Nina.

I didn’t give Lucian an answer. His offer was so enticing but I couldn’t just jump on it. I didn’t commit the forgery I’m being dragged in the mud about. Secondly, what was I going to tell Jake? That I’m leaving him for another man just for money?

The last time we communicated was when I texted him about my mom’s accident. He didn’t reply to my text or call me. It was so strange.

I stood outside Jake's apartment, my heart racing with every passing second. The headline on the news didn’t add up one bit, the only reason I was at Jake’s was to ask him why he hadn’t called even after seeing the allegations pressed on us.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The sound of laughter and music drifted from inside, Jake was the quiet type and he never had the time to blast music.

The door swung open, and Jake's smile faltered when he saw me. "Nina, hey..."

"Hey?" I repeated, my voice trembling. He hardly called me by my name. "After ignoring me for days, all you can say is 'hey'?"

Jake's eyes darted behind me, and I shifted to see a blonde-haired lady with a pink towel wrapped around her chest. That was my spare towel!

She had a guilty expression on her face, hastily gathering her clothes.

My world crumbled around me. "You are cheating on me," I said, stating the obvious.

Jake's face turned red, but he didn't deny it. "Nina, I..."

I raised my hand, silencing him. "Never mind.” I was here for an important reason.

I dumped my phone in his palm. “What does this mean?”

“Oh. This! I thought you were smart to cover this up.” Jake answered but I was lost for a moment.

“Cover this… what are you talking about Jake?!” I yelled.

“The loan from your boss, I told you how badly I needed that money.” Jake’s voice floated in the air, almost driving me crazy.

Panic set in, causing my fingers to shake. “You forged my signature and d… did thi..s?” I stuttered.

“Glad you’ve figured it out, you don’t have any proof against me. The whole world will believe that you did this. Get lost! And never come back here.” He ordered before slamming the door in my face. I stood there, speechless. What did I get myself into?

I turned and walked a step further, leaving Jake and his lover behind. Tears streamed down my face.

My phone rang, shrill in the silence. Melinda's name flashed on the screen.

“What’s that rubbish on the news?”

"Jake cheated on me and framed me up for that." I blurted.

Melinda's gasp was audible. "I'm so sorry, Nina."

I took a deep breath, I finally figured out what to do. "I'm done with him. And I've made my decision."

"What is it?" Melinda asked attentively.

"I'm going to marry Lucian Ryder."

The silence between us lasted for a few seconds before Melinda spoke up. "Nina, are you sure? We still need to figure out how to pay mom's hospital bills..."

"I know," I said firmly. "This is the only way I can get out of this mess. Lucian also offered to take care of the bills if I marry him. I have no choice.”

Melinda sighed. "Okay, girl. If you're sure..."

"I am," I said resolutely.

As I hung up the phone, I took out the business card Lucian gave me the other night. I dialed the number on it and within a few seconds, I heard his baritone charming voice on the other line.

“I will be your pretend wife.”

Nina.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have believed I would ever meet the most feared man in this city. His curly hair was neatly combed just as I had seen it earlier this morning.

Beside him stood a well-built man. The way he glanced at me repeatedly made me shift uncomfortably in the chair.

I fiddled with my phone, and just then I received a text from Melinda. “How’s it going? Are you still doing it?”

“Yes.” I texted back and dropped my phone in my bag.

“Max, you can leave now,” Lucian said to the man and he nodded. “Okay, boss.”

Lucian cleared his throat facing me as the huge-looking man left us alone.

"I'm glad you agreed to our little arrangement, Nina," he said, leaning back in his chair. The way he called my name with some kind of smirk on his lips formed some kind of wetness in my undies.

"What exactly is this arrangement about?" I asked, my voice cautious.

"You'll be moving in with me, immediately after your mother recovers," he informed me.

I paused before speaking up. "And what about my boyfriend? I mean the allegations...?"

"I'll take care of it," he assured me. His voice sounded convincing enough and I knew he had the power to escape allegations that were worse than mine; that information wasn’t new.

"But let's focus on our arrangement. You'll be my wife in name only, and your main duty is to protect my daughter, Emilia, like she's yours."

My voice was laced with surprise. "You have a daughter?"

"Of course," he replied. "And she's the reason I need you to pretend to be my wife. My grandmother has been on my neck, demanding I settle down. Once she's convinced I'm married, she'll hand over my trust fund."

I nodded my head slowly, finally realizing what this was about.

“This information is between you and me, no one knows about it. Not even my right-hand man.” His voice thundered, causing my heart to race in fear. “I’ll have your head if anyone else knows of this. Do you understand?” He asked.

“Yes,” I muttered.

“Good.”

"How long do I have to keep up this charade?" I asked.

"Six months should be enough," he replied. "After that, we can go our separate ways, no strings attached."

