Chapter 3

Myles POV

I wasn’t supposed to care.

That was the deal I made with myself a long time ago—no attachments, no emotional strings. Just power, clean lines, and the satisfaction of control. That was all I needed.

I’d been with my ex without strings or expectations, until she suddenly wanted all those things. And because I couldn’t offer them, I ended it. Easy, clean, with less noise.

And that was when my grandfather dropped the bombshell.

“If you’re not married by the end of the year or at least engaged by the end of this one,” he said, his voice cracking like a stone, “then you’re out of all of this. The company, my will, everything. I might finally give it all away to your cousin, Rowland.”

He said it like it meant nothing. Like he wasn’t threatening to take away the empire I’d built brick by brick. Voss Companies was mine in every way but name, and the old man knew exactly how to pull the rug out from under me.

“Don’t give me that look,” he added, swirling his tea. “I won’t let my legacy fall into the hands of a man who can’t keep a woman by his side.”

I almost laughed. “So now it’s about having a woman by my side. You’d rather hand over everything to someone who isn’t half as competent as I am?”

He hissed, “You think yourself complete and grown, yet you have no woman of your own at this age? You should be ashamed. I am already old. When do you expect me to see my great-grandkids, Myles?”

“You have great-grandkids from Dad’s younger siblings. Isn’t that enough?”

“Of course not. They didn’t grow up with me. You did. This is how it has to be.” He shrugged. “You should be better than your father?”

Anger flared in my chest, the same old outrage that always rose whenever he mentioned my parents, but I walked out before it could boil over.

Determined not to let him win, I decided to find someone. Not someone to fall for. God no. Just someone who looked good on paper, someone who wouldn’t ask for more than I was willing to give.

Then I found her.

Serena Lanchester.

Divorced. Broken. Angry.

I read her file twice. She was once a model, but stopped immediately after she got married. She was intelligent, brilliant, outspoken and looked like someone who doesn’t give a f*ck about love anymore.

Perfect.

That night on the rooftop, I expected her to walk in looking fragile. The kind of woman who wore her sadness like a second skin. Instead, she marched in like she owned the sky and hated every damn star in it. Her heels clicked like threats.

Her mouth was sharp. Her hazel eyes, even sharper. She didn’t smile, not even a fake one, and I respected that.

I circled the table slowly, stopping beside her. She smelled like lavender. I’d never liked that scent until now. Leaning in, I ignored the way her scent pulled at me and focused on the words.

“I know your ex-husband was my employee. I know he cheated. And I know he didn’t deserve you.” I dropped my voice to a whisper, letting the words settle in her ears.

Then I pulled back and caught the flicker of surprise in her eyes.

“And I also know,” I continued, “you’re about to say no to the only offer that could give you everything he took from you.”

Her fingers clenched around her purse, and she smirked.

“You have my full attention now, Mr. Voss,” she said, and for some reason, that pleased me.

“Well then,” I said, retaking my seat, “let me give you something worth paying attention to.”

“Okay…” She raised a brow.

“It’s simple. You play the part of my girlfriend—do galas, family retreats—and then, be my wife for six months. In return, you’ll get full control of the Voss companies.”

She blinked slowly. “So basically, you’re asking me to become your actress? And get married again?”

“To the public,” I corrected. “But strictly professional in private. No strings. No expectations. You’ll have full control of your schedule, with everything I promised still intact.”

“Right.” She nodded once, then stood. “I’ll think about it.”

“Do you...”

“Have a lovely dinner,” she cut me off, already walking out.

I watched her go, amused. Most people would have jumped at the offer. When I figured she was gone for good, I made my way to my car in the underground lot when my phone rang. An unknown number, though Truecaller identified it as her.

I answered.

“I’m coming back,” she said before I could say a word. Then she hung up.

I stared at the screen, a smirk tugging at my mouth. I turned back toward the elevator, and then back on the rooftop, the night wind brushed against my neck as I took my seat. A few moments later, Serena returned, walking more slowly this time.

“Thought you changed your mind,” I said.

“I did. Then I changed it again.”

A smile pulled at my lips. “Fair enough.”

The waiter approached, but she waved him off.

She leaned forward, arms crossed. “Let’s be clear, Mr. Voss. I’m only here to hear the full offer. After that, I decide if I will stay or walk away.”

“Understood.”

“Now tell me everything. The real plan. Not just the version you think I want to hear.”

I leaned back, studying her.

“Deal.”

“So, where do we start from?” she asked, leaning over to her seat with her arms crossed.

“Let’s start with the hard part, because this isn’t going to be easy, Serena. I don’t do easy.”

I opened the thin leather file I had brought along with me. It contained everything she needed to see. Contracts. Clauses. A nondisclosure agreement. Even a projected timeline.

Serena stared at it, then at me. “You brought paperwork to dinner?”

“I brought an opportunity,” I said. “A six-month agreement. You’ll play the part of my fiancée. Attend events. Smile for the cameras. In return, I’ll pay off your debts incurred by your ex-husband in full or even get you a lawyer to avoid it, and fund whatever project you have in mind.”

“You changed your terms slightly,” she said and adjusted, arms still crossed on her chest, and I noticed a small smile playing on her lips. I see that you must have done your homework in the short time I walked out?”

“I always do.” I looked at her hands again. Her nails were short and neat. “You’ve been broken before. So have I. Let’s help each other and get what we both want.”

