Chapter 1: My name is Ciara Baxter, and this is the story of how I met my biggest distraction. It all began on the night my best friend, Julia, forced me to follow her to the club.She had just caught her boyfriend of four years cheating on her, and all she wanted was to drown herself in alcohol. Yeah, I was the perfect person to be with her at the club. Now, we were seated at the bar in one of the wildest nightclubs in the city of California and all I could think of was how loud the bass from the speakers was. It felt like it was trying to shake the air from my lungs.The bright lights were like fireworks in wild patterns as Julia raised her glass to her lips. "Ryan is such an idiot for cheating on me!" She yelled, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. Her voice cracked, but she covered it with a wild grin. “Totally!” I yelled back, though my heart ached for her. Her eyes were red, her makeup smudged. She looked like she was trying too hard to convince herself she was fi
Chapter 2: What the Actual Hell?"Wh-where are you taking me to?" I asked him, my voice slurring. He held my hand firmly as we went up a staircase, and walked down a dark hall. I should’ve stopped; I didn’t even know his name. But there was something about him, something that made it impossible to resist. He opened a door at the end of the hallway and stepped aside, motioning for me to enter.I nodded without a word and walked into the room. The room was spacious, with sleek leather couches, a glass coffee table, and a small bar in the corner. The first thing I noticed was that it smelled faintly of expensive cologne and leather—his scent, I realized.I turned to face him as he closed the door behind us. He stood there for a moment, watching me with those piercing blue eyes. “This room. Is it yours?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light even as my heart pounded in my chest.He didn’t answer. Instead, he just stepped closer.I swallowed hard. “You know, I should probably go. My fr
Chapter 3: A Dangerous Offer(Daryl’s POV)"What did you just say?" Ciara asked, stepping closer to me.I swallowed hard, meeting her gaze. She was staring at me like I had lost my damn mind."For twenty million dollars, I want you to marry me, Ciara," I said.She broke into a small laugh, "What the hell is wrong with you? We met last night, had hot sèx, and now—"I cut into her words, "Ciara, I haven't met you before now, yet you insist that we were together last night. So, let's make this work for both of us.""Okay?" She eyed me."I want you to attend three family events as my fake fiancée with me this Christmas. Smile, play the part, and by the first week of the new year, you walk away with a generous sum. We never see each other again." I replied with a smirk. She looked away immediately.She looked away.That was a good sign, so I decided to let the silence work in my favor, giving her time to think. Then, suddenly, her eyes flashed as she turned back to me."Why are you pretend
Chapter 4: You don't belong here (Ciara's POV)"I asked you a question!" I shot at Daryl. My heart pounded as I stared at the two men before me. The way they had been whispering, the way Alaric looked at me like I was a problem—it just didn’t sit right."Go into the room and wait for me." Daryl said with a frown. Anger surged through me as I placed my arms on my waist. "No! I want to know what your friend was talking about. What are you so worried about me finding out? Huh?" “Ciara. Rule number one—you don’t ask questions.” Daryl said, clearly avoiding my question. “If you have a bad feeling about this deal, leave now,” He said.I drew in a deep, harsh breath as I considered his words. This was it! This was my chance to walk away and return to my normal life, where I was broke and drowning in debt. But ten million dollars in three weeks? Just to pretend I was his fiance?That kind of money could change everything for me!!Damon stepped closer, and my breath caught in my throat a
[Ciara's POV]As I walked away from Daryl, I became more confused, thinking about everything that was happening. Twice, Daryl had pretended as though we were complete strangers.His words still rang in my mind as I made my way up the staircase. Why did he bring me all the way from California only to order me to leave because I didn't "belong" here? Was this some sort of prank? Perhaps he had forgotten for a moment that it was he who had made me the offer to be his fake fiancé.Soon, I reached the door to my room and yanked it open, slamming it shut behind me with a loud crack. Then, I leaned against it for a second as my chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths. My throat felt tight and my eyes burned. But I wasn’t going to cry. No! Not here. Not over this.I pushed off the door and started pacing back and forth, as my boots thudded against the thick rug.“What the hell is happening?” I muttered to myself.I was in a location I knew nothing about, and the only thing I wanted most
[DAMON'S POV]“Don’t listen to him!” she snapped, shooting a warning look at me. It was at that moment I knew she recognized me as the stranger from the nightclub. “He does not know me.”Daryl curled his hand around her arm, clearing his throat. “What did you mean by that, Damon?”I smiled at him, trying to ignore how firmly he held on to her. His jaw was clenched, but it was his eyes that got me. He glared at me with deep hate. Somehow, it set Calx, my wolf, off immediately.The bastard growled inside me, and I felt his claws scrape at the walls of my mind.I knew that feeling. Jealousy. Calx reacted this way only when another person had something or someone he desired. This was a sign that the woman in Daryl’s arms had caught Calx’s attention—again.Oh Shit. I cursed under my breath. ~~~~~~One of the things I should never have done was to lose control—but that night in California, I did. I told myself I was there to check on father's companies which Daryl had gone to supervise in
