All Chapters of The CEO's Fake Girlfriend : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

They all turned.Lucien stood in the doorway, hair shiny and slicked back, a fresh black shirt clinging to his shoulders. But there was nothing clean about the fury radiating from him.“Get. Away. From. Her.”Don turned slowly. “Oh, son. I was—”“I know exactly what you were doing.” Lucien crossed the room in three strides, planting himself between Don and my bed. “And I’ll say this once. Stay away from Camila. Don’t talk to her. Don’t look at her. Don’t even think about her.”“I’m trying to protect you—”“By threatening my girl?” His voice turned lethal. “Try again.”Silence dropped heavy over the room.Don’s expression twisted into something almost pleased. “So—”“Get out.” Lucien’s fists clenched. “Before I throw you out myself.”“You wouldn’t dare.”“Wouldn’t I?” He stepped closer. “You’re in her hospital room, threatening her while she’s barely conscious. Give me one good reason not to put you in the bed next to hers.”Don stared at him for a long moment, then smiled. “Love makes

I froze.Lucien’s chair scraped back. His expression emptied like his mind couldn’t decide what to reject first, the sound or the sight.The tiny girl bounced into the dining room clutching a tin of heart-shaped cookies, curls shiny black and eyes golden like Lucien’s.She ran straight to him, smiling wide. “Daddy!”The word made my stomach dip.Lucien’s mouth parted, but no sound came out. He crouched on reflex. “What did you call me?”The child beamed up at him, completely at ease. “Daddy! Mommy said you’d be here!”“Mommy?” I repeated before I could stop myself.Jessica appeared in the doorway, perfect as ever. A soft pink dress, glossy curls, and a wide smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She carried a designer tote on one arm and a phone on the other, looking every bit the picture of composed distress.“Lucien,” she purred, sweet as sugar gone stale. “Sorry for the surprise visit. We had a little emergency. I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer.”Lucien straightened, ten

Jessica's POVThe door shut with a heavy click. The car smelled of leather, smoke, and power. His eyes lingered on my legs a moment too long before finding my face again.He didn’t speak, and I didn’t dare. Every nerve in me hummed, aware of his nearness, of that faint cologne and the sharpness in his gaze that missed nothing."You're shivering," he said, adjusting the air conditioning. His hand brushed my knee as he gestured toward the vent. "Or is that nervousness?""Both," I admitted.He leaned back, studying me like a move he might or might not make. “Tell me,” he said, “what makes Camila Sterling so dangerous to my son?”"She's unpredictable and defiant," I replied. "She doesn't care about his legacy or his empire. She makes him soft.""And you?" His hand rested on the seat behind my shoulders, not quite touching but close enough to feel. "You're more... malleable?""I understand his world," I said. "And I know what it takes to stay in it."A slow assessing smile touched his lips

Camila's POVSomething felt wrong the moment I slipped into that white dress. It was stunning but my skin prickled beneath it. I told myself it was nerves. That was easier to accept than the strange crawling sensation spreading along my arms.Maybe it was the thought of seeing Ronan again after weeks of silence. The man I’d once feared, then defied, then escaped. Except no one ever really escaped Ronan Hayes. He didn’t let go unless he was planning something worse.Lucien’s hand settled at the small of my back. The ballroom glittered with money, laughter, and the kind of arrogance that lived on champagne.Everything looked perfect. Until it wasn’t.Near the bar, Don Hayes and Jessica stood too close, laughing, drinking, her hand brushing his sleeve. My chest tightened.“I’m as surprised as you,” Lucien murmured. “Ignore them.”I tried. But something about their comfort together didn’t sit right.“Dance with me,” he said, breaking my stare.I raised an eyebrow. “You don’t dance.”“Toni

Jessica's POVWe spent the party laughing about Lucien together. His stubbornness, his cold detachment.Then Camila's mother happened.The homeless wreck of a woman shrieking on stage, airing every piece of dirty laundry she could find. It was glorious, watching Camila's perfect facade crumble, watching the eyes eat it up—I couldn't help but laugh."Pathetic," Don said beside me, shaking his head. "That's the woman my son chose? A girl from that kind of family?""She's a nobody," I agreed. "I brought her mother here to remind her she doesn't belong in Lucien's world.""No. She doesn't. You are a better fit."We continued our conversation in the hallway, dissecting Camila's flaws, her trashy background, the mess she'd brought into Lucien's life. At the exit, I turned to say goodbye, but he was already walking toward his car. “Get in,” he said.I blinked. "Oh, I drove here.""I said get in." His voice held that quiet authority that made it impossible to refuse.I hesitated for half a s