Chapter 1

A mutually beneficial contract arrangement turned Elena into the "temporary girlfriend" of a wealthy heir. She thought it was nothing more than acting for appearances and getting paid to walk away cleanly.

But in the process of one staged scene after another, she began to see the cracks beneath the cold exterior of the man everyone looked up to.

When his mother handed her a check and told her to leave, Elena accepted it with a smile.

But he showed up at her rented apartment, eyes red, blocking her at the door. "Who said this was just an act? I meant it."

*****

Elena Lane was crouched on the floor of her rented apartment, chewing on a slice of pizza, when her phone rang.

An unknown number flashed on the screen. She wiped her greasy hands on her jeans and answered the call.

"Is this Elena Lane? This is Caleb Hayes, Leon Bennett's assistant. There is a job offer, and we would like to discuss with you," the voice on the other end said.

Elena nearly choked on the pizza.

'Leon Bennett? The Leon Bennett from Bennett Holdings? The one known as the city's youngest, most handsome, and most commanding golden bachelor?' she thought.

Her first reaction was that it had to be a scam.

"Dude, at least come up with a new scam. If you are really his assistant, then I am his long-lost sister," she said.

There was a two-second silence on the other end.

"Miss Lane, if you are available, I will be waiting for you at 3 p.m. on the 42nd floor of Bennett Tower," Caleb said.

Then he hung up.

Elena stared at her phone, then at the half-eaten pizza slice in her hand, her brain racing.

She had just finished a set of illustrations for an app last month, but the client still had not paid. Her bank account was sitting at a miserable 400 dollars, and rent was due next month. Her grandmother's diner was not doing well either.

'What could a scammer possibly want from me? A romance scam?' she wondered. She ran a hand through her greasy, unwashed hair, which had not been washed for three days because of deadlines, and still thought it was unlikely.

'My money? Please, I'm down to my last few dollars,' she thought.

After a moment of thought, she decided to go.

*****

At 2:30 p.m., Elena stood outside Bennett Tower, staring up at the building as sunlight bounced off its glass facade. She took a deep breath.

She wore a clean white T-shirt, her hair tied into a ponytail, with light makeup on her face. She was not trying to impress anyone. She just did not want security to mistake her for some random troublemaker and kick her out.

After the receptionist made a quick call to confirm her identity, her attitude did a complete one-eighty. She personally led Elena to a restricted-access elevator.

When the elevator doors slid open on the 42nd floor, a man in a dark gray suit was already waiting for her. He had a polished, gentle presence.

"Miss Lane, please come in," he said.

The office was extremely spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the city skyline. But her attention was immediately drawn to the man sitting on the sofa.

Leon looked even better in person than he did in magazines.

He was not the kind of handsome that felt unreal or overly polished. His features were sharp, and he carried a cold aura that made people instinctively keep their distance.

Dressed in a black shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, he stayed focused on his phone and did not even bother to look up.

Caleb invited her to sit down, poured her a glass of water, and got straight to the point. "Miss Lane, we've looked into your background.

"Last month, you stood up for a girl at a downtown mall. Her fiancé had just dumped her in front of everyone.

"You tore into that man and his mother for a full fifteen minutes without repeating yourself once. Then you cheered the girl up and even drew her a beautiful portrait."

Elena blinked in surprise. "How do you even know about that?"

"That girl is Mr. Bennett's cousin," Caleb replied.

'Small world,' Elena thought.

He continued, "Mr. Bennett is looking for someone to act as his girlfriend for a month. She would accompany him to family gatherings and a few public events. The pay is here."

He slid a check across the table.

Elena glanced at it and almost choked on her water.

It was eighty thousand dollars.

"I am just an illustrator. Are you sure you have the right person? Wouldn't an actress make more sense for something like this?" she asked.

Leon, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke. His voice was low, with a faint rough edge. "A professional actress would probably be overqualified. If she overdid it, it could give the whole thing away. I need someone who can pass as ordinary."

The way he said ordinary carried a quiet arrogance.

But Elena was not offended. She let out a short laugh. "Mr. Bennett, that is an interesting choice of words. Are you complimenting me or putting me down?"

Leon finally looked up at her. For the first time, something shifted in his eyes. He seemed a little surprised. "A bit of both."

"Well, you've got sharp eyes," she said, taking a sip of water. "I am both ordinary and extraordinary."

Caleb was trying so hard not to laugh that his face turned red.

The contract terms were straightforward. Elena had to act as Leon's girlfriend for three family gatherings and two business events, and post a few convincing "happy couple" updates on social media.

He would cover all her expenses during the contract period, pay her forty thousand dollars upfront, and the remaining forty thousand when the month was over.

Only the last clause made her hesitate. She would have to allow some physical contact if needed, holding hands, linking arms, things like that, but nothing more than that.

"What if it goes further?" Elena asked.

Leon's expression did not change. "That won't happen."

He said it as if she were something to be avoided.

She thought of her bank account and her grandmother's struggling diner, then signed without hesitation.