3

Mateo stared at his phone, his heart still hammering.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, pacing the room like something caged. "I can't lose my company over this."

Felix had heard the whole call on speaker, and the furrow between his brows hadn't smoothed out yet.

"I lied about the fiancée to cover for you, and it only made things worse," he said.

"He set a deadline for a relationship that doesn't exist. A week to introduce a woman and start planning a wedding."

"That's ridiculous," Felix agreed.

Mateo let out a frustrated breath. "I'm not letting my father hand my company to someone else just because I'm single."

"So what will you do?"

"I don't know. What would you do?"

"Your dad's probably bluffing. Wait it out, he won't actually do anything."

"My father is a man of his word."

"Maybe he just wants to know there's a woman in your life. He probably doesn't actually want to force a wedding."

"You think so?"

"I do. Just introduce him to whoever you're seeing."

"There's no one."

"Then get into something real. You've been alone too long. Forget the past, let someone in for once," Felix said, and for once he sounded like he meant it.

Mateo was quiet for a moment, turning the advice over. "You're right. I do want that, deadline aside. I just... don't have feelings for anyone right now."

"Relax. Love takes time."

"Takes time? How am I supposed to find someone in a week, then? And since when do you talk like a love guru? You're the one in the unserious relationship."

Felix laughed. "Fine, we'll speed the process up a little. A week is plenty of time to find a fake girlfriend."

"A fake girlfriend?"

"Think about it. You don't have to marry her. You just need your dad to believe you're serious about someone. Introduce him to a woman who looks the part."

"So you're suggesting I pay someone to pretend to be my girlfriend for a week? Who agrees to something like that?"

"Don't underestimate money, Mateo. You're not paying for love, you're paying for time and effort."

Mateo shook his head slowly. "I don't know about this."

"Fine, do nothing, and watch Desmond take your seat."

Mateo paced, running his hands through his hair. "Where would I even find someone like that?"

"Anywhere. The club, for instance."

"Absolutely not the club. I just got robbed by a woman from a club."

"Fine, not the club." Felix rolled his eyes. "Something a little more unconventional, then."

"Like what?"

"I'll have the web team post a job listing. Say we're hiring, female applicants only."

"We're not hiring anything."

Felix grinned. "That's the point. Women will show up for the interview, and you pick whoever you like, then tell her the real deal. Offer enough money and she'll say yes."

"I hope someone actually wants the money that badly," Mateo said, nodding slowly despite himself.

"I'll get the team on it now," Felix said, already heading for the door.

**

Mia had sent out applications to half a dozen companies that week. Fresh out of college with no real experience, she knew a good job wouldn't fall into her lap easily, and she needed money fast. Robbing anyone again was out of the question, not just because of the risk, but because the guilt from last time hadn't faded.

She scrolled through listings until her eyes ached, most jobs demanding years of experience she didn't have. She was about to give up for the night when an ad caught her eye.

Personal Assistant to the CEO, the headline read.

The requirements were strange: basic education, must be single, ages twenty one to twenty five. She wondered why her marital status mattered for an assistant role, but the salary made her stop caring. It was more than she'd make in a year at most entry level jobs.

She filled out the application without letting herself think too hard about how odd it was, then closed her laptop and waited for a rejection she was sure would come.

It didn't. An email landed in her inbox within the hour, inviting her for an interview the next morning.

"Oh my God," she said aloud, to no one. "This can't be real."

She read it twice more just to be sure it wasn't a mistake, and then, despite everything, she let herself smile.