I hesitated before responding. "Okay, deal."

Lucian smiled, satisfied. "Excellent. Sign there." He handed a document to me, pointing to a set of pens neatly arranged by the edge of the table.

My phone buzzed with an incoming text from Jake.

"Hey, Nina. I'm ready to correct my wrongs. Meet me at our usual spot. We need to talk."

My eyes narrowed. What did Jake want now?

“Change of plans?” Lucian’s voice interrupted my thought, causing me to jerk.

“No, not at all.” I dragged the document to my front and signed it at the end of the paper without going through it.

Lucian gave me a satisfactory smile and stretched his hand toward me. It was a check. My eyes widened in shock and I looked up to see him laughing.

That was the first time I genuinely saw him laugh, he was always so cold.

I smiled hesitantly, pointing to the paper I was holding.

“This is more than what I need for my mom’s surgery. It’s twice the amount.” I couldn’t hide my surprise.

“I know. It’s all yours.” He replied. “My driver will drop you off.”

“Thank you,” I said, standing to my feet.

I pushed the chair forward before walking to the door.

“Nina,” Lucian called me. I turned to look at him but he was no longer smiling. “If you fail to keep to the end of your bargain, I’ll have your head.”

I knew better than to think that was a threat. It was a promise.

I gulped. “I won’t fail you.”

Nina.

I stepped out of the luxurious car Lucian had sent to drop me off, my eyes scanning the familiar surroundings. This guest house is I and Jake’s special place to hang out. I had agreed to meet him, despite what he did. I wanted to know what was so urgent.

I expected to see Jake's car parked in the garage but it wasn’t there. I brought out my phone to check up on my mom. Melinda had texted me that one of my aunts finally came around to take care of my mother. It was enough that I had to go through this hell just to raise the money for the surgery.

“How’s she?” I asked Aunt Steph, the sound of her bubble gum almost deafening me.

“She is good. Surgery is tomorrow. Where have you been and when are you coming?” She asked.

I rolled my eyes, there was no way I was going to tell her about my ordeal.

“Soon.” I bit my lips. “I just need to clear some things off my schedule,” I answered.

“Okay, bye.” She replied, hanging up on me. Crazy woman.

I walked into the guest house, my heels clicking on the floor. I met a familiar face at the reception, she greeted me with a warm smile, and I returned it, asking for the room number Jake had texted me.

I made my way to the room. Luckily for me, my pictures were no longer trending on social media. Lucian had handled it like he promised and I was so glad. I had so many questions for Jake. Why had he cheated on me? Why had he framed me for the forgery?

“202” I muttered and opened the door slowly. Jake was seated on the bed, his eyes fixed in utter space.

“Hi,” I whispered and he turned to face me.

"Nina," he called out, his voice low.

I closed the door behind me, slowly walking toward him.

“Why did you call me here?”

He nodded, patting the bed beside him. "I'm sorry, Nina. I was weak, and I made a mistake."

I sat down beside him, my eyes searching his face. "A mistake? You cheated on me, Jake. And you framed me for that forgery, causing me global embarrassment."

Jake's eyes dropped, and he took a deep breath. "I know. I'm sorry. I'll do anything to make it right."

I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. I was angry and betrayed. I loved Jake, and I had thought he loved me too.

Just then, Jake stood up and walked to the mini-bar. "Let's have a drink, Nina. I’m sorry about your mom, we can go there together from here."

He handed me a glass of wine and I took a sip. It’s been a long day and I needed this.

I wanted to ask him about his car but I changed my mind. I wasn’t sure if he needed to know about my new entanglement with Lucian. He cheated on me after all, he didn’t deserve any explanation.

“How did you clear the forgery issue from the media?” He asked, curiosity laced in his voice.

I was about to reply when I started to feel dizzy. I sat up properly thinking it was just the wine. But the dizziness became stronger. I tried to stand up, but my legs felt weak. Jake caught me in his arms just before I could fall.

"Nina, are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

But I couldn't respond. Everything went black.

*****

My head was banging with pain. I looked around confused about how I got here. Just then did I realize I was tied to a chair?

A man emerged from the shadows, a sly smile spreading across his face. It was my ex-boss, Mr. Harry.

"Nina, you can't run away from me," he sneered.

“What do you want?" I spat, struggling with the tight ropes around my body.

Mr. Harry chuckled. "I want you to produce my money. Your mighty Lucian can’t save you now.” My jaw dropped. He knew.

The door creaked open, and Jake walked in.

"Jake, what did you do?" I demanded.

Before he could respond, the door burst open, and Lucian strode in, his eyes blazing with anger. Maximus and another man followed closely behind him.

"Let her go," Lucian thundered.

Mr. Harry sneered, but he couldn’t hide the fear lurking behind his eyes. "And if I don't?"

Lucian's smile was cold. "You don't want to find out."