Chapter 4

Elena's POV 

I woke up early the next morning feeling the weight of yesterday's event. I barely managed to drag myself out of bed. 

I reached for my phone on the bed stand, scrolling through it hoping for a distraction from the previous night. A missed call notification from Amy popped up. I had left her at the club yesterday without a word and completely forgot to call her.

I quickly dialed her number, and she picked it up almost immediately.

“Hey,“ I said immediately she answered.

Hey!” She responded, her voice immediately lighting up though still carrying a hint of concern. ”Where did you go last night, El?” She asked.

“I just had a bad headache; needed to go home,” I replied. I couldn't tell her the main reason. How was I supposed to tell her that she was all over the man who broke me years ago? 

“You should have told me at least, El, I was worried sick." Her voice was thick with worry. 

“I know, I'm sorry,“ I said, feeling guilty. I didn't mean to just leave her alone, but I couldn't stay; I wasn't comfortable, especially not after seeing him.

“It's fine.“ She replied, "Anyways, I met this guy yesterday; he was so hot, El; you should have seen him!“ She continued, her voice filled with clear excitement.

“No way she was talking about Jordan. 

“Oh really? Did you get his name?” I asked.

“Why do you care, El? We didn't do anything; he left so suddenly.” She said, her voice sounding a bit disappointed.

Amy was always like this; every time we went out, she'd get excited over a guy and get over him just as fast. I didn't bother pushing the conversation any further. She'd probably be over him in days and off to the next guy. She wasn't exactly the searching-for-love type. 

“Well, I have to get going, Amy,” I said, remembering I still had to prepare for my first day.

“Oh yeah, work. Good luck, girl,” she said, hanging up. 

I went back to my usual daily routine. I got dressed in a navy blue dress that fell just below my knees, paired with a black blazer. I pulled my hair into a tight, neat bun, keeping it professional and out of my face. I kept my makeup simple—a touch of foundation and mascara to look presentable but not overdone. I chose black heels to match the dress and pumps to add a touch of professionalism.

My accessories were simple: small silver stud earrings and a classic hold wristwatch. I wanted my first impression to be one of confidence and competence, nothing less. 

I made sure every detail of my outfit was just right. I was determined to make a good first impression and ready to face whatever the day would bring. 

My office was on the same floor with Jordan's being his personal assistant. Bianca, the receptionist, had said I needed to be close by to attend to any urgent needs. 

I arrived at my desk, neatly stacked files waiting for me. I sat down gently, taking a deep breath, and started going through them, trying to familiarize myself with the tasks. I knew this wasn't going to be the way, but I wasn't going to back away. 

Around late morning, Jordan Storm arrived. He walked through the hallway, greeting me with a brief nod; he probably didn't see me yesterday. The club was loud and dark; I was probably just overthinking it.

I let out a sigh of relief before going back to the work pile on my desk. 

Before entering his office, he stopped for a second, his back to me. “Elena, I'd like to have a word with you.” With that, he entered his office. 

A word? Was it about yesterday? He had seen me, hadn't he? I stood trying to compose myself; no law said I couldn't go clubbing, so why was I getting all worked up? Trying to keep my steady heart from racing, I walked into his office behind him. 

Jordan was already seated behind his desk when I entered.

“Good morning, sir.” I greeted slightly, bowing my head.

“Good morning, Elena,“ he responded, a slight, unreadable smile on his face. 

He glanced at the files on his desk before finally meeting my eyes, our eyes locked for a millisecond, the same eyes from last night. 

“I wanted to discuss a few things with you,“ he started. “How is your day going?“ he continued. 

“It’s going great, sir,” I replied to him without hesitation. Where was he going with this? 

Jordan paused, studying my reaction for a split second. “That's good.” 

 I nodded. 

“I'll need you to help me out with something Elena.” he finally said. 

“Okay, what is it, sir?“ 

“I'd like you to be my fiance, just for the public eye,” he paused, looking carefully.

I froze. Be his fiancée? What did he mean by that? 

I blinked, surprised by his sudden request.

“You want me to pretend to be your fiancée?” 

“Yes,” he replied calmly, as though he didn't just drop a hole on me.

“Just for the meantime, at least until my father's satisfied,” he continued. 

I took a deep breath, trying to process what he had just said—he wanted me to be his fiancee on my first day. 

“We'll need to make it believable; attend public gatherings and the lot,“ he said. I didn't understand why he was saying this so casually. “You said you were up for the task that came with it, didn't you?“ he raised a brow.

Was he freaking for real? How could he ask me such? He was trying to get me to accept his condition without my opinion.

“So what do you say?” 

On one hand, this would give me a huge leverage over him, and on the other, it would also mean living with the man who caused me so much pain.

“I'll think about it.”