Chapter 2 A Dinner

"What is my boss doing here?!" Hannah froze, disbelief coursing through her as she took in the familiar face across the room.

The older man, the president director of her company, raised an eyebrow at her.

"What took you so long? I was about to leave!" he barked impatiently.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa. I had a few things to handle first," Cameron replied smoothly, completely unfazed.

'Grandpa?!' Hannah's thoughts spun. 'Wait-Cameron is the grandson of Mr. Carson?!'

"I thought you weren't coming," said the man seated beside him, who looked younger but had a distinguished air. Hannah guessed he must be Cameron's father.

"Of course I came. I wanted you both to meet Hannah," Cameron replied, a hint of a smile on his face as he gestured to her.

Hannah swallowed hard, feeling as if the ground had shifted beneath her. She should have realized-Cameron's last name was Carson, just like Harish Carson, the president director of her office.

Cameron pulled out a chair for her, gesturing for her to sit. "Take a seat, sweetheart."

"A-ah, alright." Hannah gave a quick nod, trying to mask her nerves as she took her place beside him. She was reeling. Cameron Carson was Harish Carson's grandson?

"So, this is your girlfriend?" Harish's eyes were sharp as they flicked over her, scrutinizing her every move.

Hannah forced a polite smile, though her hands were clammy. 'Does he know who I am?'

"Yes," Cameron said, his tone confident. "This is Hannah, my girlfriend."

"G-good to meet you, Mr. Carson," Hannah managed, staying in character as Cameron's supposed girlfriend. "Cam has told me so much about you."

Harish let out a booming laugh. "Then I'm sure you're bored of hearing about my adventures by now. I honestly didn't expect my grandson to bring a girl around. I thought he'd given up on relationships after... well, that incident."

'So that's why he hired me-a fake girlfriend to appease his family?' she realized, glancing sideways at Cameron.

But a sense of relief trickled through her. 'If Mr. Carson didn't recognize me, then I'm safe- at least for now.'

Hannah's stomach knotted with worry. She had worked for years to get into Carson's company, and the last thing she wanted was for her career to be ruined over a fake relationship.

"Come on, Grandpa," Cameron chuckled, breaking the tension, "let's not bring up ancient history in front of Hannah."

Harish waved a hand, laughing heartily. "Ah, forgive me. I'm just thrilled to see you with a girlfriend, Cam."

Josh, Cameron's father, turned to her with a warm smile. "It must be quite a task, being my son's girlfriend, don't you think, Hannah?"

Hannah returned his smile, nodding.

"Sometimes he surprises me. But... that's actually one of the things I admire about him," she replied, sounding more convincing than she felt.

Josh laughed, giving Cameron a playful nudge. "Well, you're lucky to have found such a lovely girl. And Hannah, I apologize in advance for whatever you'll have to put up with."

"Why are you talking as if I'm some sort of disaster?" Cameron muttered, a hint of annoyance crossing his face. Hannah stifled a laugh, realizing how different he looked when he let his guard down. There was something charming about the way his usual sternness softened, if only for a moment.

'Wait-what am I thinking?' she scolded herself, forcing her attention back to dinner.

The evening went smoothly, and to her relief, Harish seemed oblivious to her real connection to his company. Both men seemed to like her, even going so far as to show their approval of her "relationship" with Cameron.

But a thought gnawed at her-what would happen if Harish found out that her relationship with Cameron was just an act? She shook her head, dismissing the worry.

After dinner, Cameron drove her home. Silence stretched between them, each lost in their own thoughts. Hannah couldn't help but worry. If Harish or Josh discovered her role at the company, it could jeopardize everything she'd worked for.

Meanwhile, Cameron seemed blissfully unaware that the woman he'd hired was one of his grandfather's employees.

"Get out." Cameron abruptly pulled over to the side of the road, his tone cold and unfeeling.

"Here?" Hannah asked, disbelief in her voice as she looked around at the empty stretch of road.

Cameron pulled out his wallet and tossed a few bills in her direction. "I'll call you if I need you again. Now get out."

Hannah let out a disbelieving chuckle. She'd thought he would at least drop her off near her apartment or at a café-not leave her stranded on the side of a highway.

"What? You thought I'd give you a ride all the way home?" Cameron raised an eyebrow, looking almost amused.

Without another word, she picked up the money he'd thrown, dropped it onto the floor of the car, and climbed out, slamming the door behind her. Cameron sped off, leaving her alone in a cloud of exhaust.

"What a jerk!" she muttered, flipping him off-though he was too far gone to see it.

Frustrated, Hannah hailed a taxi and finally made it home. Though Cameron had paid her more than agreed and even added a tip, his rude behavior had soured her mood entirely.

When she got to her apartment, she threw her bag down and collapsed onto the couch, groaning in frustration.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Lucy, her roommate, asked, raising an eyebrow as she walked over.

"Lucy, I think my career might be in serious jeopardy," Hannah mumbled, running a hand over her face.

Lucy's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Why? Don't tell me you're actually falling for the guy who hired you. Wait, are you getting married and quitting your job?"

Hannah rolled her eyes. "No! My client is Mr. Carson's grandson!"

Lucy's jaw dropped.

"Mr. Carson? The only Carson I know is the president of our company," Lucy said, her eyes widening.

"Exactly," Hannah replied with a weary sigh.

"You're kidding! The guy who hired you is Mr. Carson's grandson? I didn't think your life could get this interesting. Didn't I tell you that your 'side gig' would come back to bite you?"

"Oh, shut up, Lu. My head's pounding." Hannah rubbed her temples. "And for the record, I don't like Cameron. His attitude makes me want to scream."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so his name is Cameron, huh? And... is he at least good-looking?"

Very. Extremely.

But Hannah bit back the thought, scowling as she remembered his arrogant behavior. "He's my worst client. I've never met anyone as self-absorbed as he is."

Lucy smirked. "Really? Because it sounds like you didn't totally hate your night with him. What exactly did you two do?"

Hannah threw her an unamused glare. "Does it look like I had fun?"

Lucy laughed, waving off the remark. "Relax, your career will be fine-"

"No, Lu. My career could be over." Hannah gave a nervous laugh. "I had dinner with Mr. Carson. The Mr. Carson!"

Lucy's eyes grew wider. "Wait-Harish Carson? Did he recognize you?"

Hannah shook her head. "Thank goodness, no. I guess it makes sense, though. I'm just an ordinary employee, no one important."

"Then don't stress about it. He didn't recognize you, which means you're in the clear," Lucy said, patting her shoulder

Hannah sighed, hoping Lucy was right and that this wasn't the start of a catastrophe.

The next morning, Hannah dragged herself to work, exhausted from a night of anxious thoughts. What if she accidentally ran into Harish at the office? She'd seen him around before, usually in the elevator, but never expected he might actually notice her.

She swiped her access card at the main doors and stumbled toward the elevators. She joined three other employees as the doors opened, but just before they closed, Harish and Cameron stepped inside.

Her heart dropped. Oh no. Why are they here?!