She didn’t respond at once. Just kept staring at the papers. I could almost hear her thoughts measuring risk against reward.

“I’ll ask this question one last time, Mr. Voss.” She narrowed her eyes slightly at me. “Why me?”

“Why not you?” I tilted my head.

“That’s not an answer.” She responded almost immediately, with a frown on her face. “Why don’t you just hire an actress?”

“I don’t want someone pretending to like me,” I replied without letting out a joke this time. “I want someone who doesn’t and can’t. Plus, you don’t seem to be the type to beg or want love; rather, you require your own space, quiet, and respect. I can give you that.” I simply spoke the truth.

“How will this benefit you? And what do you want?” she arched her brow.

“What do I want? Let’s see.” I pretended to think about it for only a moment before tilting my head in her direction. “A woman who cares less about me on the inside, but acts like she does on the outside.”

She blinked, then smiled for the first time.

“You are one messed-up fellow,” she said.

“Welcome to my world,” I raised my glass. “I don’t pick people who want the spotlight. I pick people who don’t trust it. You’re smart, Serena. You obviously don’t chase validation. I know you’re not going to fall for me and make this messy.”

That got a reaction. Her eyebrows rose. “Confident.”

“Cautious, I know what I don’t want,” I replied.

“And if you do fall for me?” The corner of her lips raised as well this time.

“What?” I blinked like I hadn’t heard her right. That couldn’t be right.

“It would be a hard task for you not to fall for me, given that my looks and characteristics are all on point and I don’t lack anything, but a lot of money.” She said, nodding slowly. “So what happens if you do fall for me?”

I crooked a smile and scoffed to try to cover it up. “I think I should be asking you that question instead.” I cleared my throat, pushing back the laugh that threatened to come out. “But if that happens on either of our parts, we will terminate the contract, and the benefits remain.”

Her lips twitched. Almost a smile, but then she looked down again, and her voice turned quiet.

“Alright, so what happens when the six months are up?”

“We part ways. I will make a public statement. You get your exit, and my grandfather will finally take me seriously.”

“Your grandfather?”

“He wants me to get married before I take over the company, and I have to be married before this year runs out, so at the end of the next year, I will get what I want,” I explained with a slight shrug at the end.

“And if your grandfather finds out it’s fake?” she leaned in a bit, with curiosity etched on her face.

I leaned forward. “He won’t. Not unless one of us talks.”

She was silent again.

“And the money?” she asked without flinching.

“Five hundred billion.”

I noticed the surprise on her face as she picked up the file and flipped through the pages. “You even highlighted the payment clause.”

“Figured you’d want to see the numbers first.” I shrugged.

“You’re so full of yourself,” She whispered while flipping through the pages.

“No, I’m not,” I said, leaning back.

That seemed to catch her off guard as her eyes flicked up to mine. Then, slowly, she placed the file down. She didn’t touch the paper again. Just stared at me like she was trying to read what wasn’t written.

“I need time. I don’t want to make this decision so hastily.”

“Take all the time you need.” I nodded and slid a business card across the table. “But know this, every second you hesitate, someone else is getting ahead. Someone less talented. Someone who didn’t have a chance to make their ex-husband regret everything or get out of their ex’s debts.”

“He’s not worth this kind of energy,” she said with a tightened jaw.

“Maybe not. But you are.” I said and stood from my seat.

She stood too, and for a second, we just looked at each other. She looked back at the contract, then out at the skyline. The wind tugged a strand of hair from her bun, and she didn’t bother fixing it. The rooftop was quiet, just the soft sound of the city noise below us, and the cool breeze filled the air around us. She didn’t sign. Not yet. But I saw it in her eyes that she was already in.

“Six months.” She said, finally.

“Yes.”

“No touching. No feelings. No messy lines.”

“Agreed.” I nodded.

“Fine,” she said firmly and picked up the file.

Taking the pen I had left in the folder, she signed all the parts necessary for her. She pushed the papers my way, and I did the same.

“Alright then,” I smirked and stepped closer again as I spoke in a low tone. “Engagement announcements will be on soon, but could have been done much earlier.”

She paused, then turned her head slightly. “Don’t get cocky, Mr. Voss. You might be rich, but I bite.”

“Are you changing your mind again?”

She scoffed lightly, picked up her purse, and made her way toward the elevator. I watched her go, wondering if I’d made a mistake. Not because of the deal. The deal was clean. It was her I couldn’t predict. She stepped into the elevator and stared back at me with those hazel eyes of hers that looked like they had shouldered a storm. She doesn’t look like a woman who was broken. There is more to her than I can place my hand on.

I turned to leave, heading toward the opposite corner of the rooftop, when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen.

Grandfather.

I sighed and answered.

“Myles,” his gravelly voice rang through, no greeting, just straight to it. “How was the blind date I arranged?”

Of course.

“I told you not to set me up with people like that again.” I pinched the edge of my nose.

“So you’re still stubborn,” he chuckled.

“No. Just not desperate.” I replied.

“Then I trust you’ve come to your senses. If you want the company, it’s time to act like a man ready to lead. That starts with commitment.”

I glanced toward the elevator, even though she was already long gone.

“I’m working towards that. You’ll have news very soon,” I said calmly.

“Soon, better mean before the year runs out. I’ve been patient enough,” he said with a hardened voice.

The line went dead before I could reply.

I stared at the phone for a moment, then slid it back into my pocket. He’d get his news. I always deliver. But whether he liked the method or not?

That part was never up to him.