CHAPTER ONE

(NATALIE POV)

The summon to my boss, Alexander Hayes’s office came through Mark, his assistant, and I felt this instant ache in my stomach.

Alexander rarely called anyone to his office during working hours unless he wanted to address something really serious.

And the minute after I got the call, my mind started reeling with possibilities.

I knew I had been fumbling a lot lately, distracted by my father’s illness and the crushing burden of his mounting medical bills.

And just like I feared Alexander must have finally taken notice of my shortcoming and that was not an update to take likely.

So as I walked down the corridor, I felt my heartbeat thundering in my ears.

Each step closer to his front door doubled my anxiety.

And when I eventually reached, I smoothed my skirt and wiped my sweaty palms before knocking softly.

“Come in,”

Alexander’s deep voice called from the other side.

I pushed the door open, and there he was, seated behind his dark imposing desk, his blue piercing eyes boring through me the moment our eyes met.

I held my breath and stepped inside, closing the door behind me.

“Miss Hart,”

he began, his tone neutral but his expression unreadable.

“Take a seat.”

I did as instructed, my heart beating even faster.

He leaned back in his chair and studied me for a second more before his lips parted.

“Do you know why I’ve called you here?”

he asked.

I shook my head almost too quickly, struggling to keep my composure.

“No, sir.”

Alexander’s gaze did not change.

“Well I’ve noticed a decline in your performance recently. You’ve been making mistakes errors I wouldn’t expect from someone at your level”

I swallowed hard, my greatest fear was literally happening to me.

“I..I’m sorry,”

I managed to stammer, avoiding his eyes.

“I’ll do better.”

He ignored the apology and shrugged.

“Why has your performance slipped?

What’s going on?”

I looked away again, drawing in a hot breath and racking my brain for an appropriate answer that will not reveal too much.

"I…I’ve just been under a lot of pressure lately,"

I stammered for a second time.

Alexander did not look like he had bought that excuse neither did I really expect him to, his piercing gaze still didn’t change, and his silence only made the tension in the room worse for me.

I was already feeling like a child caught in a lie, then as to add more weight to my excuse,

I went on to add hastily, my words tripping over each other,

"I assure you sir"

"I will double my effort. Everything will get back to normal soon."

He still kept numb.

And when it became clear that I wasn’t convincing him. Feeling unbearably awkward, I stood to my feetabruptly, gave a clumsy curtsy, and murmured,

"If there’s nothing else, sir, I’ll get back to work."

After then I took a hesitant step toward the door, hoping to escape the suffocating space.

But the next thing I heard stopped me on my tracks.

“Sit down, Miss Hart.”

I heaved and began to turn around slowly,

And when I did, I realized he was standing now, his hands resting on the edge of his desk.

“I know about your father,”

He blurted at once, his eye lids barely blinking.

My breath almost stopped as I blinked repeatedly in shock.

“My father? What are you talking about?”

Alexander took a step forward, his arms crossed.

“I’m aware of his illness and the financial strain it’s caused you. As a matter of fact, the hospital where he is currently admitted belongs to me.”

The gasp escaped before I could stop it. I stared at him like he were some sort of miracle worker.

“Wait a minute, How…how do you know that? Have you been stalking me?”

He raised a brow at my accusation, wearing a faint smirk in a way that showed he found my question silly?

“I always conduct background checks on my staff,” he replied evenly.

“It’s a necessary precaution to ensure I know who I’m working with.”

My cheeks burned with a mix of embarrassment and also a sense of indignation.

“That’s an invasion of privacy…”

“Enough”

Alexander cut me off with a wave.

“This conversation isn’t about your privacy. It’s about your future and your father’s.”

His words made me pause. My head tilted slightly as I narrowed my eyes.

“What do you mean?”

He returned to his desk, leaning against it as he fixed me with a calculated stare.

“I have a proposal for you.”

He declared calmly.

My heart skipped a beat

“A proposal?” I stressed.

“This is highly unusual,” he admitted, his tone measured.

“But I need a partner for a short period. Someone who can help me close a deal vital to Hayes Enterprises. In return, I’ll take care of all your financial troubles.”

“A partner?”

I repeated, my voice now resembling a whisper.

“What kind of partner?”

“A wife,” he blurted again without hesitation.

My mouth went dry as I stared at him.

“You’re joking.” I murmured.

“I don’t joke about business,”

he replied coolly.

His expression remained calm, but a flash of something more like determination or desperation passed through his eyes.

“It’s both personal and business. My grandfather left a clause in his will that could jeopardize my control of the company. If I’m not married within six months, a significant portion of Hayes Enterprises will go to my cousin a man who wouldn’t know how to run a lemonade stand, let alone a global empire.”

My head spun.

“So you want me to pretend to be your wife? Just to save your company?”

“Yes,” he said firmly with a nod,

“In public, we’ll play the perfect couple. In private, nothing changes. You’ll continue your work as my secretary, and in one year, we’ll go our separate ways.”

I shook my head, the absurdity of it all overwhelming.

I was going to say “I don’t know” when he cut me off.

“You should,” Alexander pointed sounding less harsh now.

“Because I can help you. Your father will get the best care money can buy. You won’t have to worry about his medical bills anymore or anything else.”

His words hung in the air, heavy and impossible to ignore.

My mind was racing with doubts, fears, and also a hint

of something I didn’t want to name hope.

“I need time to think about this,” I finally found the strength to whisper

“You have until tomorrow morning,” Alexander emphasizes, standing straight when he saw I wanted to leave he stopped again with one hand.

“And, Miss Hart? Don’t flatter yourself. This is an act of necessity. I need you as much as you need me.”

As I left his office, I felt weak and cornered the dilemma of whether to accept or reject the proposal pressed down on me,

leaving me with one unsettling thought: had I just shaken hands with the devil?

“What just happened?”