Chapter 1 Allison

Chapter One

Allison adjusted the strap of her worn leather bag and glanced up at the towering skyline of New York City, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows between the glass giants. The city buzzed around her-honking taxis, hurried footsteps, snippets of conversations blending into a constant hum. But none of it fazed her. Not today.

She pulled her jacket tighter around her slender frame, the chill sneaking in despite the early spring air. College was finally behind her. Four years of late nights, cramming for exams, juggling part-time jobs-all for this moment: a fresh start.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. A quick glance showed a text from her mom: Dinner's ready. Don't be late!

A small smile tugged at Allison's lips. Rose had been her anchor through everything. Not her birth mother, but the one who never let her feel abandoned. Yet, the question lingered in the back of Allison's mind-who were her real parents, and why had they left her?

She shook the thought away as she stepped into a nearby café, the bell chiming softly overhead. The rich scent of coffee and baked goods wrapped around her like a familiar hug. She ordered a black coffee, waiting for the barista to hand it over, when the door opened again.

He stepped in like he owned the place-a man whose presence made the room shift subtly. Tall, with an easy confidence and sharp eyes that scanned the room before settling somewhere beyond the crowd.

Kyle Wilson.

The name was everywhere. Headlines screamed about the billionaire tycoon's son-playboy, rebel, the inevitable heir to a corporate empire. But Allison had only ever heard the rumors.

Today, she was about to meet the man behind the stories.

Kyle's eyes locked onto Allison as she took a cautious sip of her coffee. She felt a strange mix of curiosity and nerves-a feeling she hadn't expected to get from someone like him.

He approached the counter with a smooth, practiced stride. When their eyes met, he gave a faint, almost shy smile, nothing like the arrogant smirk the tabloids always showed.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked, nodding toward the empty chair opposite her.

Allison blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, no. Go ahead."

He sat down, placing a sleek leather briefcase beside him. "I'm Kyle."

"Allison."

A pause, as if both were weighing their next words carefully.

"So, you're the woman who's about to change my life," Kyle said suddenly, his voice low but steady.

Allison's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

Kyle leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "My parents have a... condition. I have to get married before I turn thirty or I lose control of the company."

Allison blinked, trying to process what she just heard.

"And I want you to be my bride," Kyle said simply, watching her reaction.

Allison's heart skipped. She could feel the eyes of every patron in the café, but inside, everything went quiet.

"Why me?" she managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kyle shrugged, the confident facade slipping for a moment. "Because you're real. You're not pretending. And somehow, I think you might just save me from all this."

Allison's world shifted in an instant. This was no ordinary proposal. And somehow, against every instinct, she said yes

Allison stared at Kyle, her mind racing. Did I just say yes? The words echoed in her head, surreal and heavy. This wasn't a fairy tale proposal from a charming stranger-it was a calculated move by a man bound by family rules and corporate chains. Yet, beneath the shock, a flicker of something unexpected stirred-hope? Curiosity? Maybe even a spark of rebellion against her own carefully measured life.

Why am I agreeing to this? she wondered. Was it desperation? A chance at security for her and Rose? Or the tantalizing possibility of stepping into a world so far removed from her own struggles?

Across the table, Kyle watched her with an intensity that made his usual guardedness crack. She's not like the others, he thought. She's real. Unfiltered. Not dazzled by money or power. Maybe that's what I need-someone who sees me, not my name.

But beneath that hope was a knot of anxiety. Can I really ask her to play this part? To be the bride who's just an arrangement? The pressure of his family's expectations pressed down like a storm cloud, threatening to drown whatever genuine connection might bloom.

Both sat in silence, the noise of the café fading into a distant murmur. Two strangers, linked by a promise that neither fully understood yet-each holding a secret longing, each guarding a fragile hope.

Allison's fingers trembled slightly as she wrapped the coffee cup's warmth between her hands. The café suddenly felt too small, too loud, and yet she couldn't bring herself to leave.

"So... what happens now?" she asked, voice barely steady.

Kyle gave a faint smile, a mix of relief and something softer. "We make it official. The lawyers will draw up the contract. We live as if we're married, but it's just for show-at least for now."

Allison swallowed hard. "Just for show." The words tasted strange, like stepping into a role she wasn't sure she wanted.

He nodded. "I'll make sure it's fair. You don't have to give up your life. Just... be my fiancée in the public eye until I turn thirty."

Allison glanced out the window, the city's chaos blurring with her thoughts. What did this mean for her? For Rose? Could she really dive into this world without losing herself?

"Okay," she said finally, surprising even herself. "I'll do it."

Kyle's grin was genuine this time. "You won't regret it."

As they stood to leave, Kyle hesitated. "I know this is sudden. But... thank you, Allison. For trusting me."

She met his gaze, a fragile connection forming. "Let's just see where this goes."

Outside, the city roared on, oblivious to the unlikely promise between two very different lives.

The moment Allison stepped through the door of their small apartment, the comforting scent of home wrapped around her like a warm blanket. Rose looked up from the kitchen table, her eyes bright with anticipation.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" Rose asked, wiping her hands on a worn towel.

Allison took a deep breath, the weight of the secret pressing on her chest. She walked over and sat beside her mom, searching for the right words.

"Mom," she began slowly, "I'm... getting married."

Rose blinked, surprise flashing across her face. "Married? Allison, that's wonderful! But... I didn't know you were seeing someone."

Allison smiled, a mix of nerves and excitement. "It's not exactly what you'd expect. It's kind of an arrangement. Kyle Wilson-the billionaire's son-asked me to marry him. And I said yes."

Rose's mouth opened, then closed, speechless. After a long pause, she reached over and squeezed Allison's hand.

"If this is what you want, I'll support you. But promise me you'll look out for yourself, no matter what."

Allison nodded, tears threatening to spill. "I promise."

In that small apartment, under the soft glow of the evening light, two lives poised on the edge of something new-uncertain, complicated, but full of possibility.