Chapter 3

Layla was almost blurting out a fat yes when his request replayed in her head again.

"This is—" she paused again as her head worked faster than it had ever done. "We will only be pretending right?"

He relaxed into his chair with those alluring eyes of his and his devilish smirk only grew bigger.

"You don't really believe a man and a woman can stay in a house, for two months without anything happening, do you?"

"I am not a prostitute," she whispered weakly. Her situation was placing her at a really difficult point. She needed the job and she was ready to keep it by all means necessary but could she do this?

"I never said you were... I wouldn't even have picked you for this if you were," he retorted.

She swallowed hard and her heart skipped so many beats in that split second.

"I am trying to be honest here. You are a very beautiful woman and you fit the description I have been looking for." He shrugged like what he was asking was the most normal thing in the world.

Layla sniffed away her tears as she thought about it.

"What do I gain from this?"

"Aside from your job, you have a salary of twenty thousand dollars per week. If you are going to pretend to be my fiancé we want your financial status to be believable, don't we?"

Layla blinked hard. With that kind of money, she didn't even need to complete the deal. In a month she would have more than enough money to pay for Fey's treatment and help improve their lives.

"Once you sign the document you are bonded by law, you can't break off till the two months elapses," he pointed out as if he had just read her mind.

Layla wiped her hand over her face and shifted to the edge of her chair.

Fine, if she could not leave, then she would have to set up rules of her own —she thought.

"I only need to pretend when people are around right?" She asked him.

"Of course."

"I will be needing my own private room—"

"That can not be arranged. I have workers who might spread the rumor to the world. You stay in my room." He corrected her before she could even finish.

Layla felt her heart sink in her heart. If she had to stay in his room then she had to set another rule.

"Okay, but you must promise not to lay your hands on me," she said firmly.

The handsome devil smirked and corked his head to the side.

"What sort of fianceé will that make us? I have to touch you."

"Not in private! You can touch me all you want when we are outside but in the room, you don't get to touch me. Don't even come close!" She hissed out.

His eyes twinkled and Layla felt her heart jolt. Was she imagining it or did his eyes really glow?

"Okay. That's done. I won't lay my finger on you in private."

His voice sounded sinister and every nerve in her body was telling her to run from this man but she found herself agreeing.

"The contract and first salary will be released to you when you arrive at the house tomorrow." He got up and stretched out his hand to her. "It was nice doing business with you, Layla."

The way her name rolled off his tongue made her stomach tighten as butterflies fluttered around her but she pushed her hormones away.

This man was dangerous. She shouldn't feel anything for him. This was strictly a deal she had to make to keep her job and save her friend.

Layla got up and placed her hand in his for a shake. His hands were surprisingly warm and soft against hers.

"I'll send a driver to pick you up. See you tomorrow, Layla."

She held on to her racing heart and scurried out of the office. There was no point staying in the building. She got a different deal now.

She hailed a cab and went straight home to Fey.

Fey was in the kitchen preparing dinner when Layla got inside. Layla sneaked up to her and hugged her from behind.

"You can't scare me, Layla," Fey laughed. "I knew you were the one, the moment the door clicked open."

"What if I gave someone else the keys?" Layla asked with a smile and she stepped aside to seat on the kitchen counter.

Fey turned to look at her, mirroring her smile. "You are so noisy with keys, I don't think the person can copy your every move!"

Layla smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. It was time she broke to news to her best friend. She feared she would misunderstand or judge her or even stop her. So, she skipped the part where she accepted to do this for her.

"Fey, there is something I need to tell you," she began, the lies she was about to tell already getting shape in her head.

"What is it?" Fey asked as she dished out the spaghetti she was preparing into plates.

"The president of my company... He has a crush on me," Layla blurted.

Fey almost dropped the plate in her hand as her eyes popped in shock.

"You mean White Wolf's president, the same one the media have been dying to see, has a crush on you?" Fey squeaked her face already dancing with excitement despite her weak body.

"Yes, and it's not just that, he wants me to move to his house for the next two months to help him with some affairs... You know —like his assistant," Layla concluded with a shrug.

Fey could not contain her joy. "Oh, my God! You accepted right? Tell me you did right?"

"Yeah, I did. It was a better offer than the one I got... I am just worried that he might try something funny while I am there," Layla added.

"Nonsense! He wouldn't try shit! He is a very big name in the city. Why would he risk tarnishing his image?"

Fey dropped the plates and stepped in front of Layla, her sick face was suddenly glowing with life.

"Just be a good girl and by the end of two months, we will be planning a wedding!"

Layla maintained her lie and even when the driver came to pick her up the next day, she held up her fake smile.

The driver handed her the contract and she signed it as quickly as she could. Then she returned it to him.

Reality returned to her when they finally got to the mansion and as she stepped out of the car, she found the shocker of her life.

"Welcome home Layla," they chorused.

The president was standing with another person, who was his exact copy.

There were two of them!