Deal or No Deal

SIX YEARS LATER..

Six years had passed since Olivia walked away from the mansion, leaving behind the pain, betrayal, and heartbreak that once consumed her. In those six years, she had rebuilt herself from the ground up. She was no longer the desperate woman who once cried herself to sleep hoping for Ethan’s love.

Today, Olivia stood tall as the powerful CEO of her own fashion empire a brand that had taken the world by storm with its bold designs and fierce message of independence. Her name was known in every fashion capital, from Paris to Milan to New York. Magazines called her ‘’ unstoppable’’ and every red carpet wanted her creations.

Olivia had changed. Everything had changed.

She wasn’t the soft, naïve woman who once pleaded for scraps of attention.

Ethan’s Office, At Night..

The city lights flickered through the tall windows of Ethan’s office, casting long shadows across the room. He sat behind his desk, a half finished glass of whiskey in his hand, but it hadn’t moved in minutes.

His jaw was tight. His eyes, narrowed. And on the screen in front of him there she was.

Olivia Monroe.

A cover story on FORBES

The headline read:

‘’From Betrayed Wife to Fashion Powerhouse: How Olivia Monroe Built an Empire.”

She wore a sharp black suit, her posture perfect, her gaze fierce, unbothered.

Ethan muttered under his breath, “Impossible…”

Louis, his longtime bodyguard, stood nearby, shifting awkwardly. “That’s her, sir. Same Olivia. She’s back in New York for Fashion Week. Monroe Atelier is opening a flagship store in Midtown.”

Ethan scoffed. “Monroe. She’s using her mother’s name now?”

Louis didn’t answer.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, eyes still fixed on the screen. “Six years… and not a word.”

“She didn’t need to,” Louis replied carefully.

Ethan’s fist tightened around the whiskey glass.

He had expected her to disappear, to crumble without him. He thought she’d run back one day crying, begging, like she used to. But she never did. Not once.

And now?

She was everywhere.

Olivia Monroe was the name on every luxury brand deal, every fashion house’s watch list, every billionaire’s tongue.

She had become everything he never believed she could.

Ethan sat on the couch, stiff and silent, as Jessica twirled around the living room with excitement. She held up her phone, showing him photos of dresses, flower arrangements, and what she called ‘’their wedding.”

“Can you believe it’s been sic years already?” Jessica giggled, sliding onto the couch beside him. “I’ve already booked the venue for the renewal ceremony. Imagine white roses, candlelight, champagne…”

Ethan barely heard her. His eyes stared blankly at the phone screen, but his mind was somewhere else with Olivia.

It had been six years since she walked out of his life.

But the ache in his chest? Still there.

The emptiness? Worse than ever.

Jessica leaned closer, showing off her diamond ring. “Remember when you gave me this? You were so nervous, it was adorable.”

Ethan blinked, snapping out of his daze. “What?”

She laughed, thinking he was being playful. “The ring. You forgot already? You proposed to me at that rooftop bar in L.A. Remember?”

His face tensed. He didn’t remember.

Not the proposal.

Not buying the ring.

Not saying ‘’ I do’’

All he remembered was meeting Jessica in a bar. A few drinks. A few nights. That was it.

“Jess… Are you sure we got married?” he asked slowly, his voice tight.

Jessica’s smile faltered. “What kind of question is that?”

Ethan stood up. “Because I don’t remember it. Not one damn thing.”

Jessica’s face hardened. “Maybe you don’t want to remember because you’re still hung up on her.”

He looked away.

She wasn’t wrong.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed his keys and walked to the door.

“Where are you going?” she demanded.

“I need answers,” he said. “And I’m done pretending.”

Olivia’s Office.. Early Evening

The Monroe building stood tall, sleek, powerful just like Olivia herself.

Ethan marched through the lobby, but the receptionist stepped in front of him. “I’m sorry, sir, but you’re not on Ms. Monroe’s appointment list.”

“I don’t need an appointment,” Ethan snapped. “Tell her it’s Ethan Henderson.”

“I’m afraid you are on on the schedule”

Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted. “It’s okay. Let him in.”

