The study smelled faintly of leather and polished wood, the kind of scent that lingered in rooms where serious decisions were made. Tall shelves lined the walls, filled with law books, business reports, and thick files that probably contained the secrets of powerful people. The room felt heavy, quiet, and controlled, much like the man who owned it.
Malissa sat stiffly across from Alexander at the long desk, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She felt like she was attending an interview rather than meeting the man she was supposed to pretend to love.
Mike entered quietly and placed a tablet and a folder between them. "Everything you requested, sir."
Alexander nodded once. "Thank you, Mike. That will be all."
When the door closed behind him, the room became even quieter. The silence stretched for a few seconds before Alexander leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady on Malissa.
"If we are going to lie," he said calmly, "we must lie perfectly."
Malissa's throat tightened slightly. She nodded slowly. This was not a romantic arrangement. This was a strategy meeting. A business deal. A performance they had to rehearse until it became believable.
They sat across from each other like business partners preparing a merger, not like a couple preparing to attend a family dinner together.
Alexander opened the folder and glanced at the tablet. "We need a story," he said. "Where did we meet?"
Malissa thought for a moment. "At a charity event?"
His brow arched slightly. "I don't attend charity events."
She frowned. "Then you donated money."
"I always donate money," he replied.
"Then that's where we met," she said quickly.
"At a charity gala where you donated and I was part of the organizing team."
He considered that for a moment, then nodded once. "That is believable."
He tapped the tablet lightly. "How long have we been dating?"
Malissa thought carefully. "Six months?"
He shook his head immediately. "Too short. My family will not believe I would bring someone into their circle after only six months. One year."
"One year," she repeated quietly.
"Why was the relationship private?" he asked.
Malissa swallowed and thought quickly.
"Because you wanted to protect me from the press. You said your life was complicated and you didn't want media attention around me."
Alexander nodded slightly. "Acceptable."
She hesitated before asking, "Who confessed first?"
He looked at her directly. "You did."
Her eyes widened. "Me?"
A flicker of disbelief crossed her face before she masked it.
"Yes. It is more believable. I do not confess."
She bit her lip slightly. "Fine. I confessed."
"What do you like about me?" he asked.
Malissa hesitated. She had never thought about what she liked about him. She had thought about what she feared about him, what she resented, what she didn't understand. But not what she liked.
"You are decisive," she said finally. "You make decisions quickly and you don't hesitate."
Alexander's gaze sharpened slightly. "And what do I like about you?"
"That I am loyal," she said.
" And that I don't create problems for you in public."
He nodded once. "That is believable."
"Our first date?" he asked.
Malissa thought quickly. "Dinner at Skyline Avenue."
Alexander leaned back slightly. "Acceptable. I own a restaurant there."
"How did you ask me to be your girlfriend?" she asked.
"I told you it was convenient," he said flatly.
Malissa blinked. "That sounds cold."
"It is believable," he replied calmly.
She sighed quietly. "Fine."
"What do you do for work?" he asked.
"I am a designer," she said.
"Good. Keep it vague. Do not mention overtime, salary, or financial struggles. In public, you are simply a designer."
"My hobbies?" she asked.
"Reading. Painting. Walking by Azure Bay. Harmless hobbies," he replied.
She nodded slowly.
"What food do you like?" he asked.
"Spaghetti," she said without thinking.
"Too common," he replied immediately. "Say seafood. It fits the image."
She paused.. then nodded. "Seafood."
"What do I call you?" he asked.
"Malissa," she said.
"And you call me Xander," he said firmly.
She hesitated for a moment before saying the name quietly. "Xander."
He didn't look away. "Say it again."
Her voice was softer this time. "Xander."
The silence stretched. Just long enough to feel intentional.
Finally, he tapped the tablet again. "Good. That is our story."
Alexander closed the folder and leaned back slightly, his expression turning colder.
"Now we discuss my family," he said.
Malissa straightened slightly in her seat, bracing herself.
"My father is calm, observant, and very intelligent," Alexander said. "He does not speak much, but he sees everything. Do not try to impress him. He will know if you are pretending."
She nodded slowly.
"My stepmother Helena is manipulative and controlling. She will test you. She will insult you politely. She will try to make you uncomfortable. Do not argue with her. Do not react emotionally."
Malissa's chest tightened slightly.
"Clarissa," he continued, his voice slightly sharper now. "She wants to marry me. She believes she should marry me. She will try to humiliate you. Ignore her."
Malissa felt her stomach twist slightly.
"The board members and family friends will judge you silently," he continued. "They will look at your clothes, your posture, the way you speak, the way you eat, everything. They will look for flaws."
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady.
"My stepmother will test you. Clarissa will try to humiliate you. My father will watch you. Do not speak unless necessary."
Malissa swallowed hard. "Understood."
Alexander continued, "Now, public behavior rules."
She nodded faintly.
"Walk beside me. Do not interrupt me. If you don't know what to say, smile. If someone insults you, ignore them. If you feel uncomfortable, hold my arm tighter. Do not drink too much. Do not argue with my stepmother. Do not talk about your family unless asked. Do not talk about money. Always call me Xander in public. Stay beside me."
His voice was calm, precise, and completely unyielding.
"This is not a social visit," he said quietly. "This is a performance."
Malissa nodded slowly.
Alexander stood up then and walked around the desk. "We practice now," he said.
Malissa blinked. "Practice?"
"Yes. Conversation. Interaction. Appearances."
He extended his arm toward her. "Take it."
She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand lightly on his sleeve.
"Relax your hand," he said quietly. "You look nervous."
She loosened her grip slightly.
"Better," he said. "Now introduce me."
She swallowed and tried again. "This is my boyfriend, Xander."
"Look at me when you say my name," he said.
Her eyes lifted slowly to meet his.
"Xander."
He did not look away.
And for a moment, neither did she.
The silence stretched for a moment before he spoke again. "Sit beside me."
She obeyed, sitting beside him on the sofa. Her posture was stiff and careful.
"Relax," he said quietly, reaching out to adjust her shoulders slightly. "You must look natural."
She forced herself to breathe slowly.
"Small talk," he said. "Ask me something."
She hesitated before speaking. "How was your day?"
"Busy," he replied flatly. "Now smile as if you care."
She tried again, smiling faintly.
"Better," he said.
They practiced introductions, greetings, walking together, sitting together, and simple conversations for what felt like hours. Each moment was awkward, controlled, and strangely intimate in a way neither of them acknowledged.
At one point, she laughed nervously at something he said.
"Don't laugh like that," he said. "It sounds forced."
She sighed slightly. "This is harder than I thought."
"Yes," he replied. "It is."
Finally, Alexander closed the folder and placed it on the table.
"The dinner is tomorrow night," he said.
Malissa's chest tightened slightly. Tomorrow she would enter his world publicly. Tomorrow everyone would look at her, judge her, test her.
She sat silently, her hands clenched in her lap.
Alexander's gaze remained steady on her. "Be ready."
The room fell quiet again.
In that moment, Malissa understood something clearly.
This dinner was not just a family event.
It was a test.
And failure was not an option.