The drive home felt…off. Like I was floating, not walking, you know? Like the whole day had been some weird script and I was just the actress.
Contract marriage. One year. Five thousand billion. Debt gone. Freedom, supposedly.
It sounded less like real life, more like some crazy drama.
Angel's apartment door clicked open before I could even knock.
She froze. "Lily? You look like you saw a ghost or something."
I walked in slow, still holding my bag like it was my lifeline. "I think… something insane just happened."
Angel shut the door fast. "Insane how? Did you run into Ethan again? 'Cause if you did, I swear—"
"No," I cut her off. "Not Ethan."
She blinked. "Then what?"
I turned to her, my heart still doing that weird fast thing. "I think I just agreed to marry a stranger."
Silence. Just…silence.
Angel stared at me.
Once.
Twice.
Then her jaw dropped. "YOU WHAT?!"
I winced. "Lower your voice!"
"You're telling me you're marrying a stranger and you want me to be quiet?!" she whisper-shouted, grabbing my shoulders. "Lily Morgan, start talking. Now."
I let out a long breath, and just kind of fell onto the couch. "Remember that old lady who collapsed at the mall? The one I helped? Her son showed up—he thought I was his girlfriend, because of her condition. She has early-onset Alzheimer's."
Angel's face softened a little, but her eyebrows were still scrunched up. "Okay… and the marriage?"
I swallowed.
"She wants to see him married. Two days," I said, the words hanging in the air.
Angel blinked, like, really slowly.
"And?" she finally asked.
"And..." I took a breath, "He wants me to marry him. For a year. A fake marriage. Just to make her happy."
The couch dipped as Angel practically collapsed next to me.
"No way," she said, her voice flat.
"Yep."
"You are so not kidding, are you?"
"God, I wish I was."
She ran a hand down her face, like, totally exasperated. "This is a freaking drama, Lily. You know, the kind where the girl ends up living in a giant mansion with a grumpy CEO?"
I couldn't help but laugh a little, even though everything felt so weird.
"I know, right?" I said, my voice sounding a bit shaky. "It's like I accidentally wandered into a cheesy movie."
Angel suddenly grabbed my hands, her eyes serious.
"Is this... safe?" she asked, her voice soft.
That question hit me harder than I expected.
I paused, thinking. Then, I just told her the truth.
"He was nice, I guess. Calm. Didn't push me. Said I could do whatever I wanted, that he wouldn't get in the way."
Angel narrowed her eyes. "And the money situation?"
"He's gonna pay off all my debts."
She squeezed my hands.
"And you... you trust him?"
I leaned back, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"I don't know about trust," I said quietly. "But I think I can handle it. It's just a year, you know? Just a contract. No feelings. Just... business."
Angel studied my face, like she was trying to figure me out.
"You're actually thinking about this."
"I already said yes."
"And tomorrow, we're supposed to go look at a wedding dress!"
Her eyes widened. "LILY!"
"I'm in debt, Angel," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "And for the first time... I saw a way out. A way to start over. A chance to actually go after what I want, instead of just trying to make it through each day."
The room went silent.
Angel's face softened, the anger fading into, like, pure concern.
"You've been through so much," she whispered.
I let out a shaky laugh.
"I still can't believe it. A billionaire wants to marry me for a year? It's insane." I buried my face in my hands. "It feels like a dream, honestly. Like something you'd see on TV."
Angel snorted. "If it's a dream, it's a damn expensive one."
That actually made me laugh, a real one.
She stood up and pointed toward the hall.
"Okay, no more freaking out for today. Go to sleep."
I blinked. "Sleep? After all of this?"
"Yes, sleep," she said, hands on her hips. "Because tomorrow..."
She paused, like, for dramatic effect.
"We're going dress shopping."
My brain just... stopped.
"...Wedding dress?"
"Yep, wedding dress," she repeated, already heading towards my room. "Contract or not, you are NOT showing up to a billionaire's wedding looking like you got hit by a bus."
I let her pull me up, still in shock, still not believing it.
Lying in bed a few minutes later, the exhaustion finally hitting me, and all I could think was...
A contract marriage.
One year.
This guy, who could totally change everything.
My eyes started to close.
This was seriously a drama.
And tomorrow...
I was shopping for a wedding dress.
The day came, eventually.
I was mostly excited about the money, not the marriage. That made me feel a little bad, but also... like, a huge weight off my shoulders.
Angel insisted on coming with me, which was great. She said she had to see this "mystery billionaire" for herself and help me pick out a dress.
We got there, and when I stepped out of the car, I just... stopped.
The place was gorgeous.
No, scratch that. It was like something out of a movie. Soft lighting, shiny floors, giant glass displays, everything was perfect. Almost too perfect.
I just stood there, staring.
It felt... unreal.
And then, a little voice in my head whispered, *So this is how rich people live.*
A little bit of awe.
