Chapter 3

Stacy’s mind was a whirlwind. Every employee at Savage Enterprises knew the score. Apollo Savage was engaged to Georgia, the ice queen supermodel. It was the merger of the century. So why, in front of millions of viewers, had he claimed a clumsy and scandal ridden secretary as his own?

A sharp and rhythmic knock at the door snapped Stacy Smith out of her trance.

She wasn't expecting anyone. She approached the door with a trembling hand and her heart nearly hit the floor when she pulled it open. 

Apollo Savage stood there while still clad in the sharp black suit from the interview. His collar was slightly unbuttoned and his hair was a mess from the wind. He looked like a man who had driven straight from the studio to her doorstep.

“Mr. Savage... what are you doing here?”

He didn't answer immediately. He just stood there while his gaze remained heavy and unreadable. He traced the tired lines around her eyes.

"Please... come in," she stammered when the silence became too much.

She stepped aside while opening the door wide. Apollo walked in and his presence instantly shrank her small apartment. He stopped in the center of the room while his eyes scanned the space. He took in the cramped couch, the half empty mug of cold coffee, and the scattered tissues on the table. 

Stacy felt a flush of embarrassment. "Do you want some... juice? Coffee? I think I have some bread?"

"No, I’m good. Don't bother," Apollo said while his voice dropped to a low and gravelly rasp. He kept his back to her for a moment before turning around. "How are you?"

She bit her lip while twisting her fingers together. "I’m... okay, sir."

"You aren't. You've lost weight," he countered gently. "Did the scandal take that much of a toll on you?"

"It gave me... anxiety," Stacy admitted while her voice was barely a whisper. "I can't even step outside. The shame and the fear are too much."

She took a deep breath while gathering every ounce of courage she had left. She had to come clean. "Sir, I didn't mean to send that photo. It was a mistake and I sent it to the wrong recipient. I even tried to delete it from your phone but..."

Apollo’s brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "What do you mean? You went to my house?"

She nodded slowly while looking at her feet. "You were... drunk. And your phone was locked. Then Miss Georgia arrived. I know it was trespassing and I’m sorry but I just wanted to stop the leak. I thought if I deleted it that everything would be okay. But I had to hide. Your fiancée was the last person in that room with your phone. When she left, the phone was gone."

Apollo went silent. The air in the room grew heavy as he processed her words. He wasn't angry. He looked pensive and his jaw was tight.

"Georgia," he muttered to himself. "So she’s the one who took it."

He looked back at Stacy. "She must have seen the photo and leaked it herself. Don't worry. I've handled the digital side. By tomorrow, those links will be dead. In a month, the public will have moved on to a new scandal."

"The interview..." Stacy’s voice wavered. "Why did you say those things?"

She looked at him while searching for the arrogant boss she knew. But the man standing in her living room seemed different. He looked less like a tyrant and more like a man who had finally found an escape hatch.

"I did it to break the engagement, Stacy. I used the situation to save your reputation while solving my own problem. We both benefit."

The words stung more than she expected. She had dared to hope for just a second that he had done it out of some hidden spark of protection. But of course, it was just business.

"But your family love Georgia, right? Why call it off?"

"My parents chose her," Apollo said while his voice was laced with a sudden and sharp bitterness. "Not me. I feel trapped."

"But couldn't you just tell them that?"

Apollo let out a long and frustrated sigh while running a hand through his hair. "It’s complicated, Stacy. My family has plans and they don't involve my input. But with this scandal out in the open, I have the leverage to walk away. I can't marry her if I'm in love with someone else."

"So, the only solution is to pretend?"

Apollo nodded while his gaze locked onto hers with terrifying intensity. "Yes. We have to act like a real couple. For this to work, there can’t be a single shred of doubt in the public's eye."

Stacy felt a heavy sense of debt. He had stepped into the line of fire to save her name. How could she say no? Even if the path ahead was a minefield.

"How long do we have to play along?" she asked.

"Until they believe we’re madly in love and they stop pushing Georgia on me," Apollo answered without hesitation. "The plan is simple. Let them see us together. I propose to you and we get married."

Stacy let out a choked cough while her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "M-Married?! I thought I was just a fake girlfriend? A wedding? That’s taking it way too far."