Lucian.
8:26 AM.
Swinging from left to right in my luxurious leather chair, I glared at my watch for the umpteenth time. The lady from the other night was late. I don't tolerate tardiness, and yet, here I was, waiting for her. I wondered if she would show up, not after the embarrassment she caused me the other night. I already had Maximus; my right-hand man run some background checks on her. I was sure she would take my offer.
My phone buzzed and I knew better than to check. It was my grandmother. Her incessant nagging about settling down after my messy divorce had driven me to desperate measures.
“You stood her up,” I remembered her scolding me on the phone the previous day after I didn’t show up for the blind date she set up for me.
“Grandma, I already told you. I’ll find my lady myself. My type and in my time.”
“But Emilia needs a mother figure in her life.” She had complained. She always used the fact that my little daughter needed a mother. She was right but I don’t mess with just any lady.
I needed an escape, and that accident with the strange lady from the other night had presented an unexpected opportunity in my favor.
She was one of the most beautiful women I’ve met in a long while. The way her body swayed gently when she walked carried an aura I loved my lady to have. I found her perfect for this task. Just that, now she was beginning to piss me off.
Maximus already told me her mother was hospitalized the other night. I was going to build on this, I knew she needed money badly.
Switching on the TV in my office, I decided to keep myself busy till she got here. The first image I saw on the TV was a gorgeous picture of the same lady I was waiting for.
Nina Barners has been accused of siphoning funds to Jake Correl who doubles as her boyfriend and crime partner, the…
I switched the TV off.
Nina Barners. What the hell! Was this the woman I wanted to get involved with?
I was still deep in thought when a knock sounded on my door.
“Come in.”
Nina rushed in, almost out of breath. "I'm so sorry I'm late," she apologized. She didn’t look so happy.
I raised an eyebrow. "You're 30 minutes late, Nina. Not exactly the best start for someone who has offended me already."
She winced, her cheeks flushing. "I know. I had an emergency at the hospital."
I waved her over, gesturing to the chair opposite my desk. "Sit. We need to talk."
She hesitated, her eyes scanning the room briefly before finally sitting, her hands clasped together in her lap.
“Did you do it?” I asked.
"Do what?” She questioned.
I leaned back in my chair. “I guess you’ve not seen the news,” I replied. I took my iPad and showed her an article about her trending on one of the blogs. Her jaw dropped, tears forming at the back of her eyes.
“So this was why…” her voice trailed off.
"I have a proposal for you, Nina. One that could benefit us both."
Her eyes narrowed, a hint of wariness creeping into her worried expression. "What kind of proposal?"
I smiled, a calculated glint in my eye. "A contract marriage. Pretend to be my girlfriend, and I'll make sure your mother's medical bills are taken care of and also take care of this mess.” I proposed, waving my iPad slightly above my shoulder.
Nina's face turned pale, suspicion written clearly on her face. "And why would you do that?"
I shrugged. "Let's just say we need each others’ help.”
Her gaze dropped, her voice low. "But I have a boyfriend..."
