I leaned back in my chair, watching her as she stepped into the office. She looked curious, maybe a little unsure—but that wasn’t any of my business. Once she heard my offer, she’d say yes. Of course she would. It was me. And more importantly, it was money.
I gestured to the chair in front of my desk. "Sit."
She did.
"I need a favor," I began.
"So," I said, keeping my voice steady, "can you act as my girlfriend?"
She looked at me, surprised. "What?"
I repeated it, slowly this time.
She stared. And then, instead of saying the obvious answer—yes—she tilted her head slightly and laughed. "Is this one of those weird CEO things? Like a business strategy I don’t understand?"
I did not bother answering that ridiculous question because this was not the reaction I had anticipated.
"we will sign a contract of course," I said. "I’ve thought it through. You’re the perfect candidate."
She raised an eyebrow. "You want to sign a contract with someone to pretend to be your girlfriend? Why not just─I don’t know─get an actual girlfriend?"
I gave her a questioning look. "That’s none of your business."
"excuse me?"
I stared at her. Was she seriously questioning this? "All you need to know is, I need a girlfriend for three months. You’ll play the role, follow the conditions in the contract and be compensated."
She tilted her head. "Why me?"
Oh, for f— I exhaled. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.
"But why not someone else?"
"You’re convenient," I snapped before I could stop myself.
She recoiled slightly. Shit. That came out wrong.
"but if I’m pretending to be part of your life—"
"You’re not pretending to be part of my life," I cut in, annoyance slowly entering my voice. "It’s an image. A role and it’s temporary."
She paused, obviously processing that.
Why the hell was she still talking?
I let out a slow exhale annoyed that she was making this harder than it needed to be. "You know what?" I reached for the drawer and pulled out the contract I had spent half the night drafting.
I placed it on the desk infront of her. "Here. Read this. All the terms are in there. Payment schedule, boundaries, rules...everything. Maybe that’ll help you stop asking so many damn questions."
Her hand hovered over the folder, hesitant, then she picked up the document slowly her eyes scanning the first page.
This was supposed to be easy. She was supposed to say yes, get stars in her eyes at the money and we’d move on. But no—of course not. Of all the times she decided to grow a conscience, it had to be now?
I leaned back and crossed my arms watching her face for any flicker of greed or hesitation. I knew it would come. It always did. "Read it. Take your time. But just so we’re clear—this isn’t a negotiation. You either agree or you don’t."
deep down, I already knew what she’d choose. She’d see the numbers and she will say yes.
They always do.
ISABELLA’S POV
I stared at the folder like it might bite me.
Adrien placed it on the table with the same casual arrogance he always wore─like he knew I was going to open it, read it and sign it without blinking. Like he expected me to sell my soul for a price.
Ugh. The audacity.
Still, my fingers curled around the edge of the folder and I flipped it open.
The first thing I saw was the title in bold at the top:
"Temporary Relationship Agreement – Non-Legal Romantic Contract"
Wow. That already sounded like something out of a bad reality show.
I look through the first clause:
Duration: This agreement is valid for three (3) months from the signing date.
Okay, simple enough. Then it started getting...weird.
Physical Contact: There shall be no physical intimacy except in the presence of family or when public image requires it. Any spontaneous gestures must be mutually agreed upon prior.
Huh?
Confidentiality: This agreement and the relationship must remain strictly confidential. Neither party shall disclose the nature of this arrangement to any third party, including friends or co-workers.
So, basically... lie to everyone.
Breach Clause: Should either party terminate the agreement before the 3-month period ends without mutual consent, the offending party shall pay a fine of $50,000.
My eyes widened. Fifty thousand?!
Boundaries: Parties shall not interfere in each other’s personal lives. Curiosity, judgment, or involvement beyond the relationship’s scope is prohibited.
So I’m supposed to pretend to date him, but not ask if he’s okay when he looks like he hasn’t slept in three days?
No Emotional Attachment: The arrangement is strictly business.
In the event that either party develops romantic feelings, the agreement becomes void immediately.
I blinked.
Excuse me?
So, if I fall for him, contract over? But if he falls for me?
I glanced up at him. He was staring at me like I was a chess piece he already checkmated.
Availability: Party B (me) must be available at any time of day when requested. Cancellations require 24-hour notice. Emergencies from Party A override personal plans of Party B.
What am I? A 24/7 actress?
I closed the folder slowly, inhaling through my nose before I could say something crazy.
Who even writes this kind of contract? Who assumes someone would agree to this without batting an eye?
Oh. Right. Adrien does.
I opened the folder again to continue reading it and it stared at me like it just slapped me. I mean─what kind of human writes this? Scratch that. What kind of robot thinks this is normal?
He was watching me. No words, no movement, just him leaning back like he already knew my answer. Like this was all a formality.
God. He was serious.
I looked back at the final page where the signature line waited like a trap.
Termination by Romantic Complication:
If Party B develops romantic feelings and fails to disclose them, she will be fined and the contract terminated. Party A is not obligated to reciprocate emotions.
I snorted. Of course not.
So not only was I expected to fake-date a walking iceberg, but I’d get fined for catching feelings. Who does that? And it was stated in number seven! Literarily stated the same thing twice
And the clause before this numbers─about availability. Was I supposed to be on a leash? Because that’s what it sounded like.
I flipped the pages again, in disbelief.
Image Maintenance:
Party B must uphold the image of a well-mannered, respectable partner. Public misbehavior, scandal or problematic behavior will lead to instant termination.
"Wow," I murmured under my breath.
"Something wrong?" he asked and I looked up to find him─still annoyingly calm like this was just another boardroom transaction.
"No, no. Everything’s just peachy. I mean, this is the most romantic proposal I’ve ever gotten," I said sweetly "especially the part where I have to be available to you like I’m your on-call puppy."
His jaw ticked slightly but he didn’t speak.
"And let me guess─" I tapped the edge of the folder, "you think I will just sign this without asking any questions?"
"That was the plan," he said bluntly.