CHAPTER 2 — THE IMPOSSIBLE PROPOSAL

ADRIANA

Some offers sound ridiculous until you desperately need what they can buy.

“Close the door.” I stopped with my hand still on the handle.

Adrian’s voice had that calm edge it always carried when something was about to become my problem.

I turned around. “Is this about your father?”

He looked up from his phone.“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“Sit.”

I didn’t move. Yesterday, I would have sat without questioning him. Today was different.

He had invented a girlfriend. Me and apparently, his father already knew who I was. I wasn’t sure which part frightened me more.

Adrian leaned back in his chair. “You heard what my father said yesterday.”

“I heard enough.”

“Good.”

“That doesn’t mean I understand it.”

“You don’t need to.”

“That’s convenient.”

His eyebrow lifted.I immediately regretted the sarcasm. Most people were terrified of Adrian Hawthorne.

I was too. I had simply become better at hiding it. He pushed a folder across the desk.

I stared at it. “What is that?”

“An agreement.”

I looked at him then at the folder then back at him.“No.”

“You haven’t opened it.”

“I don’t need to.”

His mouth twitched. “Open it.”

I did. The first page contained one sentence.

Temporary Personal Arrangement.

I looked up. “What exactly is this?”

“You’re going to be my girlfriend.”

I laughed. I actually laughed. Not because it was funny but because the alternative was screaming.

“I’m sorry?”

“My grandmother wants to meet you.”

“You mean your imaginary girlfriend.”

“That’s you.”

“Adrian.” I whispered.

“Adriana.”

“You cannot be serious.”

“I am.”

I pushed the folder back toward him. “No.”

He didn’t touch it. “You haven’t heard the terms.”

“I don’t care about the terms.”

“You should.”

“I work for you.”

“I know.”

“You’re my employer.”

“I know.”

“You’re asking me to pretend to have a romantic relationship with you.”

“Yes.”

“That is insane.”

“Yes.”

I stared at him. He looked completely calm. That was the infuriating thing about Adrian. He could say something completely unreasonable and make it sound like he was discussing quarterly earnings.

“Why me?”

His eyes stayed on mine. “Because I trust you.”

The answer caught me off guard. I looked away first. I wasn’t prepared for that.

Trust was not something Adrian gave easily. I’d worked beside him for two years. I had watched executives lie to his face and lose their jobs before they reached the elevator. I had watched investors try to manipulate him and leave his office looking smaller than when they entered.

He trusted almost nobody. Yet somehow, he had chosen me.

“That isn’t a good enough reason,” I said.

“It is for me.”

I swallowed. “What happens if the board finds out?”

“They won’t.”

“What if your family finds out I’m your assistant?”

“They already know.”

My stomach dropped. “What?”

“My grandmother knows. My father knows.”

“How?”

“Because my family investigates everyone who gets close to me.”

I stared at him. “That is not reassuring.”

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

I closed the folder. “No.”

He watched me. “Why?”

“Because my career matters to me.”

“You’ll keep your job.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“Then what is?”

I hesitated then I said the truth. “I can’t afford to become gossip.”

His expression changed slightly.

I continued. “People already think I only have this job because I work closely with you. If I suddenly become your girlfriend, they’ll assume I slept my way into your office.”

His jaw tightened.“Let them talk.”

“You can afford to say that.”

He went silent. I knew immediately I’d hit something. I lowered my voice “I can’t.”

looked at me for several seconds then he opened a drawer and pulled out another document.

“Three hundred thousand dollars.”

I stared at the number. My heart skipped. “No.”

“Six months.”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Five hundred thousand.”

I looked at him.

He didn’t blink. “Six months,” he repeated. “You accompany me to family events. Christmas. New Year’s. A few public appearances if necessary. Nothing physical. Nothing outside what we agree to.”

I almost laughed again. “You’ve actually thought this through.”

“I don’t improvise when money is involved.”

“You improvised the girlfriend.”

“That was different.”

“That was yesterday.”

“Yes.”

I closed my eyes. Five hundred thousand dollars. It was more money than I had ever seen in one place.

Enough to pay my mother’s hospital debt. Enough to stop the bank from threatening to take my parents’ house.

