The Billionaire Sweet Love

Chapter 1

The sound of rain pounding against the window echoed in the small apartment. Lisa sat at the edge of her mother’s bed, gently squeezing her frail hand.

Her mother’s once vibrant face was pale and sunken, her breathing labored as the machines beside her hummed softly.

The medical bills were piling up, and Lisa’s part-time job at the local diner barely paid for their basic needs, let alone the mounting costs of her mother’s treatments.

She glanced at the crumpled bills spread across the tiny kitchen table. Rent was overdue. Utilities, too. And with her mother's condition worsening, Lisa was running out of time, and options.

“Lisa,” her mother’s voice was barely above a whisper. “You should be out there... living your life. Not trapped here with me.”

Lisa swallowed the lump in her throat and forced a smile. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ve got everything under control.”

But the truth was, she didn’t. Every day felt like a fight she was losing. And then there was Ethan Stone.

Dr. Ethan Stone. The billionaire. The one who could change everything.

Lisa had met Ethan at a charity gala last month. She hadn’t been invited, of course. But her friend Mia, who worked catering for the event, had snuck her in for a chance to network and maybe land a better job.

Little did she know, that night would mark the beginning of something far more complicated than she could have ever imagined.

Ethan had noticed her standing awkwardly in the corner, dressed in a borrowed gown that didn’t quite fit. He’d introduced himself with a cool, confident demeanor that made her feel instantly self-conscious.

Over the following weeks, they crossed paths more than once, though Lisa still wasn’t sure why someone like Ethan Stone would bother with a poor college girl like her. Then he came up with the proposition, as unexpected as it was tempting.

“Marry me. Three years. No strings attached. Just a contract,” Ethan had said one evening, over coffee in a quiet downtown cafe.

Lisa had nearly choked on her drink. “Excuse me?”

Ethan had leaned in, his piercing blue eyes locked onto hers. “I need a wife. Temporarily. It’s... a business matter.”

It was absurd. Unbelievable. But as he laid out the terms, a formal arrangement, no emotional involvement, and a $10 million payout for breaching the contract, Lisa realized he wasn’t joking.

“I’ll pay for your mother’s medical bills. You won’t have to worry about a thing,” he’d said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Lisa had sat there, stunned. Why would a billionaire need a fake wife? It didn’t make sense. But Ethan had his reasons, something about image, about business deals requiring stability in his personal life.

He hadn’t gone into much detail, and Lisa hadn’t pressed. The truth was, she didn’t care why he needed a wife. What mattered was that this could save her mother’s life.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone vibrating on the table. It was a text from Ethan.

“Are you in? Make do quickly and come see me. The papers are ready.”

Lisa’s stomach twisted as she stared at the message. Could she really do this? Marry a man she barely knew? Live with him for three years, pretending to be a happy couple, knowing it was all a lie?

She rose from the chair, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer. Her mother needed help now, and this was her only way out.

She slipped on her worn-out jacket and grabbed her keys, whispering a soft goodbye to her sleeping mother before heading out the door.

The drive to Ethan’s office felt surreal. Her hands trembled as she clutched the steering wheel, her mind racing with so much what ifs?

What if she regretted this decision? What if he was more controlling than she anticipated? What if she couldn’t hold up her end of the deal?

But the alternative, losing her mother, was something she couldn’t bear to think about. Ethan had said the contract was simple and she thought she could deal with it. Afterall there were no strings attached.

They would get married, present a united front in public, and live their lives separately behind closed doors. In three years, it would all be over, and she’d walk away with enough money to never worry again.

When she arrived at the sleek, glass building that housed Ethan’s office, Lisa hesitated at the entrance. The revolving doors seemed to mock her. Once she stepped inside, her life would change forever. But wasn’t that what she wanted? Change?

She pushed through the doors and made her way to the top floor, where Ethan’s office overlooked the city. His assistant greeted her with a polite smile and escorted her to a small conference room where Ethan and his lawyer were already seated.

“Lisa,” Ethan said as she entered, his expression unreadable. “You’re right on time.”

She forced a tight smile. “I guess I’m ready.”

The lawyer slid a stack of papers across the table. “This is the contract,” he said, his tone all business. “It outlines the terms of the marriage, the financial agreement, and the consequences of breach.”

Lisa’s eyes skimmed over the documents, though most of the legal jargon was lost on her. The only thing that stuck out was the number, $10 million. If either of them broke the agreement before three years, they would owe the other $10 million. It was a staggering amount of money, an amount that could change her life forever.

Her hands shook as she picked up the pen. Ethan watched her carefully, but he said nothing.

“You’ll be taken care of,” he said softly, almost reassuringly. “Your mother will be taken care of. All you have to do is sign.”

Lisa exhaled slowly and, without another word, signed her name on the dotted line.

As the ink dried, she realized there was no turning back. She was now officially bound to Ethan Stone, for better or worse.