Chapter 5

Teyara Moon

I cleared my throat sharply to dissolve the thick, suffocating silence hanging in the room.

I had literally just walked in on them fucking each other like dogs in heat, standing by like an audience member while they cumed together. What a fantastic way to initiate a professional contract.

The woman scrambled to cover herself, shooting lethal glares in my direction while Jax fumbled to pull his clothes back on.

“Who the hell are you and what do you think you're doing in here!” she shrieked, snatching up her shirt and frantically trying to thrust her arms through the sleeves. “What kind of a mad woman just barges into a private residence without knocking like she owns the place!”

Her screeching was rapidly wearing down my patience.

“The only mad woman I see in this room is the one screaming,” I shot back coldly.

She snapped to her feet immediately, entirely forgetting she hadn't yet pulled up her underwear. I fought down the urge to laugh aloud as she caught herself, her face burning with rage as she scrambled to pull her pants over her hips.

“I am going to tear you apart,” she hissed, advancing toward me.

Jax stepped in immediately, throwing his shirtless body between the two of us to block her path.

“Hey, babe, stop. Calm down. This is the girl I told you about.”

“This trash?” she spat, glaring daggers.

“Call me that again, and I swear to God I will—”

“Sandra.”

Jax's deep voice interrupted, a subtle grunt escaping him as he moved. Standing directly behind him, I was forced to look at his bare back. Six years ago, a view like that would have made me horny and weak in the knees; today, it simply filled me with absolute hatred and revulsion.

“You know what? I came here under the impression that you were a serious professional. On second thought, I'm out of here,” I snapped, turning toward the exit.

“No, wait! Babe, just sit down, she's here to assist us.”

I watched as the brunette let out an aggressive huff and dropped back onto the mattress.

“Wait, ‘babe’? And she apparently knows the layout of our arrangement?” I questioned, crossing my arms.

“Miss Moon,” Jax called out, his tone shifting back to business.

I refused to look intimidated, leaning back against a decorative table in the entryway instead of sitting.

“As I previously explained, I require you to step in and play the part of my partner while my actual girlfriend finalizes a few personal matters. It's the only roadblock keeping us from getting married. She's going to be traveling for a considerable duration, and my traditional parents will immediately try to play matchmaker if they think I'm single. I cannot deal with that headache. I just want a peaceful, quiet life until she returns, and that only happens if they believe I am committed to you.”

“Or… because you're secretly terrified you'll give in to temptation and dump this lunatic the second she turns her back,” I countered with a sharp chuckle.

The brunette lunged forward again, forcing Jax to physically restrain her.

“Furthermore,” I continued, ignoring her thrashing, “if we play-act a relationship for months, don't you think your parents are going to find it incredibly suspicious when we suddenly break up, and you're at the altar with another woman the very next day?”

“Miss Moon, that is my logistical problem to solve. Your sole responsibility is to focus entirely on executing your role as my fake girlfriend.”

“Fine. Let's talk numbers and expectations,” I said, my voice hardening.

“You're just an overly hyped prostitute,” the brunette hissed from the bed.

“Why, thank you for the compliment. Would you like one of my business cards? I'm always looking for client referrals,” I replied, flashing a sweet, mocking grin that sent her temper through the roof.

“Would both of you just cut it out!” Jax barked, his authority cutting through the room.

I simply scoffed, rolling my eyes.

“Alright, so when does my employment officially commence?”

“Today. Right this second, actually. But first, I need you to handle an immediate task for me…” his voice trailed off.

“Name it,” I replied.

Jax reached for his checkbook, swiftly penning a figure before tearing the slip out.

“Take this. Go find yourself a stunning evening gown. We are having dinner with my parents tonight.”

I completely froze, staring at the fucking slip of paper he was holding out to me.

My heart hammered violently against my ribs, rendering me completely unable to reach out and take it.

Jax might be entirely oblivious, blind, and utterly dense, but I couldn't guarantee his parents would share his ignorance. There was an incredibly high probability that they would look at me and instantly recognize the girl from the college scandal.

“Well, take the money, you clearly need it. Or have you just never seen that many zeros on a check before?” the duck fowl brunette mocked, letting out a cruel laugh.

“I'm sorry, Jax, but I can't do it tonight. I have an incredibly tight schedule today. We'll have to reschedule the family introduction for another time,” I stammered, my throat tightening.

Jax’s lips curved into a fucking smirk, he knew exactly what he's doing

“You need to show some real commitment to this contract, Sandra. Go purchase the attire, because we are leaving within the hour.”

His voice left no room for negotiation as he stepped forward, grabbed my wrist, and firmly pressed the check into my palm.

“Now get out of here. I need to say goodbye to my boyfriend, and you're completely ruining the mood,” the duck fowl brunette snapped, wrapping her rope arms around his shoulders.

I practically had to fight back the urge to hold my stomach and laugh.

“Give me your residential address. I’ll pull up to collect you at precisely six o'clock,” Jax said.

Nervously, I grabbed a scrap of paper from my bag, scribbled my address, and set it down before walking out.

How on earth am I going to navigate this? I thought frantically as the heavy penthouse door clicked shut behind me.

I glanced down at the check, and the sheer amount made my head spin.

But then, a solution materialized.

With a budget like this, I could purchase a high-quality wig to completely alter my silhouette, and a dramatic, professional makeup look would easily rewrite my facial features.

It was a dangerous gamble to step into his parents' home, but if I could just survive the initial greetings and keep a low profile, I could escape undetected.

I quickly fired off a text message to Chloe, updating her on the sudden acceleration of the timeline, before directing my taxi straight to an upscale boutique district.

A few hours later, I was standing in my apartment, nearly fully prepared.

All I needed was to finalize my cosmetics.

Right on cue, the sharp buzz of the doorbell signaled Jax’s arrival.

I marched downstairs to grant him entry.

He stepped across the threshold, his sharp eyes instantly scanning my living room, dissecting every corner of my personal space.

“Why are you wearing a fucking wig?” he questioned, his brow furrowing in deep confusion as his gaze locked onto my hair.

“You demanded that I look exceptional for your family, and this is how I achieve that look,” I responded, maintaining an entirely stone-faced, professional composure.

“Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back; I just need to grab a few final things.”

I turned and walked up to my bedroom to finish stepping into my armor.

Before I could even reach my vanity, I heard the bedroom door swing open behind me.

Jax stepped into the private space, closing the distance between us.

“What do you think you're doing here?” I demanded, turning around as I pressed my lips together to evenly distribute my lipstick.

He didn't offer a verbal response.

He simply kept advancing, his presence suddenly towering over me.

Without a fucking word of warning, his hand shot out, swiftly tugging the wig clean off my head.

He stared down into my face, his gaze burning with an intense, suffocating focus.

“Teyara…” he breathed softly.

Pure, unadulterated recognition exploded through his eyes.

I completely froze, completely paralyzed as a thousand chaotic thoughts collided in my mind.

But out of all the fucking panic, one terrifying question drowned out the rest:

How the hell did this motherfucker figure out who I was?