He followed her silently, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Olivia sat behind her glass desk, dressed in a deep navy suit that hugged her curves and screamed power. Her hair was swept back, her lips painted a bold red.

She looked up as he entered. Her expression didn’t flicker.

“Oh,” she said calmly. “Ethan Black. Long time no see.”

Ethan’s heart thudded in his chest.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered and even colder.

He swallowed. “Olivia…”

She leaned back in her chair. “How’s Jessica?” she asked, her voice smooth like silk, but sharp underneath.

Ethan blinked, stunned. “How do you know about her?”

Olivia offered a polite, practiced smile. “Please. The world talks, Ethan. I just listen.”

He stepped forward, frustration rising. “She says we’re married. But I don’t remember it. Not the wedding, not the proposal nothing.”

Olivia raised a brow. “And you think I care?”

He flinched at her tone. “No. I just…” He looked at her, really looked at her. “I had to see you. I had to know if you ever if you still”

“Don’t,” she cut in coldly. “Don’t come here searching for feelings you buried years ago.”

Ethan’s voice cracked slightly. “You were everything to me, Olivia.”

Her expression hardened. “No, Ethan. I was nothing to you. You made that very clear.”

“I was wrong.”

“You were too late.”

He stood there, silent, unsure what to say. Every word he rehearsed in the car vanished.

‘’Don’t you read the news?”..Olivia said with a small, amused smile as she leaned back in her chair, folding her arms.

Ethan stiffened. His jaw clenched. “Oh, right… the headlines. I forgot Jessica’s madness made front page news,” he muttered, half in frustration, half in shame.

Olivia raised a brow, cool and unbothered. “So, what now? You want my help cleaning up the mess you made?” Her tone was calm, but sharp.

Ethan looked at her with desperation in his eyes. “Yes. I need your help.”

Olivia tilted her head. “Help with what exactly?”

He hesitated for a moment, then finally said the words like they physically hurt him:

‘’Be my wife.”

There was a long pause. Olivia blinked once. Then, she laughed, low and slow, almost like a taunt.

“You must be joking,” she said, her voice sharp as glass. “You already have a wife. Or did you forget that too?”

“It’s not real,” Ethan said quickly. “I don’t remember marrying her. There’s no love. It’s all fake”

But I remember you walking away from me,” Olivia cut in, her eyes hardening. “I remember the way you made me feel worthless. And now you’re standing here, asking me to play wife again like it’s some sort of role I can pick up when it’s convenient?”

Ethan stepped closer. “This isn’t about convenience. I’m desperate. I’m stuck in something I don’t understand. I need someone I can trust.”

Olivia scoffed. “You think I trust you??.. After what you did?”

“I’ll make it worth your while,” Ethan said quietly. “We can sign a contract. Set a timeline. You get what you want, and I get out of this disaster.”

Olivia stood up slowly, heels clicking as she moved toward him. Her eyes didn’t leave his.

“So let me get this straight,” she said, voice dangerously calm. “Ethan Henderson wants Olivia Monroe to pretend to be his wife… for a little while?”

Ethan nodded. “Yes. Please. I’ll give you anything.”

Her lips curled into a slow smile. “Anything?”

“Anything,” he repeated. “We can draft it all legally.”

Her voice dropped into a husky whisper. “Then here’s what I want twenty million dollars wired into my personal account. I want the estates in Spain, Italy, and Paris signed over to me. No negotiations.”

Ethan blinked. “That’s a lot, Olivia.”

Olivia shrugged. “You said anything, Do you want out of your fake marriage or not?”

Ethan hesitated… then nodded. “Fine. Is that all?”

“Oh, there’s one more thing,” she added smoothly. “There will be a prenup. If any scandal comes out with your name on it cheating, criminal, or otherwise I walk away with everything. And you? You’ll be broke, publicly humiliated, and legally trapped.”

Ethan looked stunned. “That’s extreme.”

“That’s the deal,” Olivia said simply. “Take it or leave it. Call your lawyers. We’re getting married tonight’’.

A long silence stretched between them. Then Ethan nodded, slowly. “Alright. Meet me at the Silver Lounge at 9. We’ll make it official.”