BOUND BY HEARTS
Chapter 1: The Offer
The rain wouldn't stop.
It poured like the sky had a grudge against her.
Lina Carter tightened her grip on the thin folder pressed against her chest, her shoes already soaked as she stood in front of the towering glass building.
Blackwood Enterprises.
Even the name felt expensive.
She swallowed hard.
This is your last chance.
If she didn't get this job… rent was due in three days. Her mother's medicine? Already overdue.
Lina pushed the door open.
Warm air hit her instantly, along with the quiet hum of wealth—polished floors, sharp suits, people who looked like they had never worried about a single bill in their lives.
She didn't belong here.
"Miss?"
Lina turned quickly.
A receptionist, perfectly dressed, perfectly calm, was staring at her damp clothes.
"I—I have an interview," Lina said, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt.
"Name?"
"Lina Carter."
The woman checked something, then frowned slightly.
"…You're late."
Lina's stomach dropped.
"The rain—"
"Mr. Blackwood doesn't like late people."
Of course he didn't.
People like him never had to run through storms.
"Please," Lina said quietly. "I really need this job."
The receptionist studied her for a moment… then sighed.
"Top floor. Last office. If he's still there."
The elevator ride felt like forever.
Lina watched the numbers climb, her reflection staring back at her from the metal walls—wet hair, tired eyes, hope barely holding on.
Don't mess this up.
Ding.
The doors opened.
The top floor was… different.
Silent. Expensive. Intimidating.
At the end of the hallway stood a single door.
She walked toward it, each step heavier than the last.
Then she knocked.
"Come in."
The voice was deep. Cold.
Lina pushed the door open—
—and froze.
He was sitting behind the desk like he owned the world.
Maybe he did.
Ethan Blackwood.
She had seen his name online before. Young. Powerful. Untouchable.
But nothing prepared her for seeing him in person.
Sharp jaw. Dark eyes. A presence that made the air feel… thinner.
He didn't smile.
Didn't even look impressed.
He just looked… bored.
"You're late," he said flatly.
"I'm sorry—"
"I don't care."
The words hit harder than she expected.
Lina clenched her hands. "Please. Just give me a chance."
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then, slowly, he leaned back in his chair, studying her like she was… something to be evaluated.
"Tell me," he said, voice quieter now. "How desperate are you?"
Lina blinked.
"What?"
"How. Desperate."
Something in his tone made her chest tighten.
"I need this job," she said carefully.
"That's not what I asked."
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
"…Very," she admitted.
A slow, almost invisible smile touched his lips.
Not warm.
Not kind.
Dangerous.
"Good."
Lina's heart skipped.
"Because I have something better than a job."
Her brows furrowed. "I don't understand—"
"I need a girlfriend."
The words landed like a slap.
"…Excuse me?"
"A fake one," he added calmly. "Public appearances. Events. No real attachment."
Lina stared at him, sure she had misheard.
"You're joking."
"I don't joke."
Of course he didn't.
"I'm not that kind of girl," she said quickly, her face heating.
Ethan's gaze didn't change.
"I'm not asking you to be."
He stood up.
Tall. Intimidating. Too close now.
"This is a contract," he said, placing a document on the desk between them. "Three months. You play the role. I pay you more than this company would in a year."
Lina's breath caught.
More than a year…?
"That's insane."
"So is your situation."
Her eyes snapped to his.
"You're behind on rent," he continued calmly. "Your mother needs treatment. And you walked into my building soaking wet, hoping for a miracle."
Lina's blood ran cold.
"How do you—"
"I know everything I need to know."
Of course he did.
People like him always did.
"Why me?" she asked, her voice barely steady.
Ethan tilted his head slightly.
"You're invisible," he said. "No connections. No scandals. No complications."
Invisible.
The word stung more than it should have.
"And when this ends?" she asked.
"It ends."
Simple. Clean.
Like feelings didn't exist.
Lina looked at the contract.
Then at him.
Then back at the contract.
Her heart was racing.
This was crazy.
Wrong.
Dangerous.
…but so was losing everything.
Ethan slid a pen toward her.
"Sign it."
Lina didn't move.
"You said you were desperate," he reminded her softly.
Silence.
Rain tapped faintly against the glass behind them.
Her fingers slowly reached for the pen.
This wasn't just a decision.
It was a turning point.
Once she signed… nothing would be the same again.
"…Three months," she whispered.
Ethan's eyes locked onto hers.
"Three months," he confirmed.
Lina took a breath.
Then—
She signed.
Ethan smiled.
This time… it was darker.
"Good choice," he said.
But something about the way he said it made Lina's chest tighten.
Like she had just stepped into something far deeper than she understood.
And somewhere deep inside…
She had the sudden, terrifying feeling—
This wasn't going to end the way he promised.