The Bilionaire Deal

CHAPTER FIVE: The Billionaire Deal

2 / 365

VICKY

I blinked. Not once, not twice…but three full times.

What did he just say?

Rue started walking toward me where I stood frozen. I was stunned…no, furious. My face burned with disbelief and annoyance. How could he make such an expensive joke?

“I’ll explain later,” Rue whispered, wrapping me in what looked like a comforting hug. “Just bail me out while she’s here.”

“Why would you say something like that without my consent?” I hissed through clenched teeth.

“Just help me get rid of her for now,” he whispered again.

He gently pulled away from the hug and grabbed my wrist softly, leading me down the stairs.

“Is it true, my dear? You two are getting married?” his grandmother asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I nodded, mostly because I couldn’t even open my mouth to speak. She immediately burst into claps and laughter, spinning in joy. I turned to Rue. He must’ve been a constant source of heartache for her.

Rue Rogers. The only Rogers brother I didn’t know much about. Always living abroad, rarely around. I used to clean his penthouse when he was away. And now of all days, the very same day I found out my husband and sister had betrayed me—this happens. Today, of all days, I get dragged into a lie with a man who barely knew my name.

“Can you leave now? We need our privacy,” Rue said curtly to his grandmother. He could clearly see how stiff and stunned I was. He knew I wasn’t in the mood for an old woman to be touchy and clingy with me just because she believed I was now her granddaughter-in-law.

“Ohhh,” she giggled, eyeing me. “I can guess you two had a great time last night… from what she’s wearing.” She winked.

Rue sighed, just as I did. I was still wearing his clothes. I didn’t blame her. I had also stared at myself in the mirror and thought the same.

“It’s not what it looks like,” I mumbled awkwardly.

“Oh, it’s fine,” she laughed. “That’s how you produce babies faster.”

“Granny,” Rue muttered, exasperated, “that’s enough.”

But somehow, her words struck a nerve in me. They made me sick to my stomach. They reminded me of the marriage that had just crumbled. They reminded me of the countless struggles… the countless failures at trying to conceive.

“You’re making her uncomfortable,” Rue muttered softly.

His grandmother raised her head to look at me and smiled—a warm, gentle smile. She looked like a lovable woman. Too bad the circumstances were anything but lovable

“I wasn’t going to ask,” she said, tilting her head. “But curiosity is eating me alive. Your face is strikingly familiar. Have we met before?”

I shook my head and whispered, “No, we haven’t.”

“You look so familiar…” she insisted, eyes narrowing. “I never forget a face.”

Of course I looked familiar. I used to scrub her grandson’s marble floor.

“I must’ve seen you somewhere,” she continued, “I’m sure of it.”

“That’s because she works for us. Or… used to work for us,” Rue said, clearing his throat.

I stiffened. Why would he say that? Why put me in such an awkward position?

“Ahhh! I remember now!” she exclaimed. “What was the name of your cleaning agency? I swear I used to know it.”

“Wicky Cleaning Service,” I muttered under my breath, the words tasting like shame. My business name. His name. It made me sick.

“Does your mother know about your relationship with her?” she asked Rue.

“Nana!” Rue interrupted, his tone sharp. “I think you should be satisfied with what I’ve given you. I’ll walk you to the door. My fiancée needs rest.”

Your fiancée? He must be enjoying this madness.

“I noticed the bandages. Are you okay?” she asked, turning back to me gently.

“Yes, ma,” I replied coldly.

She smiled again. “Welcome to the Rogers family, dear. Let’s meet for dinner sometime.”

Rue practically dragged her out. As the door shut behind them, I finally let out the breath I’d been holding. My chest ached.

What the hell just happened?

“Hey…” came Rue’s voice from behind me.

I turned. He was rubbing his palms together nervously. He better have a damn good reason for this ridiculous stunt.

“What the hell was that?!” I asked, trying not to scream.

He didn’t say a word. Calmly, he loosened his tie and walked to the window, his hands tucked in his pockets. He peered out, making sure his grandmother’s car had driven off.

“I asked you a question!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? You just introduced me as your fiancée! You introduced the same woman your family knows as a cleaner—me—as your fiancée! Saying sorry won’t fix this mess. Or is this some kind of twisted joke?”

“She’s old,” he said flatly. “And sick. If I don’t get married soon, she’ll cut me out of the will.”

I stared at him, speechless. “And how is that my problem?”

“I had to handle the situation. You just appeared out of nowhere. How else was I supposed to explain why you were in my clothes?”

“This has to be a joke,” I scoffed, shaking my head.

“I didn’t mean to put you in this position. And by the way, I did save your life today. Just say we’re even.”

“Saved me?” I scoffed louder this time. “You dragged me from one disaster and shoved me straight into another! Even ?I didn’t go around telling people we were getting married!”

“Then let’s get married.”

My breath caught. “Mr. Rue Rogers, I am married!” I snapped, holding up my left hand. “See this ring?”

“And how do you explain the divorce papers? Shouldn’t you have thrown that ring out by now? Isn’t that how it works?”

I blinked. Wait… How did he know about the divorce papers?

“I didn’t tell you about my divorce… How did you know?”

“I knew even before you did,” he said with a scoff.

“What?!”

“Williams Jake—your ex-husband—is my secretary. You didn’t know that? He got you this job. Said, and I quote, ‘She’s always lying at home like a bean bag doing nothing. I want her out.’ He told me about your cleaning service. That’s how you ended up here.”

My mouth parted slightly, heart pounding. Rue wasn’t just my boss. He was William’s boss too?

“How did you know he was going to divorce me?”

“It’s been a while,” he said casually. “Since your sister first got pregnant. You know about that too, right?”

“Yes,” I choked out. “I found out today. He divorced me today.”

“Hmmm. Imagine his face if he sees you as my new wife.”

Rue smirked. I looked up slowly, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

He was right.

What if I did marry Rue Rogers? What if I became Mrs. Rogers instead of Mrs. Jakes? I wanted revenge. I wanted power. I wanted him—them—to suffer. And what better way than with a last name they could never touch?

“So you knew all along. Is that why you came to get me?” I asked.

“No,” Rue said, stepping forward. “You were homeless, divorced, betrayed. You were thrown out of both the places you called home. You were going to end your life, Vicky.”

His voice softened. “I gave you a room. I gave you protection. Because I wanted to.”

I folded my arms tightly, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I didn’t ask for protection. And I didn’t ask to be your fake bride.”

“But you need this,” he said calmly. “More than you admit.”

Rue stepped closer, lowering his voice. “I propose a deal. Be my fiancée—for real. In front of my family and the public. One year. No emotions. No strings. Just pretend. In return, I’ll give you anything you want. A fresh start. A new name. Power. Resources. Even revenge, if that’s what you’re after.”

I stared at him, heart racing. “You want a contract marriage?”

“Yes,” he answered, without hesitation.

I hesitated. “And after a year?”

“We’ll go our separate ways.”

“I propose we divorce ten days before the 365 days are up.”

“Why?” he asked.

“In a contract, both parties should have terms, right? That’s mine.”

“So… ten days before the year ends, we disappear from each other’s lives?” he confirmed.

“Yes.”

He gave a slow nod. “Deal.”

I took a deep breath.

Those ten days… they’d be my last on Earth. But he wouldn’t know that. He could never know. I’d die before he found out.

This would be my secret.

And no one would ever know