Chapter 2 The Rules of a Fake Wife

Sophie stared at him like he'd grown a second head.

"You're not asking?" she repeated, voice rising.

Daniel didn't blink. "You're already involved. Whether you like it or not, your name is on the certificate and the press is running with it. If we react now, it'll look like a scandal. But if we give it ninety days, I can manage the fallout. Quietly. No one loses their job. Especially you."

Sophie opened her mouth to argue-then froze.

Her job.

That brutal realization hit harder than the hangover. She'd spent two years clawing her way up from junior designer to lead concept artist at Carter Tech. She'd sacrificed sleep, relationships, weekends, even her cat's birthday party to meet deadlines.

And now she was accidentally married to the man who could end her career with a phone call.

"Wait," she said, trying to breathe. "Are you threatening me?"

Daniel's jaw tightened. "No. I'm offering you protection. If we play along-act married in public, a few joint appearances, nothing excessive-we both walk away clean in three months. You keep your job. I keep my investors. Win-win."

She narrowed her eyes. "And what if I say no?"

"Then you become the girl who got drunk and conned her boss into a wedding in Vegas. You know how the media spins stories like that."

Her stomach twisted.

He wasn't wrong.

But he also wasn't giving her much choice.

Sophie ran a hand through her messy hair and stood up, swaying slightly. "This is insane. You know that, right?"

Daniel walked over to the table and picked up a folder. Inside was a typed agreement. Of course there was a contract. She should've known he'd have terms.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Everything's outlined. The living arrangements, public appearances, boundaries."

"Boundaries?" she echoed.

"No kissing unless required. No sleeping in the same room. No intimacy of any kind unless it's staged."

Her face burned. "Wow. Romantic."

"This isn't a romance, Sophie. It's damage control."

She hesitated, scanning the contract. Her name typed neatly beside his. An address listed-his penthouse. A schedule of events, including a gala next Friday. A fake backstory.

The part that made her heart skip?

Clause 10: Do not fall in love.

She let out a breathy laugh. "Seriously? You had to put it in writing?"

"Some people need reminders."

She shot him a look. "Is that what happened last time?"

His eyes flicked up. "Last time?"

"You've done this before, haven't you?"

Daniel didn't answer. Just closed the folder and handed her a pen.

Sophie hesitated.

This was insane.

Completely, totally, life-ruiningly insane.

But so was letting everything she'd worked for vanish because of one wild night she couldn't remember.

So she signed.

Daniel extended his hand. "To our fake marriage."

Sophie shook it, her fingers cold in his.

And for the second time in twenty-four hours, she sealed her fate.