It stays between us, You'll be introduced as my fiancée to everyone. The media, my board, even my friends. Your job is to make them believe this is real."
Ava hesitated, her thoughts flashing to Chloe. She looked up, her voice softening. "I have a sister. Chloe. She's 21 and very sick. We lost our parents in an accident years ago, and it's just been the two of us since. She has a surgery scheduled in two months. I couldn't keep her in the hospital anymore, it was too expensive. I hired a nurse to care for her at home, but I haven't even paid her fully yet."
For a moment, Damien said nothing. Then he stood and walked to the window, silent. When he turned back, his tone was calm but firm.
"I'll cover everything. The nurse, the surgery, your rent. That won't be a problem. But I want your commitment. Full commitment. And," he added, walking to his desk, pulling out a sleek folder, "I want you to sign this. A contract stating your consent. That this arrangement was your choice, and that you understand the terms. I don't want complications."
Ava stared at the folder as he placed it in front of her.
Her entire life, the bills, the surgery, Chloe's wellbeing, balanced on this moment.
Ava stared at the contract for a long second, her heart pounding. Then, with a deep sigh, she picked up the pen, pressed it to the paper, and signed her name.
She looked up at him, eyes steady despite the storm in her chest. "I agree."
Damien's lips curved into a slight, nonchalant smirk as he leaned back in his chair. "Why wouldn't you?"
She narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He gave a low chuckle, folding his arms. "I knew you needed the money. That look in your eyes when you walked in, I've seen it before. You were never going to walk away from this."
Her jaw clenched slightly, but she said nothing.
He stood and walked around the desk, holding out his hand. "Well then, contracted fiancée... welcome to Blackwood."
She shook his hand, his grip cool and firm. And just like that, her life took a turn she never saw coming.
Damien leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. "You'll be moving into my Mansion in the next few days. I would instruct my team to make arrangements to transfer your sister, Chloe, to one of the best private hospitals. She'll get the care she needs, at my expense."
Ava blinked, stunned for a second. "Thank you," she said softly, the words catching in her throat. Gratitude mixed with confusion, but she kept her composure.
He nodded. "Just make sure you're ready. We don't have time to waste."
As she stepped out of the office, her mind raced. The weight of the contract sat heavy in her bag, but heavier still was the reality of what she'd just agreed to.
Ava told herself it was just a contract. A few months of pretending, playing the role of a billionaire's fiancée.
She'd smile for the cameras, show up to events, live under the same roof, but she'd keep her heart guarded.
Damien's coldness, his arrogant smirk and emotionless tone had already made her hate him.
So falling for him? That wasn't even a possibility.
Or so she thought.