Chapter 19

The silence between us was oppressive.

Like that moment right before the dentist drills your tooth. Or a movie villain says, "I’ve been expecting you."

I stared at my fork. Ethan Reynolds sat across from me, looking exactly like the kind of man who’d build a private bunker for fun. Or file a restraining order because someone breathed too loud.

And now, I was stuck here. Again.

My phone vibrated against the table. Once. Twice. Then it wouldn't stop.

DING. DING. DING.

Ethan raised a brow. “You seem to be receiving a lot of messages. Feel free to respond.”

His tone was neutral, but I heard it. That subtle, clipped sharpness like he was two seconds from tossing my phone into a vat of lava.

“I-I’m fine,” I said, clutching it like a lifeline. Which, ironically, it wasn’t.

Another ping.

Then another.

Drama Queen: Sorry, Harper.

Drama Queen: Your CEO said he had to see you again. Just apologize for everything. The makeup’s perfect. HE WON’T recognize you’re his employee!

My blood pressure hit the roof.

‘Femme fatale makeup again?! No wonder she spent ten minutes just on my eyeliner!’

Drama Queen: I’ve committed a deadly sin… but I want to live. WITH THE MAN I LOVE.

‘LOVE?! YOU WANT TO LIVE?? I WILL BURY YOU IN THAT DRESS.’

I shoved my phone face-down.

Ethan took another sip of wine, deadpan. “So. You do this for a living?”

I stiffened. “W-What?”

“This. Blind date mercenary role you seem to be playing.”

I laughed awkwardly. “Oh! Right. Yeah… I mean, technically... yes?”

Great. Now I sounded like I ran an underground dating scam.

His stare didn’t waver. “So, you lied to me.”

The guilt hit fast. “There were circumstances.”

“Enlighten me.”

“My parents own a small restaurant—don’t laugh—it’s a family thing. But bird flu hit, chicken prices went nuts, and our orders dried up. Rent was due. I panicked. Riley offered money. I said yes.”

I took a gulp of water. “That’s it.”

Ethan was quiet. Calculating. He tapped his finger on the wine glass like he was doing math in his head.

“What’s your going rate?”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Your rate. Hourly? Per date? Do you offer discounts for long-term contracts?”

Was he serious?!

“No, it’s not—this wasn’t about money.”

“So, you did it for fun?” he challenged.

“No! Well—sort of! It was for ...., well, I mean …”

‘Ughhh, I can’t tell him for friendship, then he’d know that riley and I are acquainted

He tilted his head. “So... six figures?”

“What?!”

“Three? Five? Maybe ten million?”

I choked on air. “SIX HUNDRED.”

He blinked. “Thousand?”

I shrunk in my seat. “Hundred. Six hundred dollars.”

Ethan stared at me like I’d confessed to selling my soul for a pair of concert tickets. “You impersonated someone. Lied. Risked everything. For six hundred dollars?”

“I—look! That’s not fair. I didn’t plan on any of this!”

It was a favor. A last-minute one. I didn’t think it would turn into a full-blown… marriage proposal.

“Before the date,” he said slowly, “you claimed to be sleeping with other men.”

I slapped my hands over my face. “That was a joke! I’ve liked the same guy since I was twenty!”

I peeked through my fingers. “And no, it wasn’t you.”

He raised a brow. “From a… humanistic standpoint?”

My face burst into flames. “I panicked, okay? I didn’t want to be picked apart like meat at a farmers market. And anyway, I never disliked you.”

Ethan placed his hands together. “So you’re saying you liked me.”

“I’m saying I didn’t dislike you.”

“Same thing.”

“No, it’s not—!”

“Then let us proceed.”

I blinked. “Proceed with what exactly?”

“Marriage.”

“MARRIAGE?!”

He looked genuinely confused. “You said I was amazing. You didn’t dislike me. That’s enough.”

His expression was unreadable—except for the tiny smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Like he enjoyed watching me short-circuit.

“Is there a problem?”

YES, YOU’RE THE PROBLEM.

I nearly knocked over my water glass. “Even if I did lie, even if this whole thing is a mess, you can’t seriously think—”

“I like efficiency.”

“I like people who aren’t emotionally unhinged!”

“I’m not.”

“You literally just proposed to a complete stranger because she ate steak with you once!”

“I’m proposing to the woman I went on a date with. I promised I would marry whoever showed up. That was you.”

I flailed. “But I’m not her!”

“You were there. You sat across from me. That’s enough.”

“That’s not how real life works!”

“Why not?” he asked flatly. “In this sacred democracy?”

I nearly flipped the table. “YOU CAN’T JUST SHOUT ‘DEMOCRACY’ AND EXPECT THAT TO MAKE SENSE.”

He cut into his veal. Calm. Unbothered. Like he hadn’t just turned my life into a viral disaster waiting to happen.

“I’ll talk to my grandpa,” he said. “Let him know the engagement is back on. Just… with someone new.”

“You can’t.”

“I can.”

“No! I wasn’t supposed to be the one on that date! Who gets married like this?!”

“I do.”

“That’s not an answer!”

He leaned back, casually slicing through his meal. “You’re dramatic.”

“And you’re deranged!”

“You’re being emotional.”

“I’M BEING KIDNAPPED!”

The room quieted for the second time that night.

I dropped my voice and hissed, “You can’t actually think this is okay.”

“I don’t waste time,” he said. “I’m not interested in starting over. I chose you.”

My brain sputtered. “You chose me based on what? My lie count? My debt-to-income ratio?!”

He leaned forward. “You’re honest about being dishonest. Most people can’t even admit that.”

What kind of twisted compliment was that?

Then came the next line. Calm. Deliberate.

“One million. How does that sound?”

“…What?”

“As your payment.”

I choked. “For what?”

“I’d like to hire you. To act as my fiancée. Until the wedding. Maybe after.”

I gawked at him. “You’re offering me a job.”

“Yes. That’s how I resolve problems. With contracts.”

“I’m not some gig worker you can Venmo into marrying you!”

“Of course not. That would be unprofessional.”

I wanted to scream. Instead, I bit down on my napkin and whispered, “I’m in hell.”

He took another bite of food, clearly pleased. “So. Deal?”

I hesitated. Thought about rent. Thought about debt. Thought about the death glare Riley would give me if I ruined this now.

“…I’ll think about it.”

Ethan smiled, all quiet smugness.

“Wonderful. Then, shall we?”, he said gesturing at the food.

I had lost all appetite at this point