The CEO's Fake Girlfriend
img img The CEO's Fake Girlfriend img Chapter 3 3. You're Nothing Without Me
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Chapter 6 6. Foreplay img
Chapter 7 7. Contract Terms img
Chapter 8 8. We're Having A Baby img
Chapter 9 9. Watch What Happens When You Cross Me img
Chapter 10 10. Lucien's Boyfriend img
Chapter 11 11. Don't Flirt With My Enemies img
Chapter 12 12. I Bet You Taste Like Power And Whiskey img
Chapter 13 13. He Has A Child img
Chapter 14 14. She's Just A Friend img
Chapter 15 15. Business Isn't About Ethics img
Chapter 16 16. Kiss Me, Lucas img
Chapter 17 17. Lucas Crossed A Line img
Chapter 18 18. La Fiera img
Chapter 19 19. Give My Kids A Slide img
Chapter 20 20. Sex Without A Merger Contract img
Chapter 21 21. I Don't Sleep With Liabilities img
Chapter 22 22. Helicopter vs. Tattoo img
Chapter 23 23. A Taste Of Guilt img
Chapter 24 24. Red, Green, Red img
Chapter 25 25. Are You Mad At Me img
Chapter 26 26. SUSPENDED img
Chapter 27 27. I Am Lucien Hayes img
Chapter 28 28. What Is This Intimacy img
Chapter 29 29. It is Strategy: 24 Minutes Comeback img
Chapter 30 30. It's Strategy: He Knows img
Chapter 31 31. I Want Out img
Chapter 32 32. Mama Cortez img
Chapter 33 33. Gone For Him img
Chapter 34 34. Under That Dress img
Chapter 35 35. Between Your Legs img
Chapter 36 36. I Will Break You, Camila img
Chapter 37 37. Bait Set img
Chapter 38 38. Mine To Protect img
Chapter 39 39. A Test Gone Far img
Chapter 40 40. Breathe For Me img
Chapter 41 41. Tell Me To Stop img
Chapter 42 42. A Harlot's Womb img
Chapter 43 43. The Friends-With-Benefits Offer img
Chapter 44 44. She's Just A Child img
Chapter 45 45. Jessica's A Bitch img
Chapter 46 46. Lily img
Chapter 47 47. A Good Shower With A Hot Billionaire CEO img
Chapter 48 48. You're mine, Camila. Say it img
Chapter 49 49. Are You A Fool img
Chapter 50 50. Peace Doesn't Last img
Chapter 51 51. For The Love Of Books img
Chapter 52 52. Please Don't Go img
Chapter 53 53. Sin Personified img
Chapter 54 54. At What Cost img
Chapter 55 55. Daddy Will Reward Your Obedience img
Chapter 56 56. Edmund img
Chapter 57 57. It's Not Real img
Chapter 58 58. Man I Killed img
Chapter 59 59. She Sold You To Me img
Chapter 60 60. Shut Up img
Chapter 61 61. What Is Real And Fake img
Chapter 62 62. Mom img
Chapter 63 63. It Was A Dream img
Chapter 64 64. Everything Feels Poisoned img
Chapter 65 65. Just Say Yes img
Chapter 66 66. His Little Monster img
Chapter 67 67. Make Everything Worse img
Chapter 68 68. Trouble img
Chapter 69 69. Bail Hearing img
Chapter 70 70. We Are Both Greedy img
Chapter 71 71. Kneel For Me img
Chapter 72 72. Naughty Boy img
Chapter 73 73. Where's My Fiera img
Chapter 74 74. Second Time Played img
Chapter 75 75. 24 Hours To Marry Jessica img
Chapter 76 76. Camila Is A Murderer img
Chapter 77 77. Free The Nips img
Chapter 78 78. Rhythm Pressure img
Chapter 79 79. Not God, Baby img
Chapter 80 80. What Are You Hiding img
Chapter 81 81. The Moment You Realize img
Chapter 82 82. I DARE You img
Chapter 83 83. Silas Ashford img
Chapter 84 84. Ashford Family img
Chapter 85 85. Finding Camila img
Chapter 86 86. Big Brother img
Chapter 87 87. Coward For A Father img
Chapter 88 88. Sister Rescuer img
Chapter 89 89. Serious Cleansing img
Chapter 90 90. Creep img
Chapter 91 91. Stop Wearing Revealing Outfits img
Chapter 92 92. Closure Or Acceptance img
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Chapter 3 3. You're Nothing Without Me

It was past nine when I parked at the end of Ronan's long, winding driveway. I could have driven right up to the main entrance, but I wanted him to wait a little. Let him feel the extra two minutes.

Small rebellions were all I had left.

I hated this place. I hated how I knew exactly how many steps it took to the oversized front door. I hated that the security system recognized my face and let me in with a soft beep that felt more like a prison door opening.

