Chapter 2

 RUBBY'S POV 

The room fell into a deafening silence, Nolan’s hand freezing mid-air at the commanding presence of my newfound "fiancé." 

“I believe you heard me,” he said smoothly, his voice a velvet blade. “Release her. Now.”

Nolan hesitated, clearly unprepared for this twist. His fingers loosened, and I pulled my arm back, rubbing the slight soreness with an exaggerated flourish. 

“ Ouchhhh. That hurts a lot.” I let a few tears slip and all their eyes were on me. Well, except Nolan. 

“And who the hell are you?” Nolan spat, his voice laced with venom, though his posture screamed insecurity. I knew it when I saw it. 

The man next to me smirked, his confidence radiating with a aura that was impossible to ignore. “Alexander Wolfe,” he said, extending a hand as though this was an ordinary introduction. “CEO of Wolfe Industries and new owner of Black Suits. Rubby's fiancé.”

If shock could be bottled, I’d have enough to power the entire city. Alexander Wolfe? As in the billionaire mogul splashed across business magazines? He was the new owner Nolan had always blabbed about?

The one that was supposed to be arriving on New Year's Eve to take over the company's affairs. 

Oh, I was definitely in over my head. There was no way this was real. He had to be a good actor. What the fuck had I just gotten myself into?! 

“Fiancé?” Nolan stuttered, his face flushing crimson. “Rubby, what the hell is going on?”

I gave him the sweetest, most patronizing smile I could muster. “Well, you see, Nolan, while you’ve been busy with other priorities,”—I shot a pointed glance at Trisha, who was desperately trying to fade into the wallpaper. Like I would give the bitch a chance. It was her turn to shine—“I decided it was time to move on. Alexander and I met recently, and, well…” I glanced up at Alex, silently pleading for him to roll with the lie.

He didn't miss a beat. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he pulled me even closer, his touch shooting a wave of heat up my body. I tried not to squirm under his touch. “When you know, you know,” he said smoothly, looking down at me as though I were the only woman in the world.

Trisha’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, her usual smugness replaced with a rare moment of speechlessness. Nolan, however, wasn’t done. “This is insane!” he barked. “You expect me to believe that you’re suddenly engaged to him?”

“Oh, Nolan,” I said sweetly, tilting my head. “Why is it so hard to believe? After all, I’m just an average, plain woman, right? Surely, you didn’t think I’d be single forever?”

His eyes widened in realization as the words he thought were privately slammed back at him like a freight train.

Alexander, to his credit, seemed to enjoy the unfolding drama. “Rubby, darling, we’re wasting time here. We have a flight to catch, remember?”

Flight? What flight? But before I could question him, he turned back to Nolan. “I’ll have my assistant send over an invitation to the engagement party. But for now, if you’ll excuse us, we have more important matters to attend to.”

My heart was pounding at a rapid rate as he led me away from their dumbfounded, irritating presence, but halfway through the hall, Nolan snapped out of it sooner than expected. 

“Rubby!” Nolan’s voice boomed, his footsteps charging toward us like a man unhinged.

I spun around, startled. “What do you want now?”

His eyes flicked to Alexander, who was now scrolling through his phone with an air of indifference, and then back to me. “What kind of sick game are you playing?” Nolan demanded, his face contorted with anger. “Who is this guy, really? Some imposter you hired to make me jealous?”

Alexander finally looked up, his gaze cold and razor-sharp. “I don’t believe you’re in a position to question her—or me, for that matter.”

Nolan sneered, stepping closer until he was uncomfortably near. “You think you’re fooling anyone? You’re not some billionaire. This whole act is pathetic. Rubby, you can’t seriously think this clown is real.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but Alexander’s smooth voice cut through. “Clown? Interesting choice of words coming from someone about to be escorted out by security.”

Nolan barked a laugh. “Security? You’re bluffing.”

Alexander reached into his pocket, producing a sleek phone. With a flick of his wrist, he dialled a number and spoke in clipped authoritative tones. “I need someone on the third floor. There’s an individual harassing my fiancée. Remove him.”

Nolan’s smirk faltered, but his arrogance didn’t waver. “Oh, this is rich,” he muttered, glaring at me. “You really think this guy is going to fix your pathetic little life? He’s playing you, Rubby, just like you’re trying to play me! Drop the act already, it's not working! I know you want me instead and this is all some act to make me jealous.”