[DAMON'S POV]“She’s my chosen mate,” Daryl said, taking a step toward me. “You don’t get to come in here and—”“She’s human,” I said flatly, cutting him off. My gaze slid back to Ciara, who flinched again. “She’s not one of us. You're not stupid enough to choose a random human as your mate, are you?"“You don’t get to decide that,” he growled. “You’re just pissed you didn’t mark her when you fucked her.”I laughed. “I didn’t need to mark her to make her come apart for me.” “Enough,” Daryl growled, his hand snapping out to shove me back. I let him, but the moment his hand hit my chest, Calx lunged inside me. I slammed him back down. This wasn’t the right place to shift into my wolf form. I wasn’t sure Ciara even knew who we truly were.“Can you two just hold on a moment!” Ciara said as she stepped between Daryl and me. “What is going on here? And what does it matter if I’m human?”I looked at Ciara again, softer this time. “You need to find your way out of this place, and never come
[DAMON'S POV]“Don’t listen to him!” she snapped, shooting a warning look at me. It was at that moment I knew she recognized me as the stranger from the nightclub. “He does not know me.”Daryl curled his hand around her arm, clearing his throat. “What did you mean by that, Damon?”I smiled at him, trying to ignore how firmly he held on to her. His jaw was clenched, but it was his eyes that got me. He glared at me with deep hate. Somehow, it set Calx, my wolf, off immediately.The bastard growled inside me, and I felt his claws scrape at the walls of my mind.I knew that feeling. Jealousy. Calx reacted this way only when another person had something or someone he desired. This was a sign that the woman in Daryl’s arms had caught Calx’s attention—again.Oh Shit. I cursed under my breath. ~~~~~~One of the things I should never have done was to lose control—but that night in California, I did. I told myself I was there to check on father's companies which Daryl had gone to supervise in
[Ciara's POV]As I walked away from Daryl, I became more confused, thinking about everything that was happening. Twice, Daryl had pretended as though we were complete strangers.His words still rang in my mind as I made my way up the staircase. Why did he bring me all the way from California only to order me to leave because I didn't "belong" here? Was this some sort of prank? Perhaps he had forgotten for a moment that it was he who had made me the offer to be his fake fiancé.Soon, I reached the door to my room and yanked it open, slamming it shut behind me with a loud crack. Then, I leaned against it for a second as my chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths. My throat felt tight and my eyes burned. But I wasn’t going to cry. No! Not here. Not over this.I pushed off the door and started pacing back and forth, as my boots thudded against the thick rug.“What the hell is happening?” I muttered to myself.I was in a location I knew nothing about, and the only thing I wanted most
Chapter 4: You don't belong here (Ciara's POV)"I asked you a question!" I shot at Daryl. My heart pounded as I stared at the two men before me. The way they had been whispering, the way Alaric looked at me like I was a problem—it just didn’t sit right."Go into the room and wait for me." Daryl said with a frown. Anger surged through me as I placed my arms on my waist. "No! I want to know what your friend was talking about. What are you so worried about me finding out? Huh?" “Ciara. Rule number one—you don’t ask questions.” Daryl said, clearly avoiding my question. “If you have a bad feeling about this deal, leave now,” He said.I drew in a deep, harsh breath as I considered his words. This was it! This was my chance to walk away and return to my normal life, where I was broke and drowning in debt. But ten million dollars in three weeks? Just to pretend I was his fiance?That kind of money could change everything for me!!Damon stepped closer, and my breath caught in my throat a
Chapter 3: A Dangerous Offer(Daryl’s POV)"What did you just say?" Ciara asked, stepping closer to me.I swallowed hard, meeting her gaze. She was staring at me like I had lost my damn mind."For twenty million dollars, I want you to marry me, Ciara," I said.She broke into a small laugh, "What the hell is wrong with you? We met last night, had hot sèx, and now—"I cut into her words, "Ciara, I haven't met you before now, yet you insist that we were together last night. So, let's make this work for both of us.""Okay?" She eyed me."I want you to attend three family events as my fake fiancée with me this Christmas. Smile, play the part, and by the first week of the new year, you walk away with a generous sum. We never see each other again." I replied with a smirk. She looked away immediately.She looked away.That was a good sign, so I decided to let the silence work in my favor, giving her time to think. Then, suddenly, her eyes flashed as she turned back to me."Why are you pretend
Chapter 2: What the Actual Hell?"Wh-where are you taking me to?" I asked him, my voice slurring. He held my hand firmly as we went up a staircase, and walked down a dark hall. I should’ve stopped; I didn’t even know his name. But there was something about him, something that made it impossible to resist. He opened a door at the end of the hallway and stepped aside, motioning for me to enter.I nodded without a word and walked into the room. The room was spacious, with sleek leather couches, a glass coffee table, and a small bar in the corner. The first thing I noticed was that it smelled faintly of expensive cologne and leather—his scent, I realized.I turned to face him as he closed the door behind us. He stood there for a moment, watching me with those piercing blue eyes. “This room. Is it yours?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light even as my heart pounded in my chest.He didn’t answer. Instead, he just stepped closer.I swallowed hard. “You know, I should probably go. My fr
Chapter 1: My name is Ciara Baxter, and this is the story of how I met my biggest distraction. It all began on the night my best friend, Julia, forced me to follow her to the club.She had just caught her boyfriend of four years cheating on her, and all she wanted was to drown herself in alcohol. Yeah, I was the perfect person to be with her at the club. Now, we were seated at the bar in one of the wildest nightclubs in the city of California and all I could think of was how loud the bass from the speakers was. It felt like it was trying to shake the air from my lungs.The bright lights were like fireworks in wild patterns as Julia raised her glass to her lips. "Ryan is such an idiot for cheating on me!" She yelled, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. Her voice cracked, but she covered it with a wild grin. “Totally!” I yelled back, though my heart ached for her. Her eyes were red, her makeup smudged. She looked like she was trying too hard to convince herself she was fi