Inside smelled the same as always, cigars and polish and something else I could not name. Power, maybe.

I walked the familiar path through the foyer, past the art pieces I knew Ronan had bought to impress people. My heart beat fast but I forced my breathing to stay steady. Never let him see weakness. That was rule one of surviving him.

I sighed the moment I saw him.

Ronan Hayes, sprawled in a leather chair like some king on his throne. His long, rough hair fell over his sharp cheekbones, framing those obsidian eyes I hated looking at. He didn't look up from his phone when I entered.

Miss Grey, his assistant, stood by the window, giving me that strange look she always had on.

Even in a blazer, she was still a stunner, her flawless beauty and sleek ponytail radiating a chilling poise.

"You're late," his voice sounded smooth, but there was a hard edge to it.

"Traffic," I lied.

He finally looked up to me. "Sit."

I paused, a small act of stubbornness, then sat in the chair across from him. I kept my back straight and my hands folded like I was calm.

Ronan studied me, then shifted his glance to Miss Grey. She stepped forward, and I was confused, until her palm came up and hit my cheek. It stung, sharp and bright. Before I could gather myself she slapped the other side. Tears sprang to my eyes from the shock, but I blinked them back. I would not cry for them.

"Feel better now?" I said, my voice shaking.

"That depends." Ronan's voice was softer. Soft was worse. "Do you understand what you did today?"

"I got his attention, didn't I?"

"You got yourself fired! You acted without permission, for your own anger, ruining the plan I laid out.

I spent months making a path for you in Hates Corps. I put you where you needed to be. You ruined that."

I dug my nails into my palms. "It worked. He's noticed."

"And now he knows your face and your name. He will look deeper. You made him suspicious. You are a tool, Camila. My tool. Tools do not choose how they are used."

"I'm not your-"

"You are whatever I say you are." He cut me off, voice rising for the first time. "Or have you forgotten our arrangement? Do I need to remind you of your debt?"

The words felt like another slap. How could I ever forget the night that made me indebted to him?

"No."

"Good." He leaned closer, his voice dropping to that dangerous softness again. "Because I see so much hate in your eyes, Camila. You hate that Lucien made you bound to a man like me.

You hate that your freedom, your future, your very life depends on my goodwill." His finger brushed my stinging cheek, almost tender. "But without me, you'd have nothing. You'd be rotting in prison. And if you ever forget that, if you ever act without my permission again, you wouldn't be the only one to pay for your sins."

My blood ran cold. "Leave Maya and Edmund out of this."

"Then do as you're told." He sat back, clearly satisfied. "I'll contact you when I've cleaned up your mess."

Miss Grey hadn't moved. Something in her eyes seemed almost sympathetic, but I knew better. That woman was just as terrible as her goddamned boss.

I stood on shaky legs but forced myself to walk out with my chin high. I didn't give them my tears, didn't let my shoulders slump until I was safely in my car.

As I drove away, hatred burned fresh in my chest. Anger at Ronan, at Miss Grey, at my own weakness, and mostly at Lucien Hayes. The man whose undercover ring started everything.

The man I would destroy, no matter what it cost.

---

I should have been sleeping, but I was just staring at the peeling paint on our ceiling, wishing the anger in my veins would cool enough to let me rest.

Maya found me like that in the morning, curled up on the couch where I had collapsed after returning from Ronan's.

"You look like hell," she said, tossing me a clean towel. "Coffee's brewing."

I managed a weak smile. "Thanks."

While Maya vacuumed our tiny living room, I wiped last night's makeup from my face, willing it to wash away Ronan's threats too.

"You can't keep letting him control you like this," Maya said over the vacuum's roar. "There has to be another way."

"If you have brilliant ideas, I'm all ears."

She stopped, leaning on the vacuum handle. "Maybe we should-"

A sharp knock interrupted her. We exchanged confused glances. We never got visitors, especially Saturday morning.

I opened the door to find nothing but a sleek black box tied with a silver ribbon. "What is it?" Maya asked, peering over my shoulder.

Inside, nestled in tissue paper, was the most gorgeous black dress I'd ever seen.

"Holy shit," Maya whispered. "Secret admirer?"

I searched for a card or a note, but found nothing.

"This has to be a mistake," I muttered, checking the hallway.

My phone buzzed in the living room and I bolted to it. Elvis, my supervisor. I hadn't heard from him since I was fired. He hadn't even called to check if I was okay.

If he was texting on a Saturday morning, it was more likely he had a job for me, and less likely to check up on me.

Elvis occasionally hooked me up with ushering gigs on weekends. Some were decent money, others barely worth the bus fare.

"Big job tonight!!! It's high profile, Mila. Wear the dress, and a car will come for you at 6. You'd scream your lungs out when you heard the pay!"

            
            

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