Chapter 1

One day, I suddenly woke up inside a novel just in time to see the heroine, Vera Lynch, throw a wad of cash straight at Glen Griffin's face.

She said, "Glen, can you stop bothering me? I told you, I would never sell myself for money."

Bills were scattered across the floor, as if mocking his pathetic sincerity.

I walked over, ignored their stunned stares, and started picking up the money.

Then I walked up to Glen, handed him the neatly stacked cash, and looked straight at his downcast face with all the sincerity I could muster.

I said, "How about giving me a chance? I'm pretty, and I've got a great temper."

I paused, then added the most crucial part, "Most importantly, I know exactly how to be the perfect kept woman."

Glen glanced at me, then over at Vera.

Vera's eyes flashed with anger as she sneered. "A gold digger and a spoiled rich heir? What a perfect match."

I nodded.

Yeah, she was absolutely right.

Glen finally shifted his gaze from Vera to me.

The sadness in his eyes hadn't fully faded yet before it was overtaken by something stronger, a complicated look mixed with disbelief, curiosity, and a trace of intrigue.

"You?" His voice came out low and rough, still hoarse from the sting of rejection.

"Yeah." I straightened up, doing my best to look like an excellent investment. "I'm Nicole Jones, twenty-two years old. Healthy, no bad habits, emotionally stable, and highly professional."

I even pulled out a business card I'd printed myself from my bag and handed it to him with both hands.

It had nothing but my name and number on it.

Glen didn't take it, but Vera, as if she'd seen something filthy, raised her voice. "Nicole, this is ridiculous. How can you degrade yourself like this?"

I ignored her.

Before I ended up inside this novel, I had taken every job I could find to scrape together enough money for my mother's surgery.

I worked as a stunt double on set, jumping into freezing water in the winter and wearing thick coats under blazing heat in the summer. I almost lost my life more than once.

At my lowest point, a man took me in and gave me three years of steady, comfortable living.

His name was Cal. He taught me a lot. He taught me how to smile politely at fancy events, how to appreciate wine, and how to tell what things were really worth beneath all the luxury.

He also taught me that everything came with a price.

I spent three years as his kept woman, until he got married for family reasons and gave me a check big enough to pay off everything and start fresh.

I used that money to pay for my mom's surgery, and then I ended up inside a novel, the exact dramatic story I used to read to pass the time.

The good news was that I showed up in this world healthy and fine.

The bad news? I was still flat broke.

Therefore, the moment I saw Glen and Vera arguing, my professional instincts kicked right in.

Glen was the ultimate lovesick second lead, rich, handsome, and basically had everything except the girl he wanted.

And Vera Lynch, the heroine, was the classic resilient underdog, stubbornly strong, dismissive of wealth, and convinced that every rich man was trying to get her.

What a perfect opportunity. The job Vera refused to do was one I could gladly take.

"Mr. Griffin," I said, keeping my tone steady as I looked at Glen. "Ms. Lynch is right. We actually make a pretty good match.

"You need someone who doesn't love you, just your money, someone who can play along and help you handle your family pushing you to get married. And I happen to need cash. We both get what we want. It's a perfect deal."

Glen was stunned by my logic.

He finally glanced down at the business card in my hand and smiled. It was a faint smile, but soon, it slowly spread across his handsome face.

"A deal, huh?" he repeated, clearly amused by the term. "That's actually interesting."

Instead of taking my card, he pulled out his phone. "Give me your number."

I rattled off the digits without missing a beat.

He dialed immediately, and the cheap secondhand phone in my pocket started blasting one of those super common ringtones.

Things got awkward real fast.

I calmly hung up and flashed him a smile. "Mr. Griffin, when would you like our cooperation to begin? I can start anytime."

Vera was so furious that she was practically shaking. "You're both crazy."

She stomped her foot and ran off crying, most likely to find the guy she was meant to end up with.

He watched her run off, his expression darkening for a second. Soon, he refocused his attention on me.

"You're quite straightforward," he said.

"Efficiency is everything," I answered without hesitation. "Time is money, Mr. Griffin."

He couldn't help but laugh, his shoulders shaking with amusement. Then he pulled a wallet from his pocket, took out a black card, and held it out to me.

He said, "Be there at nine tomorrow morning. Impress me, and this card belongs to you."

I took that fancy business card with nothing but an address printed on it.

"As for now—" Glen glanced at the stack of cash I'd handed back, then at me. "Keep the money. Consider this an advance payment for your wonderful performance today."

He shoved the cash back into my hand, turned around, and got into a Bentley parked by the curb without looking back.

I held the thick stack of cash, still warm from his touch, glanced at the black card and the address in my hand, and let out a long breath.

First job secured.

I leaned down and kissed the money.

Man, it really smelled good.