CHAPTER FOUR

I rushed back to the hotel, my heart was pounding. My hands shook as I knocked on the door of the room where I had left Reed. No answer. I knocked again, harder this time. Nothing.

“Excuse me,” I called out to a passing housekeeper. “The man who was staying in this room, do you know where he went?”

She gave me a polite but unhelpful smile. “I believe he checked out early this morning, miss.”

Checked out. He was gone.

I didn’t even know his last name, I thought. Just Reed. Just a stranger who had been there when I needed someone the most. And now he was gone.

Tears burned my eyes as I turned away, feeling more lost than ever. I had no choice but to go back home, to face my reality.

Back at the house, I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, exhaling shakily. I made it to my bedroom before I collapsed onto my bed, crying into my pillow.

Everything hurts. Giovanni’s betrayal, the humiliation, the fact that I had kissed a stranger on live television. And now, I had to find someone who had vanished into thin air to fix a mess I never asked for.

I curled up into myself, my mind drifted to my mother. I wished she were here. She would know what to say, what to do. She would hold me and tell me that everything would be okay. But she wasn’t here. And nothing felt okay.

After what felt like hours, my tears finally dried, leaving my body exhausted. I couldn’t hide forever. With a deep breath, I forced myself to get up. I made my way downstairs, my head pounding from crying so much.

And then I froze.

Standing in my living room, as if he had been waiting for me all along, was Reed.

I sucked in a sharp breath. “You.”

His green eyes met mine, calm as ever. He didn’t look surprised to see me.

“Hey, Angie,” he said, his voice steady.

I blinked, trying to understand what was happening. “How… how did you find me?” He shrugged. “I didn’t have to. Your father found me. You left without saying goodbye.”

I whipped my head to the side, finding my dad standing near the kitchen, arms crossed.

“I talked to him” Dad said simply. “And Reed agreed.”

I turned to look at him. “Why”

My dad answered coming out of the kitchen fully

“Well a contract has been made and he is a waiter, he needs the money. You’ll date and get married for a year”

“Dad I can’t just get married to someone I don’t love, marriage is a big deal.”

I faced Reed “Why did you agree to a marriage contract”

“I thought he was just going to pretend to be my boyfriend for a while but getting married to him. Dad come on… I can’t.”

“You can and you will. It’s the only way to get out of this mess without ruining your career.” My dad said expressionless and walked out.

I stared at Reed, my heart pounding. He sat across from me at the dining table, the contract between us. A thick silence filled the room.

He tapped the pen against the paper. “Are you sure about this?” I asked him I wasn’t sure about anything.

I glanced at my dad, standing by the doorway, his arms crossed. His face was unreadable. “This is the best way, Angie.”

I faced Reed “And you… you’re okay with this?” I asked . He gave a small smirk. “It’s a year. And the pay is good.” Right. This was just a deal to him. A job.

I clenched my hands under the table. “Fine.”

He signed first, his movements calm. Like this was just another normal day. Then he passed the pen to me. My hands were shaking as I took it. This was insane. Marrying a man I didn’t even know. But if I didn’t do this, Giovanni’s lies would spread. My career, my name, it would all be ruined.

I signed.

Dad exhaled like a weight had been lifted. “Good. The press conference is in two hours.”

I gave him a sharp look. “Two hours?”

He nodded. “We need to act fast. The media is eating this up.” Reed leaned back in his chair, arms folded. He smiled.

I rolled my eyes. “Glad you’re enjoying yourself.” He chuckled but didn’t respond.

I stood up, my chest tight. I had no time to think, no time to process. In two hours, I’d be in front of the world, pretending to love this man.

Two Hours Later, the press conference room was packed. Cameras, reporters, flashing lights. I felt dizzy. I wasn’t ready.

Reed stood beside me, looking completely calm. Meanwhile, I was sweating under my designer dress. My dad cleared his throat into the mic. “Thank you all for coming. Angie and Reed have something to share.”

The room fell silent. Every eye was on me.

I took a deep breath, gripping the mic. “First of all… I want to address what happened at my wedding.” My voice wavered. “Yes, the video was real. Giovanni betrayed me.”

Whispers spread across the room. I glanced at Reed. His green eyes glued to my face.

“But,” I continued, “what people don’t know is… Giovanni and I were in an open relationship.”

There were unexpected gasps, camera flashes and so on. I forced a smile. “And the man you saw me kiss… he’s the person I truly love.”

The people were so loud, they couldn’t stop talking. I didn’t know what to say anymore, then Reed stepped forward, wrapping an arm around my waist. “It’s true.” His voice was smooth, confident. “Angie and I have been together for a while.” He pulled me closer. It was too natural, too easy.

“We wanted to keep it private,” he continued. “But after last night, there was no point hiding it anymore.”

I nodded, playing along. “We’re in love.”

The reporters fired questions.

“When did this relationship start?”

“Were you cheating on Giovanni?”

“Are you engaged?”

Reed squeezed my hand. “Yes, we are getting married soon.”

My eyes widened, realizing this is really happening. The reporters lost it.

They wanted more information, they were more camera flashes, more noise. But then Reed did something I didn’t expect.

He leaned in and kissed me.

My breath caught. His lips were warm, gentle, slow. My hands gripped his shirt for balance. The room erupted, they were not expecting that. Camera flashes exploded around us.

When he pulled away, his eyes searched mine. And for a second, I forgot this was fake.