Chapter 5: A Dangerous Proposal

Damien's POV

After a long day at the office, jumping from one meeting to another, I leaned back in my chair, my head pounding. The relentless ticking of the clock reminded me that my day wasn’t over yet.

“Sir,” Alex said, stepping into the office, his tone as professional as ever. “You have dinner with your grandfather at 6 PM. Also, Miss Cindy is already there waiting for you.”

I groaned inwardly, pinching the bridge of my nose. Of course, Cindy would be there. This wasn’t just dinner. It was another setup, another attempt by my grandfather to shove his plans for my life down my throat.

I glanced at the clock. It was already 5:30 PM. There was no avoiding it now. I had to confront him and make it clear to both him and Cindy that I wasn’t playing along with this charade anymore.

“Let’s go,” I told Alex, standing and grabbing my jacket.

The drive to the villa was quiet, but my mind wasn’t. It raced with thoughts of the argument I knew was coming. By the time we pulled up to the sprawling estate, I was bracing myself for the inevitable storm.

As I stepped into the grand dining room, my grandfather’s voice greeted me, cold and sharp. “I thought I told you not to come back here, you bastard.”

I met his glare with one of my own. “I’m only here for dinner, and once I’m done, I’m leaving.”

“Just for dinner, huh?” His voice rose, thick with anger. “You ungrateful bastard! How dare you call off the engagement? Fix it now, right here!”

Before I could respond, Cindy stepped forward, her voice soft and full of fake innocence. “Grandpa, please don’t be hard on Damien. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have told you about the called off engagement. We should have settled it between ourselves.” Her tone was syrupy sweet, designed to earn sympathy.

I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to snap. “Grandpa,” I began, my voice steady but firm, “do you even care about what I want? You’ve been telling me what to do since I was a child. My decisions, my feelings, they’ve never mattered to you. But now, I’m done caring about your plans and decisions for me.”

I took a step closer, locking eyes with him. “Cindy and I are done. I don't love her, and I never will. Find someone else to entertain your fantasies."

I turned to Cindy, her eyes wide with disbelief. “And you,” I said coldly, “listen carefully. I don’t love you, Cindy. I never did. From this moment on, don’t call me, don’t text me, and stop disturbing my life.”

Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and began walking away. Then I paused, turning back to them one last time. “Oh, did I forget to mention? I’m getting married real soon.”

I resumed walking toward the entrance, my footsteps echoing through the grand hall.

“Damien, how dare you walk away from me! Come back here!” my grandfather roared, his voice chasing after me.

“How dare you, Damien!”

I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back. For the first time in years, I felt a sense of freedom, even if it was fleeting, as I climbed into the car and Alex drove off.

****

Ariana's POV

The thoughts of losing everything consumed me.My relationship, my happiness, my job. It felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on me as I tossed and turned on my bed, tears streaming uncontrollably. My chest ached from heartbreak, sadness, and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. I didn’t know what else to do.

The debt I had taken on for my mother’s surgery flashed through my mind. She had passed away despite all the sacrifices I made. I was still drowning in the aftermath financially and emotionally.

My phone buzzed, the screen lighting up the dark room. I wiped my tears and glanced at the screen. It was a text from Julie.

"Let’s go get a drink. Just discovered a new bar, pookie! I’ll send you the address. Get dressed now!!"

I sighed. Julie was trying to cheer me up, and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Besides, maybe a drink would help me clear my mind, even if just for a while. I dragged myself out of bed, got dressed, and combed my hair, trying to be normal again. Just as I was about to leave, my phone buzzed again with the address from Julie.

As I read it, a strange sense of familiarity washed over me. “Why does this bar's name sound so familiar?” I muttered to myself.

The taxi dropped me off in front of the bar, and my stomach sank. No way... It was the same bar where I'd gotten drunk last night, where I met the stranger. Before I could overthink it, Julie appeared, her bright smile cutting through my dread.

“You’re here!” she exclaimed, pulling me into a warm hug. “Let’s go in. All bills are on me tonight!”

I forced a smile, letting her lead the way inside.

At the bar, we ordered our drinks. Julie kept urging me to relax and not dwell on my problems. She wanted me to have fun, but my thoughts kept circling back to last night’s humiliation.

After a few hours of drinking and chatting, Julie announced that her boyfriend was coming to pick her up. “Do you want him to drop you off at your place, pookie?” she asked sweetly.

I shook my head with a small smile. “No, I’ll go home on my own. Don’t worry about me.”

“Alright, pookie,” she said, teasing. “Just make sure you don’t get drunk and run into another Mr. Stranger tonight!” She laughed, nudging me.

“C’mon, stop it!” I said, laughing along with her, though my cheeks burned.

Julie hugged me before leaving, but as soon as she was gone, the weight of my life came crashing back. I stared into my drink, feeling the ache in my chest resurface.

Then, I felt someone sit beside me. I didn’t look up until I heard a familiar voice.

"Back again for more drinks? You seem to have a habit."

My head snapped up, and my breath caught. It was him. The stranger from last night.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I'd hoped that even if we met again, he wouldn’t recognize me. But his smirk told me otherwise.

“I would advise you not to get drunk tonight,” he said, his voice cool and distant. “I’m not sure I’m ready for another unplanned night.” His eyes met mine briefly before he looked away.

“You recognize me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, shock and embarrassment intertwining.

“Why not?” he replied with a raised eyebrow. “After last night, of course, I do. Why do you have a thing for drinking anyway?”

I swallowed hard. “I’m not a fan of drinking,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “My boyfriend broke up with me yesterday after five years of being together. I didn’t know how to make the pain go away, so I decided to drown it in a drink.”

“And today?” he pressed, his tone unreadable.

I hesitated, but the words spilled out before I could stop them. “I lost my job because I wouldn't give in to my boss disgusting demands . Now I'm drowning in debt, and I have no idea of what to do.” Tears formed in my eyes as I continued. “My friend brought me here for a drink, but she left not long ago.”

I realized I was rambling and stopped, biting my lip. Why was I telling him all of this? His expression was unreadable, but it was clear he wasn’t interested in my sob story.

Just as I was about to apologize for talking too much, he said something that caught me completely off guard.

“Life happens,” he said, his voice calm but firm."I have a proposal for you,can earn you more than enough to pay off your debt ."

“A proposal?” I echoed, confused.

“Yes. A fake marriage; I need someone to pretend to be my wife,” he said, his piercing gaze meeting mine. “I’ll pay you a large sum upfront, and when our arrangement ends, you’ll get another substantial payment. It’s strictly business.”

I blinked at him, stunned into silence. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a sleek card. “Think about it,” he said, handing it to me. “Call me when you’re ready.”

Then, he stood and walked away, leaving me staring at the card in disbelief.

CEO of Logan Group.

My heart skipped a beat. The man I had a one-night stand with is a billionaire? My fingers trembled as I clutched the card, unable to believe it .