Chapter 318

Madison

Mom raised an eyebrow. “And you’re not?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means my daughter works too hard.” She tossed a piece of popcorn at me. “You’re allowed to have a personal life, you know.”

I caught the popcorn and popped it in my mouth. “Says the woman who used to work sixty-hour weeks.”

“And look where that got me,” she countered, gesturing to herself. “Don’t be like me, Madison.”

The sincerity in her voice made my chest tighten. “I’m not. I promise.”

She squeezed my hand. “Good. Now, let’s watch this ridiculous movie and forget about work for a while.”

The opening credits rolled, and I settled deeper into the couch, determined to focus on the film and not the Alexander-shaped hole in my evening.

The movie’s premise was eerily familiar: a hardworking assistant agrees to pose as her billionaire boss’s fiancée to help him secure a business deal. In return, he’ll fund her dream project.

“This is abs