Chapter 1
After divorcing Wade Ford, the richest guy in the world, and walking away with 16 billion, I left his city and posted a tweet: [My husband ran off with a divorced single mom. I'm single and ready to mingle.]
Attached was a photo of our divorce papers.
Seconds later, a friend called Wade, demanding, "She's so gorgeous that any man would fall for her at first sight. And you're letting her stay single out of spite?"
Wade's face darkened. He hung up and turned to his assistant. He asked, "Who the hell let her go?"
The assistant stammered, "M-Mr. Ford, don't you remember? Your stand-in contract with Ms. Lane has expired."
*****
Ivy got a message, which read: [Room 809, Grandview Hotel. ASAP.]
The moment Ivy got the message, she jumped in a cab and sped straight to the Grandview Hotel. She lived by one rule: always get the job done on time.
When it came to busting cheaters, even one miss could mean her client ended up raising someone else's kid.
Jennifer hired Ivy to pretend to be Wade's fiancée, all because she looked exactly like his unattainable love.
After all, the Ford Group was always in the top five on the rich list, and Wade was drop-dead gorgeous with killer vibes. Women were constantly trying every trick in the book to get close to him.
Whenever one of those women showed up, Jennifer would text Ivy, and Ivy would show up in a flash, chasing off every woman who tried her luck.
She got paid 30 thousand per job, and the money was always in her account right after she finished. No delays, no excuses.
Ivy kicked the door open and saw two people on the bed.
Luckily, they hadn't gotten to the main event yet.
Ivy strode over in her heels, grabbed the woman by the hair with effortless elegance, and yanked her straight off the bed onto the floor.
The woman let out a scream and shot Ivy a hateful look. She demanded, "Ivy? What the hell are you doing here?"
Ivy recognized her right away. It was Bella.
Ivy lazily lifted her hand to admire her freshly done nails. She said coldly, "You just got fired from the Ford Group, and you still managed to sneak your way in here? You're really something."
Before Bella could react, Ivy slapped her sharply across the face.
Ivy said, "I'm here because I'm Mr. Ford's fiancée. Now, what about you? What are you doing here?"
Bella's face was swelling up from the slap, and she sat on the floor, whimpering, looking all kinds of pathetic.
She choked out, "I really don't know. I was just having dinner with Mr. Ford, and then everything went blank. Next thing I know, I'm here."
Ivy wasn't buying it for a second. She crossed her arms and threw a look at the man lying on the bed.
Wade was still in his suit, but his jacket and shirt were rumpled and half-removed, showing off his defined chest and abs. He was seriously ripped.
His face was flawless, with a high-bridged nose and well-defined lips. His eyes were closed, and even though he was knocked out, there was a faint crease between his brows.
Ivy watched Wade for a bit, amazed that Bella's shrieking hadn't stirred him at all. She snorted with a sarcastic laugh, turning back to Bella.
She said, "Looks like you really went all out with the drugs on Mr. Ford. You really don't hold back, huh?"
Bella protested, "No, I didn't drug him." She shot up from the floor, her eyes red as she glared at Ivy. She said, "You're framing me."
Ivy's lips curled into a perfect, icy smile. She sneered, "You're Mr. Ford's junior, right? Can't believe someone from a top school is this clueless.
"You're just an intern, still in college, aren't you? You realize if I call the cops, your criminal record will end up in your academic file and haunt you for life? Good luck finding a job after that."
Bella's face went ghostly pale. She stammered, "I-I..."
"I'm calling the cops," Ivy said coolly, casually picking up her phone.
Bella shouted, "Wait!" She rushed over, trying to stop Ivy.
Just then, the man on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.
His eyes were bloodshot, clearly not fully awake yet. The moment he spotted Ivy by the bed, he reached out and pulled her over.
Wade was ridiculously strong. Ivy was caught off guard and tumbled onto the bed. The next second, he was on top of her, pressing his lips fiercely against hers.
Her phone hit the floor with a loud smack, and Ivy's cheeks went nuclear. She was just supposed to play the fiancée: this was so not in the contract.
Ivy tried to break free, but Wade was way too strong. With one hand, he pinned both of hers above her head, stealing her breath in a rough, hungry kiss. It was like fireworks exploded behind her eyes.
Bella was completely dumbstruck, just standing there by the bed.
After all the scheming and effort, Bella still couldn't get what she wanted, but Ivy just had it handed to her. Even when Wade was out cold from the drugs, his eyes only saw Ivy.
Bella shouted, "Why her? What does she have that I don't?"
Her face was burning with anger, and she couldn't hold back her tears. She spun around and stormed out of the room, sobbing.
The door slammed shut, leaving just Wade and Ivy alone in the suite.
Ivy's heart was racing. She forced herself not to fall for Wade. She gave him a sharp bite on the lip to snap him out of it.
He finally backed off a bit.
Ivy snapped, "Wade, look at me. Do you even know who I am?"
Wade didn't even acknowledge her threat. He pinned her down without breaking a sweat. His leg locked between hers, and his big hand grabbed her waist, holding her tight.
Even with the drugs in his system, his movements weren't harsh: his palm was scorching, almost electric. With just a few touches, Ivy's whole body went weak, completely helpless against him.
His lips landed on her neck, sending shivers down her spine. She shut her eyes, unable to hold back a breathless moan.
When it was finally over, Ivy was totally wiped out.
She pulled the blanket around herself, ready to just crash and sleep it off, but then she heard movement next to her.
Wade was awake.