FALLING FOR THE DANGEROUS BILLIONAIRE

Pearl's POV 

 “What the hell are you saying, Mom, Dad?” I shot up from the chair so fast the lilac bridesmaid dress nearly knocked over the vanity table behind me. I hate this dress. I have hated this dress since Vivienne picked it out three months ago and announced it was what her bridal train would be wearing, because Vivienne never once in her life considered whether something worked for anyone other than her.

 But I still wore it. I wear things that don't fit me so that my family can have what they need. Story of my life.

 “Pearl, you have to save your family…” Mom started, stepping toward me with that face. I know that face. She pulls it out every time she needs me to clean up one of Vivienne's messes.

 It has always been like that. I've always been the one clearing Vivienne’s mess, every fuck time. They are always doing everything for her as if I'm not their daughter. 

 "By getting married to a complete stranger?" I cut her off. "Mom, do you hear yourself right now? Do you actually hear the words coming out of your mouth?"

 "Pearl..."

 "Vivienne ran away." I said it flat, because saying it flat was the only way I could say it without screaming. "Today, on her wedding day. She eloped with Marcus and left us standing here and your solution...your actual solution...is to put me in her dress and send me down that aisle like nobody is going to notice the switch?"

 "The groom has never seen Vivienne—"

 "That is not the point! What about my life?" My throat tightened but I refused to cry. "I have been saying yes my whole life. Yes to moving to a smaller apartment so the bills could get paid. Yes to dropping my scholarship application because you needed me home to help you sell. Yes to dropping out of uni. Yes to every single thing this family has needed from me since I was old enough to be needed." My voice cracks slightly on the last word but i swallow it. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. "I am done saying yes. Do you even care about my dream?

 “Pearl, I'm sorry…” that was Dad. I couldn't even look at his face cos he seemed so pathetic but no. I wasn't going to do this. I wasn't going to sell my life to a complete stranger. 

 My Dad's secretary, Mr. Bello barged into the room almost before my Dad could finish his sentence. "Sir." He was breathing hard. "I'm so sorry to interrupt but everybody resigned and are suing you to court. They said you are doing a wedding for your daughter while owing them six months of salary each.” He handed a brown envelope. “This is court's calling and the lawyer said it's really serious.” He didn't even wait for a response and left immediately. 

 Mom turned to me and now her face was different. "Are you still going to stand there talking about your life, Pearl?" Her voice was low. "Your father is on the verge of going to jail. Your brother is in that hospital right now waiting for a bone marrow transplant — do you know what that pain feels like? Do you? Is it until your family collapse on something you can help with? Vivienne was supposed to get married to this family so they can sort all our bills cos we see how desperate the heir is to get a bride, and you are standing here talking about your dreams?"

 "Mom—"

 "Crystal—" Dad called.

 "What dreams?" She stepped closer. "You haven't had a job in five years, Pearl. Five years sitting at home while your sister built something..."

 "Because you made me drop out of university for Vivienne!" The words came out before I could stop them.

 "And so?" Mom's chin went up. "You know how many dropouts are thriving right now? At least your sister found her way, she found a job so fast. But not you. Never you." She turned away from me, arms crossed. "You have seven minutes. They'll be calling the bride to the aisle soon. Do this or forget that we are your parents. That's all I have to say." 

 "Crystal." Dad's voice was quiet. "That was too much. We are asking her to marry a stranger. The least we can do is be kind, it's not like everything is happening because of her."

 "She could at least do something to help." Mom said back, her voice low.

 I stood there. I have seven minutes to make a decision.

 My mind went to my sickle cell brother fighting his life, waiting for a transplant that cost more money than this family had ever seen in one place.

 My brother, who used to climb into my bed during thunderstorms even when he was too old for it and pretend he was there to keep me company rather than the other way around.

 My gaze went to the wedding dress hanging by the window. “What if he recognises me?” I asked, my voice very low.

