Chapter 04

Harper Ross

As I arrived at the elevator, I met my neighbor, Jack, at the door. He greets me with a smile and holds the door for me.

"Thank you, Jack!" I say as I enter the elevator.

"Imagine, Harp. How was your day?" asks the tall, blonde, middle-aged man with a friendly smile on his face.

"It was a long day, but I'm fine. And you?" I politely reply, still a little dazed.

"I'm great, dear! But you seemed a bit in a hurry when you entered the building, did something happen?" he asks, concerned.

"Oh, no! It was just your impression, don't worry," I reply, trying to sound convincing.

Jack nods, but seems unsatisfied with my answer.

"You know you can count on me if you need anything, right?" he offers, giving me a light tap on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Jack. I know that," I thank him, giving a sincere smile.

As the doors open on our floor, we say goodbye, and he heads towards his apartment while I enter mine. The feeling of relief for finally being home overtakes me, and I flop onto the couch, letting my thoughts flow freely.

Liam is an enigma to me. I can't understand his motivations, but there is something about his posture and attitude that deeply intrigues me. I hate him, but at the same time, I feel something more, something I can't explain.

Damn! Am I going crazy? Why can't I stop thinking about this rich boy?

I sigh and close my eyes, trying to push these confusing thoughts out of my mind.

"A hot bath, Harper. That's what you need," I say to myself, getting up from the couch and heading to the bathroom.

I get up from the couch and head to my room, grabbing a clean towel from the closet. I enter the bathroom, and as the shower water heats up, I begin to undress, leaving my clothes scattered on the floor.

As soon as I step into the shower and feel the hot water falling on my body, my tense muscles instantly relax. After a few minutes under the shower, I turn off the water and leave the bathroom, wrapping the towel around my body. I throw myself on the bed, still wrapped in the towel, and set my phone to wake me up. Finally, I allow myself to relax, surrendering to the exhaustion that consumed me throughout the day. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting sleep take me away from my problems.

I don't know how much time passes, but I wake up to the sound of my phone, which insists on ringing until I turn it off. With a sigh, I get up, still a little sleepy. As I look out the window, I realize that it's already dark outside, and the digital clock on my bedside table indicates that it's almost seven in the evening. I go to the kitchen and make myself a fresh orange juice; the citrus drink gives me a little energy, and I decide to start getting ready for the dinner.

I go back to my room, take another quick shower, imagining that Liam Specter wouldn't dine in a place with less than 3 Michelin stars. I stare at my small wardrobe to choose a decent dress.

After trying some options, I choose a tight burgundy dress that highlights my curves and finish the look with high heels and a small purse.

After finishing my makeup with a pink lipstick and perfuming myself, I face my reflection in the mirror and am satisfied with the result. I hadn't felt so beautiful and confident in a long time. Finally ready, I sit on the couch and start shaking my leg nervously, the tension consuming me as I think about what awaits me at this damned dinner with Liam Specter.

A few minutes later, my intercom rings.

'Yes, Tony!' I answer the doorman.

'Harp, there's a car waiting for you here.'

'Ah, yes! I'm coming down, Tony, thank you!'

I take a deep breath, grab my purse, and leave the apartment.

The elevator seems to take forever to get to the ground floor and my thoughts are tangled in my head. 

“Good night! Miss Ross! Greet the man in the black suit as he opens the luxury car door for me as I leave the building”

“Good night! Thank you!”, I smile and get in the vehicle.

The ride is quick and a few minutes later, we stop in front of the most luxurious restaurant in New York.

Jesus Christ, a dish in this place is the value of my entire month's rent.

The driver gets out of the car and opens the door for me. As I get out of the vehicle, I notice a small crowd of photographers outside, trying to take pictures of whoever gets out of the car. I feel a little uncomfortable with all this attention, but the driver guides me to the door and I move forward.

"Right this way, Miss Ross!" he says, leading me into the establishment.

Upon entering the restaurant, I am greeted by the hostess who leads me to Liam's private table. The man is impeccably dressed in a black suit that perfectly hugs his body. He stares at me and seems flustered to see me, but he smiles and stands up to greet me.

"Harper, you look...um...great!" he compliments, seeming unsure of what to say.

"Thank you, you look very elegant too," I respond, trying to hide my nervousness.

Unexpectedly, he approaches, plants a kiss on my cheek, and pulls out the chair for me to sit.

What the hell is going on here? Has he lost his mind?

"Shall we order?" he asks, seating himself in front of me.

"Yes!" I reply, still perplexed by the kiss on my cheek.

Liam just looks somewhere, and quickly the waiter approaches us with the menus.

"Bring us a bottle of your best French red wine, please!" Liam requests, with the tone of superiority that I already know and detest.

