CHAPTER 4

MAYA

I had to pinch Lilly.

“Lilly, get a grip on yourself.”

She blinked like someone waking up from a dream.

I cleared my throat, trying to ease the awkward tension floating in the air.

“I’m sorry about that,” I said quickly. “This is Lilly, my lawyer.”

When I turned toward Lilly, her cheeks were already burning red.

This was getting embarrassing.

“Excuse us for a second,” I muttered.

Before Jay could say anything, I grabbed Lilly’s wrist and dragged her a few steps away.

“What is wrong with you?” I whispered sharply. “Why are you staring at him like you’ve just seen a celebrity?”

“I have!” she whispered dramatically.

“Maya, do you even know who that man is?”

“You’re the one acting weird.”

She placed both hands on her chest.

“I’ve wanted to see him for years.”

“What?”

“Do you know how many nights I stayed up listening to his business interviews?” she said breathlessly. “His startup podcasts, finance talks… all of it.”

She shook her head slowly.

“Damn… he’s even more handsome in person.”

I blinked.

“How can one person be this perfect?”

Hold on. Something wasn’t adding up.

Lilly noticed the confused look on my face and sighed.

“Clearly, you have no idea who you are about to sign a deal with.”

She pulled out her phone, typed something quickly, and handed it to me.

The screen is filled with headlines and photos.

My eyes landed on the first one.

“Forbes’ Youngest Billionaire, Jay Naire, Wins Another Multi-Million Dollar Investment.”

My brain froze.

I scrolled down. Another headline.

“Jay Naire: The Tech Genius Reshaping New York’s Startup Industry.”

Another one.

“The Billionaire Who Built an Empire Before Thirty.”

I slowly lifted my head.

“H… he isn’t poor?”

Lilly stared at me like I had just asked if the sky was green.

“Poor?”

“This man could buy half of Manhattan if he wanted.”

My stomach dropped.

Without thinking, I marched back to him and grabbed the swing to stop it.

“Why did you lie about your financial status?” I snapped.

Jay looked completely relaxed.

Which only made me angrier.

“Why exactly did you drag me here? Do you know how hard this situation is for me?”

He calmly unwrapped a lollipop and put it in his mouth.

I swear my blood pressure rose.

“Let’s correct something,” he said casually.

“I never lied.”

“You assumed.”

That made me even angrier.

“Yes, I had an issue with the taxi driver,” he continued calmly. “But that was because he broke our agreement.”

“And what agreement was that?” I asked.

“I went for a run yesterday,” he said. “A long one.”

“I ran farther than expected and got tired halfway. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my phone or wallet.”

He shrugged.

“So I flagged down a taxi.”

“The plan was simple. He would take me home and get paid there.”

He clicked his tongue.

“But halfway through the ride, he suddenly demanded half the fare.”

He spread his hands.

“You saw the rest.”

I stared at him.

This man really had the nerve to sound innocent.

“Why are you here then?” I asked. “You clearly don’t need my money.”

He grinned.

“Your offer sounded ridiculous.”

I frowned.

“But also perfect.”

“You want someone to convince your crazy ex-boyfriend you’ve moved on.”

“Don’t call him that!” I snapped immediately.

Jay raised both hands.

“Relax.”

He was still smiling.

“And I want someone,” he continued, “to get my grandmother off my back.”

That confused me.

“She wants me married,” he explained.

“And she doesn’t take no for an answer.”

He pointed at me.

“You need a fake boyfriend.”

“I need a fake girlfriend.”

“Sounds like a fair deal.”

My emotions were all over the place.

Before I could respond, Lilly stepped forward.

“Are you ready to agree to my client’s conditions?” she asked professionally.

I almost laughed.

Five minutes ago, she was fanning herself like she might faint.

Now she sounded like a courtroom lawyer.

Jay looked amused.

“I only have a few rules,” he said.

“We communicate through our lawyers.”

“If both parties agree, we sign a contract for one year.”

One year.

The number hit me harder than it should.

“I’ll go through with the contract,” I said quietly.

“As long as your clauses aren’t ridiculous.”

Jay glanced toward the man behind him.

His lawyer. Silent the entire time.

I turned to leave.

But Jay suddenly spoke again.

“Your protagonist shouldn’t have died.”

I stopped walking.

“What?”

“Your book,” he said. “Narrow Road to Heaven.”

My heart skipped.

“I rooted for her,” he added casually.

“She deserved a happy ending.”

Those words hit deeper than he probably realized.

Seeing someone talk about my books always does something to me.

It reminds me of why I started writing.

I gave a small smile.

“Thank you.”

Then I added quietly,

“But life isn’t always black and white.”

**********

Three days passed after signing the contract with Jay.

Four days since I last spoke to Ray.

I blocked him everywhere: calls, messages, social media.

Staying home and crying wouldn’t change anything, so I buried myself in work.

At least writing helped me forget.

“Good morning, ma.”

My assistant walked into my office with a strange smile.

I frowned.

She rarely smiled.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Someone is here to see you.”

Before I could ask who, she bounced excitedly.

“Ma… It’s Mr. Jay Naire.”

I sighed.

Not her too.

She had also caught the Jay fever.

“Let him in.”

Seconds later, the glass door opened.

And there he was.

“You haven’t checked on your supposed boyfriend,” he said casually.

“You’re forgiven.”

He looked at my outfit.

“You look good in black.”

Then he added,

“You should wear it more often.”

Dear heavens.

How exactly am I supposed to survive one year with this man?

I opened my mouth to respond

But suddenly, the first door burst open.

Ray. He was walking straight into the office.

If Ray saw us like this without proof… Everything would collapse.

So I did the only thing my brain could think of.

I grabbed Jay by the collar and kissed him.

Right as Ray stepped fully into the room.