FIVE

I.V

Chapter Five: The Impersonator

POV: Adrian

I waited patiently for her to reach out. I expected anger. I expected her to flare up and argue against the contract marriage. I expected strong disagreement with every term I had written. Yet the hours passed in complete silence.

Stanley had already reported back after dropping her off at her apartment. The address and her reaction confirmed everything I suspected. She was not the real Claire Bennett.

Even after discovering she was an imposter, I felt no immediate need to call her out or punish her for the lie. Instead, a strange new feeling settled deep in my chest. It was an unexpected urge to stay close to her. To observe her longer.

She stood out from every woman I had encountered before. She didn't try to curry favor with me or impress me with fake charm. 

She didn't act cozy or calculating like the others. She seemed free in her responses. Simple in her emotions. Easy to read even when she tried to hide her panic.

Later that evening, as I relaxed at my private villa overlooking the sparkling city skyline, a troubling thought formed clearly in my mind. 

What if she decided to bail on the entire agreement? What if the real Claire suddenly appeared and I lost my only chance to explore this intriguing fake version who had already caught my interest so strongly?

I refused to let that happen. I picked up my phone and sent a quick message to Stanley.

Me: Look up her real information. I need every detail including her contact info.

A few minutes later, Stanley’s notification appeared on my screen. Everything I needed to know about my fake wife to be filled the report. I read through the details carefully. Her name was Sarah. Twenty two years old. A struggling young woman working low paying jobs while dreaming of opening her own small restaurant. No powerful family connections. No hidden agenda that I could see. Just quiet desperation and raw honesty.

A smug smile curled my lips as I absorbed the information. Not wanting to give her any chance to escape the situation, I saved her contact details and sent her a direct text. Her response came back faster than I had expected.

Sarah: You said I could add my clause to the agreement. How do I do that?

Me: See me tomorrow at my office. I will send Stanley to pick you up.

I sent the message almost immediately, then tossed my phone onto the nearby table. Satisfied with the progress, I headed straight for the shower, the warm water doing little to wash away the growing curiosity I felt about this woman named Sarah.

***

The Next Morning

The private elevator hummed smoothly as it carried us toward the top floor. Stanley stood beside me with his usual professional posture, tablet ready in his hands.

“What is today’s schedule?” I asked, my voice steady and controlled.

“You have a meeting with Albert Corporation in the next hour,” Stanley replied efficiently. “After that, we are scheduled to meet with the investors at noon. The report files you requested are already waiting on your desk for assessment.”

I listened quietly as Stanley continued listing every detail of my packed workday. The endless obligations felt heavier than usual this morning.

“Too much on my plate today,” I groaned, rubbing my temple briefly. “Cancel the meeting for the endorsement deal. It can wait for another time. Instead, you will go and pick up Miss Claire. She wants to make an adjustment to the agreement.”

A deep frown formed on Stanley’s face, followed by a look of clear confusion.

“But boss, which Miss Claire?” he asked carefully. “The real one or the impersonator?”

I hissed in mild irritation at the question. “The impersonator, of course. Who else would it be? I don't need to meet the real Claire anymore. She had her own reasons for sending a fake version in her place.”

Stanley shifted his weight slightly, his concern obvious. “But boss, she could be dangerous. What if she was sent by your enemies to figure you out and gather sensitive information?”

I smirked at his cautious remark. “Is that not exactly where you come in?” He looked at me with even more confusion. “Your job is to leave her no room to harm me or the company in any way.” I patted his shoulder firmly before stepping out of the now open elevator doors.

“Plus, she is coming here today specifically to negotiate her terms with me,” I added. “And I don't have any intention of making it easy for her. She must pay the price for impersonating someone she is not right in front of me.”

Stanley remained standing in the elevator for a moment, still staring after me in confusion, before his phone rang sharply. He excused himself quickly to take the call.

A few minutes later, he walked into my spacious office with a hesitant expression on his face. “Boss, the old man called to ask about the date outcome. What should I tell him?”

“Tell him it went well and I am marrying her,” I replied without hesitation.

I noticed the bewildered and stunned look that crossed Stanley’s face immediately. I couldn't care less about his shock. That was not the reaction I had been expecting from him.

“But boss, he said he wants to speak with you directly,” Stanley added as Grandpa’s high pitched voice suddenly burst through the phone line. I motioned for him to hand the device over.

“Hey brat! It is now your assistant’s job to handle our family dialogue?” Grandpa’s loud and energetic voice came through clearly, forcing me to pull the phone slightly away from my ear.

“I am marrying her, Grandpa,” I said firmly. “You don't have to worry about setting me up for another blind date ever again.”

I could sense the pure joy in his tone the moment the words left my mouth. “Really? You mean you are not bailing out this time?” 

Grandpa’s loud voice boomed again. “Finally, my ancestors have answered my prayers. I can finally meet my grandchild before I die. Hehe. Bring her home tonight for a family dinner. Let the whole family get to know her properly.”

“What? Bring her to where?” I started to protest, but Grandpa ended the call abruptly before I could say anything more.

I pressed hard on the phone in growing frustration, already regretting that I had informed him of my intention so quickly. “I guess I really have to cancel any chance of Sarah bailing out now. Grandpa wants to meet her tonight.”

I turned slowly to face Stanley, who was still standing completely stunned in shock near the doorway. The weight of the upcoming family dinner added a new layer of pressure to the situation with my fake bride. Yet beneath the irritation, a quiet thrill stirred inside me at the thought of seeing Sarah again so soon. 

She had no idea what she was walking into, and I intended to keep it that way for now.

The morning sun streamed through the large office windows, casting long shadows across the polished floor. 

I sat down at my desk and opened the first report file, but my mind kept drifting back to the impersonator who had somehow managed to disrupt my carefully controlled world in a single evening.