He is in his natural habitat, while I feel like a fish out of water. The waiter nods, and as soon as we choose our dishes, he leaves.

"You must be wondering why we're having this dinner." He says, with a serious tone, staring at me fixedly.

"Actually, yes."

"Well..." the wine arrives and Liam pauses as we are served. When the waiter leaves, he takes a sip of wine and takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I need to get married in a month, and that's what I have to propose to you, Harper. Marriage!" He says, and I almost choke on the wine.

" Sorry, what did you say?" I ask, completely bewildered.

"Marriage, Harper. My proposal is for you to stay married to me for a year. In exchange, I will maintain your store, take your sister out of the orphanage, and after the one-year period, you will receive twenty million dollars." He explains, unleashing everything on me at once.

I am so taken aback by the proposal that I can't find words to respond.

" How do you know about my sister? Is that why you were at the orphanage?" I ask, scared.

" I already said, I know..."

" I know, you know everything about me! " I exclaim, rolling my eyes, and he laughs.

"Exactly! "

"Why do you need to get married so quickly? And why me? " I ask, confused, trying to process all the information.

"Because my stepfather, the owner of Specter Corporation, recently passed away and left me a will that requires me to marry, or I will lose all my inheritance. As for you, Harper, you are a strong and independent woman who I believe can handle this situation well. Besides, I like you." He responds with a smile, and with each word, he leaves me even more perplexed.

"Like? You don't even know me." I say, with a trembling voice and at the same time, irritated.

"I don't know, but as far as I can see, you are astute, intelligent and the best, the only person I know, who has the courage to face me." He reveals with a smile.

God, this man must be crazy... or I must be going crazy!

"So, what do you say? " He asks, clearing my confused thoughts." It's an irresistible proposal, Harper. " He asserts as his blue eyes stare intensely at me."

I take a deep breath, feeling my air fail, and look at him.

"I definitely can’t do that... Are you crazy? This will never work." I say, completely shocked, and he laughs.

"I guarantee it will work. It’s only for a year, Harper! So we get divorced, and you get the money, your store and your sister! Everything is written in the contract, think of it as a job," he says calmly.

I look at Liam with a mix of doubt and hesitation. I don't know if I'm capable of committing to something as big as a marriage for a whole year. And even if I agree, I don't know how it would be to live next to him, with all his wealth and luxury.

"Do you really think people will believe that you fell in love with a girl like me?"

"And why wouldn't I fall in love, Harper?" The arrogant man questions back, while the waiter serves our dishes.

His smile takes my breath away as his eyes stare at me with expectation. I feel my cheeks burning and his question echoes in my mind, exploding with a thousand different reasons why he would never fall in love with me. I look away from him, focusing on the food, trying to disguise my chaos inside.

"Don't worry about anything, you're young, beautiful, and you know how to behave well, no one will suspect anything." He affirms, making me more and more uncomfortable.

He’s just complimenting you to convince you, Harper. Don’t be silly!

"And how would this work?" I inquire, taking a long sip of wine. Liam smiles when he realizes that I'm considering his proposal.

"It would be a fake marriage, only on paper. We will just be friends, we won't have any real relationship. However, we will have to live together, obviously, no one should know that we're not a real couple. And regarding the agreement, I would ensure that you have everything you need to maintain the store and take care of your sister. Besides, we would have to maintain the appearance of a happy couple in public, so that the press and my family don't suspect anything. And at the end of the agreement, we get divorced, you go your way and I go mine. Simple as that."

Simple as that? My God, he sounds like a machine.

"Simple as that?" I repeat, and he smiles."

"Yes," he confirms, as if everything were really easy and uncomplicated. "I'm a practical man, Harper. You have a debt, you have a problem with your sister, and you need that money as much as I need a bride. So, let's help each other!"

I stay silent for a few moments, pondering the proposal.

"That's a big decision to be made so suddenly. I need to think about it," I say, finally, trying to buy some more time to decide.

Immediately, Liam picks up the phone, types something, and then puts it back on the table.

"Done!" he exclaims and takes a sip of his wine.

"Done, what?" I ask, confused.

"My lawyer is taking care of everything. Tomorrow, your sister Emily will be at home with you. We'll go together to get her from that place," he says, and my jaw drops.

"My sister? H... how did you manage that?" I ask, completely perplexed. "

He has much more power than I imagined. But knowing that I'll have my sister with me makes up for anything, including living a year with this rich guy.

"See? Simple! Accept it, Harper! You won't regret it," Liam looks at me like a predator, but despite feeling cornered, I make my decision, thinking only of my sister and the future I can provide for her. Making me even more nervous, the handsome devil holds my hand on the table, and I feel like an electric shock runs through my body. "Accept!"

I take a deep breath and stare at him.

"Okay, Liam, you win! I accept!"