Mia James needs a lifeline—fast. Accused of stealing company funds, she’s on the brink of losing her job when billionaire Adrian Knight offers her an unexpected way out: a contract marriage. Marrying him will clear her reputation, and for Adrian, it means silencing rumors, handling the press on his terms and fulfilling his grandfather's last wishes. It’s strictly business... or so they both say. Their plan seems simple enough: smile for the cameras, keep the story airtight, and definitely don’t fall for each other. But when Mia’s furious ex crashes their first press conference, she's forced to get closer to Adrian than she'd ever imagined. Suddenly, staged kisses feel dangerously real, and “pretending” becomes harder with every look they share. Now, Mia’s balancing a fake marriage, a very real connection with Adrian, and the risk of her entire world unraveling. With secrets on both sides and her heart on the line, can she keep her cool—or will they both get swept up in the game they started? In this rollercoaster of passion, scandal, and deception, Mia and Adrian are about to learn that in love and life, nothing ever goes exactly as planned.
View More"Are you awake?"A groggy voice inside my head was trying to argue with my dream. "Why am I seeing Adrian in my dreams it must be a nightmare"... I muttered, trying to drift back into whatever sleep was left, but the voice was persistent."Mia. Are you awake or not?"I groaned, my eyes fluttering open, and—oh, he was real. Standing right there in my room, looking down at me with a smirk that was just too self-assured for this early in the morning."Adrian? What are you doing in my room?" I snapped, pulling the sheets up. "I specifically said we’d sleep in different rooms.""And we did. I slept in the guest room," he replied smoothly, holding back a smile. “But I’m here now because we have work to do. I need you sharp and ready today.”“Sharp and—wait, ready for what?” I asked, my mind still foggy.Adrian pulled a small stack of flashcards from his coat pocket and handed them over. “Study these. It’s everything you need to know for the press conference.”I blinked, flipping through the
"Are you coming or not?" Adrian’s voice pulled me back from the papers I was looking at on his desk, his tone sharp and expectant.I blinked up at him, caught off guard. "Where are we going?""Wait and see." He gave me a smirk, and without another word, walked out, leaving me scrambling to keep up. The nerve of him. I followed him to his car, where he slid into the back seat, barely acknowledging me as I joined him."Are you seriously not going to tell me anything?" I asked, my voice dripping with frustration.“Patience, Mia.” He didn’t even look at me, just stared out the window, cool as ever.We pulled up in front of an upscale boutique. I glanced out the window and turned to him, bewildered. "A boutique? What, are you going shopping now?"Without a word, he opened his door, signaling me to get out. I followed, only because my curiosity was getting the better of me. Inside, the boutique was all marble floors, mirrors, and racks of designer dresses. The manager, a tall, elegant woman
"I can't marry you, Adrian."The words come out sharper than I intended, echoing slightly in the quiet of the cafe. Adrian barely flinches; he just watches me, calm as ever, as if he expected this. I wait for some sort of reaction, but he only raises an eyebrow, giving me that same infuriating, unreadable look."Are you sure about that?" he asks, stirring his coffee leisurely. "Because from where I’m sitting, it’s a practical solution. You get to keep your job, and I get what I need."I shake my head, feeling my pulse quicken. "I’m sorry, but I can’t. I already have a boyfriend. And I don’t believe in marriage without… well, romance.""Does he know what’s going on here?" Adrian’s question is calm, and it catches me off guard."That’s… that’s beside the point."He shrugs. "Seems relevant to me. You don’t have to answer now. I’ll give you time to think about it.""No." I said, standing up. "My answer is no. And it’s final."He simply nods, as if this is the most predictable thing in the
“Mia, do you have anything to say for yourself?” Mr. Warden’s voice cut through the silence, cold and disdainful.I swallowed, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. “I… I didn’t take any money. I don’t know where this is coming from.”Ms. Hawthorne’s eyes narrowed, her gaze sharp and calculating. “Really? Because that's exactly what a thief would say"“What? No!” I shot a glance around the room, looking for anyone who might back me up. My eyes landed on Adrian at the head of the table. His jaw was tight, his expression unreadable.“Mr. Knight, you don’t believe this, do you?” I tried to keep my tone respectful. But the desperation slipped through.His gaze met mine, but there was no comfort in it, no reassurance. “This isn’t a good look, Mia.”The words hit me like a slap. I felt my heart sink, but I forced myself to keep my head up. “You know me. You know I wouldn’t… I didn’t do this.”Adrian’s silence was crushing. Lisa, who’d been a friend—or so I thought—leaned forward, an amuse
“Mia, do you have anything to say for yourself?” Mr. Warden’s voice cut through the silence, cold and disdainful.I swallowed, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. “I… I didn’t take any money. I don’t know where this is coming from.”Ms. Hawthorne’s eyes narrowed, her gaze sharp and calculating. “Really? Because that's exactly what a thief would say"“What? No!” I shot a glance around the room, looking for anyone who might back me up. My eyes landed on Adrian at the head of the table. His jaw was tight, his expression unreadable.“Mr. Knight, you don’t believe this, do you?” I tried to keep my tone respectful. But the desperation slipped through.His gaze met mine, but there was no comfort in it, no reassurance. “This isn’t a good look, Mia.”The words hit me like a slap. I felt my heart sink, but I forced myself to keep my head up. “You know me. You know I wouldn’t… I didn’t do this.”Adrian’s silence was crushing. Lisa, who’d been a friend—or so I thought—leaned forward, an amuse
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments