Chapter 2

Wade's cold gaze swept over the messy bed, finally landing on the woman beside him.

Ivy's hair was a tangled mess, her petite face buried in the soft pillow. Her shoulder and a stretch of her neck were exposed above the covers, her skin covered in red marks.

It was obvious what had happened.

"What are you doing here?" Wade asked.

He didn't look the least bit embarrassed. Instead, he frowned, like he was handling a tricky business issue, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Ivy didn't answer right away. She stared at him for a moment before realizing he probably didn't remember a thing.

She let out a quiet sigh, not sure if this was a good or bad thing. Wrapping the blanket around herself, she sat up, resuming her usual laid-back attitude.

She said, "Bella drugged you. I came to save you, and then you repaid me by doing this to me."

Wade said coldly, "Impossible. Bella isn't that kind of person."

Seeing how sure he was made Ivy's chest tighten for a second.

If only she'd thought to record how Bella acted and show it to him.

Ivy told herself that she was just a paid stand-in, pretending to be Wade's fiancée. She had no right to feel hurt.

She quickly brushed off the feeling, flashed a polite smile, and said in a businesslike tone, "I'm sure you'll make your own judgment, Mr. Ford."

Just as she was about to get out of bed, Wade fixed her with a cold, suspicious stare. He asked, "You were behind all this, weren't you?"

Ivy's legs gave out, and she dropped back onto the bed. She let out a bitter laugh and said, "Seriously, what would I even get out of setting this up?"

Wade got up, his shirt rumpled and twisted. With an impatient tug, he yanked it off.

He gave Ivy a cool glance and said, "Women like you always think you can trap a man with a baby. You should know that move doesn't work on me.

"Make sure you take the morning-after pill. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with endless trouble."

Ivy didn't bother explaining herself.

She had gotten used to Wade's commanding presence and that dangerous tone of his.

Honestly, she didn't mind at all. After all, Wade and Jennifer were her top cash cows. They paid fast and were never stingy.

Ivy slipped on her robe. Her voice carried a hint of sass as she said, "Mr. Ford, you still owe me for this week. Don't forget."

Ivy got a paycheck from Wade, too.

All because she happened to look just like his dream girl, the one he could never have. So he hired her to play the part, and all she had to do was show up whenever he called.

He used to pay her monthly, but switched to weekly so she could cover her hospital bills more easily.

Wade glanced over at Ivy, his eyes growing colder as he let out a mocking chuckle.

He obviously saw her as nothing but a gold-digger, but that didn't bother Ivy at all.

Wade quickly scribbled out a check, flung it onto the bed in front of Ivy, and walked off to the bathroom, his face still icy.

Ivy tucked the check away, then pulled out her phone and shot a quick reply to Jennifer: [I made it to Grandview Hotel room 809 just in time. Suspect Bella has been kicked out.]

There was no reply from Jennifer, but Ivy barely had time to wonder before a transfer notification popped up on her screen.

Ivy was making two paychecks from one job, but the money barely had time to warm her hands before she sent it straight to the hospital.

Her brother, Andrew, was staying in a high-end recovery suite, and the bill was tens of thousands of dollars a day.

To pay for Andrew's treatment, Ivy honestly wished she could bust cheaters every single day if it meant more cash.

Just as she was about to get dressed and leave, Ivy heard a familiar ringtone.

Wade's phone was ringing. It was Vivian, Wade's chief secretary, calling.

Wade was in the shower and didn't hear a thing. As soon as the call ended, Vivian dialed again and again, like she was on a mission from hell.

After several missed calls, Vivian switched to voice calls. When those went unanswered, she even started video calling.

Ivy was running out of patience. She picked up Wade's phone, headed to the bathroom, and knocked on the door. She called out, "Mr. Ford, you've got a call."

Ivy was still feeling weak from earlier; her legs were barely holding her up. After knocking twice, the bathroom door suddenly flew open before she knew it, and Ivy stumbled forward, totally caught off guard.

Her legs nearly gave out, and she flailed, grabbing at anything she could reach. Her fingers slid down Wade's wet abs, and in her panic, she yanked at the towel wrapped around his waist.

The towel hit the floor, and Wade's face instantly darkened.