A little bit of jealousy.
Angel nudged me. "Lily... this place probably costs more than everything I own."
I laughed, a little nervously. "Same."
Then I saw him.
Alex was near the entrance, in a perfect black suit.
He looked... different today. Sharper. Colder. Like the nice guy from yesterday was gone, replaced by someone totally out of reach.
Tall. In control.
And, ugh, so handsome.
Just his presence made you stand up straighter. Two bodyguards stood at the door, which made the whole thing even weirder.
Angel leaned in close and whispered, "Oh my god. He's actually hot."
I elbowed her. "Behave."
Alex saw us and walked over, his eyes on me.
"You're here," he said, just like that.
No big greeting. No chit-chat. Just calm, direct.
I nodded. "Yep."
He looked me up and down, not in a creepy way, just... taking it in. Then, a tiny nod, like he approved.
"Good," he said. "Go pick out a dress. Whatever you want."
Just like that.
Like it was no big deal.
Before I could say anything, he pulled out his phone.
"I already transferred the money," he added, all calm. "And I took care of your debts."
My brain... stopped.
Completely.
"...What?"
Angel squeezed my arm so hard it hurt.
"Wait," she hissed. "Did he just say all your debts?"
Alex looked at me like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Yes. Everything is taken care of."
I couldn't talk.
The weight I'd been carrying - the loans, the bills, the constant worry - was just... gone?
Just like that? Seriously?
Angel's jaw dropped, looking from him to me.
I fumbled with my phone, fingers shaking.
Notifications flooded the screen.
Transfers. Settlements. Paid.
Cleared.
Resolved.
My vision swam for a second.
This... felt fake.
Like a dream, maybe?
Angel finally let out a shaky breath. "Lily... tell me I'm not seeing things."
I swallowed, still staring at the screen.
"I... I think this is real."
Alex casually put his phone away, like nothing was happening.
"Take your time with the dress," he said, cool as a cucumber. "No rush."
I looked up at him, heart hammering.
Him, in that suit, with the bodyguards, talking about money like it was nothing...
We were actually getting married.
Even if it was just a deal.
Angel and I looked at each other.
Neither of us said a word.
Because honestly? It still felt like we were dreaming.
Seriously, we hadn't even woken up yet.
Angel and I walked in, and I immediately felt out of place. The staff acted like they knew me already. Of course, they did. Alex probably set it all up.
They took me to a private fitting area. White dresses everywhere – lace, satin, silk, stuff that looked like you couldn't even breathe near it.
I swallowed.
It's just a contract. Don't freak out.
The first dress was pretty. Off-the-shoulder, fitted at the waist. I stepped out to show Angel.
She squinted. "Hmm. Nah."
"Nah?" I looked down at myself.
"It's nice, but it's not *the* dress. It's giving 'fancy party,' not 'billionaire wedding.' Next."
I rolled my eyes but went back in.
The second one was too sparkly.
"Too much," Angel said right away.
The third one was simple, elegant.
"Too boring."
"Angel," I muttered from behind the curtain, "I'm not trying out for a royal wedding."
"You kind of are," she shot back.
I think I tried on six... maybe seven dresses. I was getting tired of changing.
Then I put on the next one.
It fit my waist perfectly, flowed down without being too much. The neckline was simple but nice. Not too flashy. Not too plain. It felt... right.
I walked out slowly.
Angel's eyes went wide.
"Oh."
I stopped. "What?"
She walked towards me slowly, like she was looking at a painting. Then she smiled.
"Wow. Lily... you look amazing in this dress." Her voice softened. "This is it. I think we should go with this one."
I turned to look at myself in the mirror.
For a second, I didn't see the girl who was broke. Didn't see the girl who got screwed over.
I just saw... a bride.
My chest got a little tight.
"It's fine," I said quietly. "Let's do this one."
That was the only thing I picked.
Alex already said everything else would be at the lodge - jewelry, shoes, flowers, even a makeup artist for me to choose from. Like I was some kind of star.
I didn't even ask how much it all cost.
I didn't want to know.
When I came out in my own clothes again, he was waiting by the door.
His eyes flicked over me, like he was picturing the dress.
"That one," he said simply. "It suits you."
My heart did a stupid little flutter.
He turned to his assistant and gave some quiet orders I couldn't quite hear. Efficient. Calm. In control.
Then he looked back at me.
"I've booked a room for you upstairs. You can stay there until the ceremony. The stylists will be there soon." He paused. "I'll come get you when you're ready."
That was it.
No talking. No lingering.
Just arrangements.
Before I could say anything else, he nodded and walked away, bodyguards trailing behind him.
Angel and I stood there for a second.
"Lily," she whispered slowly, "you're really marrying a billionaire."
I let out a soft breath.
"Yeah," I said.
And somehow, it still didn't feel real.