Enough to send my younger brother back to school. Enough to breathe and that was precisely why I hated the offer because Adrian had no idea how badly I needed it or maybe he did.

I looked at him carefully. “Why are you offering this much?”

“Because I need this to work.”

“That’s not the whole answer.”

His gaze hardened. “My family is complicated.”

“So is mine.” The words escaped before I could stop them.

His eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Adriana.”

I stood. “Can I think about it?”

He nodded. “How long?”

“Until tomorrow.”

“Fine.”

I reached the door.

“Adriana.”

I turned. He was watching me differently now. Not like an employee. Not entirely like a woman he needed for a plan.Like he had finally realized there was something about my life he didn’t know.

“Whatever happens,” he said, “don’t let my family intimidate you.”

I almost smiled. “That’s easy for a billionaire to say.” Then I walked out.

My apartment felt smaller that night. I dropped my bag beside the couch and kicked off my shoes.

My phone rang before I could sit. “Mum?”

There was silence then she said, “Your father didn’t tell you?”

I sat up. “Tell me what?”

“The bank came again.”

My stomach tightened. “What happened?”

“They gave us until Friday.”

“For what?”

“To pay the remaining loan.”

I closed my eyes. “How much?” She didn’t answer. “Mum.”

“Seventy eight thousand.”

I couldn’t breathe. I looked toward the envelope sitting on my kitchen counter.

Inside was the hospital bill I had promised to handle. I had been working overtime for months.

Saving every dollar. Skipping meals when necessary. Pretending everything was fine whenever my mother called. Seventy eight thousand dollars.

I didn’t have seven thousand. “How long have you known?”

“Three weeks.”

I stood. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you already do too much.”

My eyes burned. “You’re my mother.”

“And you’re my daughter.”

She began crying. I pressed my fingers against my forehead. “Don’t cry.”

“I don’t want you ruining your life because of us.”

I laughed bitterly. “My life isn’t ruined.”

Not yet. My phone beeped. A message. I looked down. It wasn’t from my mother. It was from an unknown number.

You should stay away from Adrian Hawthorne.

My blood went cold. Another message appeared.

His family won’t protect you.

Then a third.

And if you become his girlfriend, your family will pay for it.

I stopped breathing. I immediately called the number. It rang once. Twice then went dead.

I tried again. Nothing. My mother’s voice came through the phone. “Adriana?”

I couldn’t answer. I stared at the message. Someone knew about my family.

Someone knew about Adrian and someone was watching me. My phone beeped again.

This time, there was an image. My parents’ house. Taken from across the street.  that afternoon.

My knees weakened. I sat down hard. The message underneath contained only five words.

This is your last warning.

I stared at the screen until the letters blurred then I thought about Adrian’s offer.

Five hundred thousand dollars. Christmas. His family. The danger. My parents. The house.

Everything collided inside my head. I hated that money could corner me this way.

I hated that I had to choose between my dignity and my family’s safety.

Most of all, I hated that the only person who could give me the money was the same man whose family might already be putting my family in danger.

I picked up my phone. My thumb hovered over Adrian’s name then I pressed call. He answered on the second ring.

“Adriana?”

My voice shook. “I’ve changed my mind.”

Silence. “About the arrangement?”

“Yes.”

His voice became careful. “What changed?”

I looked at the photograph on my screen. “I’ll be your girlfriend.”

Another silence then he asked the question I wasn’t prepared for. “Why?”

I swallowed. “Because I need the money.”

His breathing changed. “Adriana, what happened?”

I closed my eyes. “I’ll explain everything tomorrow.”

“No.” His voice hardened. “Tell me now.”

I stared at the photograph again. “I can’t.”

“Then I’m coming to you.”

My eyes widened. “Don’t.”

“Why?”

Because whoever sent the photograph might still be watching and I didn’t know who I could trust.

Because becoming Adrian Hawthorne’s fake girlfriend suddenly felt much more dangerous than pretending to be in love.

I lowered my voice. “Adrian.”

“Yes?”

“Someone is watching my family.”

The line went completely silent then Adrian said something that made my blood run cold. “I know.”

I froze. “What?”

His voice dropped. “Because they sent me the same photograph.”