Chapter 5

By the third day of the scandal, I had developed a personal hatred for my phone.

Every time it vibrated, I expected another message asking whether I was dating Damon Calloway. Apparently, being a student engineer was no longer interesting enough. I was now the mysterious girl who had supposedly captured the heart of Aurelia Institute of Technology's most notorious playboy.

Lucky me.

The rumours were making it difficult to concentrate, and reporters had started appearing outside the department. I refused to let a stupid scandal ruin the biggest opportunity of my academic life.

Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid Damon forever.

When I spotted him waiting outside the engineering building that afternoon, I considered turning around.

He noticed me immediately. “Maddy baby!”

I kept walking.

“Sweetheart, I'm starting to think you're avoiding me.”

I stopped and turned around.

“If you call me sweetheart one more time, I'll make sure you spend the rest of the semester speaking through a straw.”

He grinned. “There's the girl I've been looking for.”

“Get to the point. I'm busy.”

His expression grew serious. “Can we talk somewhere private?”

“Are you about to ask me to marry you?”

“Not today.”

“Wonderful. I'll pencil it into my schedule for never.”

He shook his head. “Please, Madison. It's important.”

Something in his tone made me hesitate.

I sighed. “Fine. But if this is another ridiculous proposal, I'm leaving.”

“Understood.”

I followed him to a quiet café a few streets away from the institute. Once we were seated, he leaned forward.

“The situation is getting worse.”

“You mean the situation where the internet thinks I'm your girlfriend because you can't stand two feet away from a woman without causing a scandal?”

“Exactly that situation.”

“I'm glad we're acknowledging your talent for ruining people's lives.”

He ignored my comment. “My father called me last night.”

“And?”

“He wasn't happy.”

I almost smiled. “Oh, no. Did Daddy take away your favourite toy?”

“Are you going to let me finish?”

“Depends on how entertaining the story is.”

He exhaled.

“My father has been warning me about my public image for months. Now he's threatening to cut me off financially and reconsider my place in the family business if I keep embarrassing the Calloway name.”

My smile disappeared.

“Wait. He's actually threatening to disinherit you?”

“He expects me to start acting responsibly. My sponsors are asking questions, too, and if they start believing I'm unreliable, it could affect my racing career.”

I folded my arms. “Then stop behaving like an irresponsible idiot.”

He gave me a flat look. “Do you ever get tired of insulting me?”

“Not particularly.”

He shook his head before leaning forward again.

“I need to change how people see me, Madison. I think we can help each other.”

I immediately became suspicious. “No.”

“You haven't even heard the proposal.”

“I heard your previous proposal. It was terrible.”

“This one's different.”

“Does it involve me pretending to be your girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

I stood up.

Damon quickly raised a hand.

“Wait! Just listen first.”

I slowly sat back down. “You have thirty seconds.”

“Six months.”

I blinked. “What?”

“We pretend to be in a relationship for six months. We attend selected public events together and let people see that I'm capable of maintaining a stable relationship. After that, we end it quietly and move on.”

I stared at him. “You're asking me to lie to the entire world for half a year.”

“Essentially.”

“That's your pitch?”

“I'm working on it.”

I shook my head. “You need professional help.”

“Probably. But hear what I'm offering you first.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I'm listening.”

“You want to become a respected race engineer. I've watched you work, Madison. You're intelligent, you understand vehicle dynamics, and you don't agree with me just because I'm the driver. Believe me, that's rare.”

I tried not to look pleased.

He continued.

“I can introduce you to engineers, team managers, and people working in professional motorsport. You could attend racing events, observe professional teams, and learn from experienced engineers.”

That caught my attention.

Damon noticed.

“And I'm not offering to buy you a qualification or interfere with your academic results. Your work stays yours. You earn your grades and prove yourself through your own ability.”

I studied his face. “And you think all that comes with pretending to love you?”

“Pretending to date me,” he corrected. “Let's not get carried away.”

“Trust me, nobody is getting carried away.”

“Good. We're making progress.”

I ignored him and considered the offer.

Professional racing was the world I wanted to enter. Damon could offer me access to opportunities that might otherwise take years to find.

The problem was that he came with enough complications to fill an entire engineering manual.

“What happens if people discover we're faking it?” I asked.

“We deny it.”

“And if they don't believe us?”

“We convince them.” He smiled confidently. “I'm very convincing.”

“That's exactly what worries me.”

I leaned forward.

“Let me make something clear. I'm not doing this because I'm interested in your money, your face, or your ridiculous reputation. I'll only agree if this benefits my career without damaging my future.”

“Agreed.”

“I won't let you control what I wear, who I speak to, or how I spend my time.”

“Agreed.”

“My studies come first. If this arrangement interferes with my academic work, it's over.”

“Fair.”

“No surprise kisses, no showing up at my room, and absolutely no touching me without permission.”

He raised both hands. “Understood.”

“And if you embarrass me in public, I'll return the favour.”

He tilted his head. “How?”

I smiled sweetly. “I'll tell everyone you've been writing love poems about me.”

His expression turned horrified. “You wouldn't.”

“Try me.”

He shook his head. “You're terrifying.”

“Thank you.”

“It's not a compliment.”

“I'll take it anyway.”

For a moment, we sat in silence.

Six months was a long time to pretend to be involved with someone, especially someone who seemed to enjoy testing my patience.

There would be public appearances, awkward conversations, and the constant risk of someone discovering the truth.

But there would also be opportunities I couldn't easily find elsewhere.

Finally, I looked up. “Fine.”

Damon blinked. “Fine?”

“I'll do it.”

His expression immediately brightened. “Excellent.”

“Don't look so pleased. I haven't finished.”

His smile weakened. “Of course you haven't.”

“We need a written agreement covering every rule, boundary, and condition. Either of us should be able to end this arrangement if the other breaks the agreement.”

He nodded. “That's reasonable.”

“No arguing?”

“Would you prefer an argument?”

“Actually, yes. Your sudden cooperation is concerning.”

He laughed before pulling a folded sheet of paper from his bag.

I stared at it.

“You came prepared?”

“I had a feeling you'd say yes.”

“That's an alarming amount of confidence.”

“It's called optimism, sweetheart.”

I pointed at him.

“Strike one.”

We spent the next hour reviewing his draft agreement and making changes. We agreed on the six-month duration, secrecy, public appearances, personal boundaries, and the right to end the arrangement if either of us violated the terms. I also made it clear that my academic and professional achievements would remain entirely my own.

When we were satisfied, we both signed.

Damon handed me my copy before extending his hand across the table.

“Partners?”

I looked at his hand, then at his face. “Business partners.”

“Of course.”

I shook his hand.

His grip was warm, and his eyes lingered on mine for a moment before his familiar smile returned.

“Try not to fall in love with me, Madison.”

I released his hand. “Try not to mistake a medical emergency for romance, Damon.”

He laughed as I gathered my things.

I should have felt relieved. The agreement was signed, the boundaries were clear, and I'd secured an opportunity to move closer to my dream.

Instead, a strange feeling settled in my stomach.

I'd just agreed to spend six months pretending to be the girlfriend of a man who drove me insane.

And judging by the look on Damon's face, he was already enjoying himself.

Something told me keeping this arrangement strictly business was going to be much harder than signing my name on a piece of paper.