 Mom turned around immediately. "He doesn't know what the bride looks like," she said. "He wasn't involved in the selection process — this was arranged between lawyers. And I'll speak to the officiant. The veil stays down until you're in the car and away from the venue. By then it won't matter.

 I looked at my father, he looked back, he looked like he had aged in just a day. Then, I thought about my brother's face. That stupid, sweet, painfully brave boy who had never once complained about a single thing his body put him through.

 “I'll do it.” I said, my tears streaming down my cheeks now. 

 *******

 His hand went up instantly to my veil and he…he raised it. Didn't Mom said he won't raise it? So, why the fuck is he raising it immediately my Dad walked me down the aisle, handed me over to him and went back to his seat?!

 He looked at me and I looked at him back. And my first coherent thought — underneath the panic, underneath the thunder of my own heartbeat — was that this man was devastatingly, unfairly, almost offensively handsome with a sharp jaw and dark eyes.

 He leaned in close enough that only I could hear him. “You're not Vivienne…”

 Oh God.

 Oh no.

 Oh God oh no oh—

 My mind started running calculations at terrifying speed. Five hundred people. My father in the third row. The court summons in the brown envelope. My brother in a hospital bed. If this falls apart right here right now in front of every important person in New York—

 “I…I…” I stuttered, not knowing what to say.

 What will happen now? Will he cancel everything? Should I just beg him?

 He straightened up, looked at me again, my heart thumping so fast. Then, turned to the officiant. “...continue the ceremony.” And he dropped my veil.

 What?!

 What just happened. What just happened. What just happened.

 ******

 "I'm sorry, I didn't want to humiliate you or your family, I know this isn't what..." I started immediately we got into one of the black long cars that definitely cost my whole family's life.

 “Vivienne eloped?” He asked and that took me by surprise. He seemed to be the straightforward and blunt time who hate wasting time and going straight to the point.

 “Ehn…yes, yes.” I muttered. There's no use lying, he recognised me and we had still proceeded with the marriage and I'm not a wife. But how had he recognised me? Mom clearly said he doesn't know what the bride looked like.

 The guy sitting at the passenger seat handed him an envelope and he handed it over to me. I glared at the envelope in my hand, not sure if I should open it or not.

 “You should know i don't like wasting my time.” He started. “The envelope contains a document…a contract marriage dpcument precisely.” 

 “What?!” I exclaimed, pulling the document out.

 “Yes, it states there that this marriage would only be for six months after which we'll get a divorce and go our separate ways. And nobody must know about this, not even your parent. I'm getting married for a reason, not because I want to. I'm not interested in commitment. I'll be clearing all your parent's bill, and give you two million dollars once we get a divorce.” Everything this handsome bastard just said was written boldly in the one piece document. 

 Two million dollars after six months? It felt so surreal. 

 “Like, are you being serious right now?” I asked, my gaze still fixed on the paper in my hand.

 "Do I look like I'm joking?" He said it without looking at me, already back on his phone. "And I don't particularly care if you're comfortable with the terms. That's what I'm offering."

 I looked back at the document.

 Two million dollars.

 Six months and two million dollars and my family's debts gone and then I walk away with more money than I had ever seen in my life.

 I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw my arms around this cold, blunt, unfairly handsome stranger and scream because this morning I had been standing in a bridal suite in a lilac dress I hated crying about a life I was losing and now—

 I raised my head to look at him. He was looking at his phone, completely unbothered. The kind of man who had just arranged someone's entire life over a fifteen-minute car ride and found it mildly administrative.

 Six months, I thought. Six months and then two million dollars and freedom. He has absolutely no idea what he just signed up for.

 I picked up the pen from the document folder. I signed my name and handed it back. 

 He took it without looking up. "Welcome to the arrangement, Mrs. Ashford," he said.

 I looked out the window at New York City moving past the tinted glas

s. Mrs. Ashford. For six months.

 And I was going to make every single day of those six months count.

 Starting now.