I felt my blood boil, but Alexander stepped forward, his towering presence forcing Nolan to retreat slightly. “You have thirty seconds to walk away on your own,” he said icily. “Or I’ll make sure you leave without the ability to walk at all.”

Before Nolan could respond, two large men in black suits appeared at the end of the hallway. Their brisk, purposeful strides silenced whatever retort was forming on his lips.

“Mr. Wolfe?” one of them asked, glancing between us.

“Escort him out,” Alexander ordered, gesturing toward Nolan.

“Touch me, and I’ll sue!” Nolan yelled, his voice rising an octave. He was being so loud. Could he not hurt my ears? 

Unbothered, the guards flanked him, each grabbing an arm. “Let go of me! This is insane! You will pay for this!” he snarled, his voice echoing down the hallway as they dragged him toward the elevator.

Alexander adjusted his cufflinks, his calm demeanour unshaken. “Have a pleasant day,” he called after him.

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by my shaky exhale. I couldn't believe all that just happened right before my eyes. 

Now, I just wanted to go home and cry my heart out over a bottle of vodka. If anyone had told me that Nolan and Trisha would do this to me, I would have argued with everything in me. 

I stood there, frozen for a moment, trying to make sense of everything. My emotions were all over the place—anger, disbelief, humiliation—and yet a strange sense of satisfaction settled in. 

Alexander turned to face me once the commotion subsided, his demeanor still calm, almost unfazed by the scene. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice softer than it had been moments before.

 “Well, that was… dramatic,” I muttered, turning to Alexander. “Thanks for the assist, but this whole charade has gone far enough. I'm terribly sorry for putting you through this. I know it's no fun being dragged into someone's business.”

I reached into my bag, fumbling for my wallet. “How much do I owe you for all that?”

His brows furrowed. “Excuse me?”

He sounded like I'd slapped him in the face. 

“You heard me,” I said, pulling out a wad of cash. “Look, you don’t have to keep pretending. I appreciate what you did, but I can handle it from here. Take this as compensation for your trouble. I'll take back my ring too, if you don't mind” There was no way I was leaving it with him.

His eyes darkened, and he took a step closer, towering over me in a way that made my heart stutter. “I do mind. In fact, I mind very much. You think I did that for money?” he asked, his voice dangerously low.

I hesitated, suddenly unsure. I could barely think with his cologne invading my headspace. This man had to realize that thing was dangerous territory. “Why else would you get involved?”

A slow, devilish smile spread across his face. “Because I don’t believe in half measures, Miss Cavilton. I was doing fine on my own until you slipped a ring into my finger. Now, you will have to see this to the very end.”

My breath hitched. Excuse me? This wasn't some movie or a novel. 

“Huh?”

“You heard me.”

What the hell have I gotten myself into? 

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying let’s make this real,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “You need a fiancé. I need someone to keep my nosy relatives off my back during the holiday season. It’s a win-win situation.”

I stared at him, my mind reeling. “You can’t be serious.”

Things were fast blowing out of proportion and I cursed myself for not properly thinking about this. I didn't even know this man, and now, he wanted us to make things real. How?!

“Oh, I’m very serious,” he said, the intensity in his eyes leaving no room for doubt. “You wanted to teach your ex a lesson, didn’t you? Let’s make sure he never forgets it. You. Will. Go. All. The. Way. 

I opened my mouth to argue but found myself speechless. This was insane. Completely and utterly insane. Yet the thought of Nolan squirming, knowing I’d moved on to someone far out of his league, was too tempting to resist. I knew I'd come to question my sanity later but fuck! This was a tempting idea. 

I also wanted that two-timing bitch to regret ever messing with me but this was huge. 

“If I understand you properly, you want me to be your holiday fiance?” I asked, just to be sure I wasn't overthinking it. 

“Just for the holidays, and I promise, I will give you everything you deserve and more. I don't mind writing you a check right here, right now, if that is what it takes. Consider this a trade,” he said. 

The offer was tempting and very beneficial to me since my parents were flying in soon as well. What was the worst that could happen? I make money on the side and act like I'm in love, right? It was a brilliant side hustle. 

“Fine,” I said, my voice steadying. “But don’t think for a second that I trust you.”

“Trust isn’t necessary,” Alexander said with a smirk. “Just try to keep up.”

He offered his arm, and despite every instinct telling me this was a terrible idea, I slipped my hand into his.