BILLIONAIRE’S HEART

Chapter 9

Tamara stood in front of her office building, the cool evening air brushing against her skin. Her thoughts were a tangled mess—Justin’s words still echoing in her head. She could still feel the weight of his gaze, the sincerity in his voice. But it was over, wasn’t it? There was no going back to that, no matter how much she wished she could escape the uncertainty swirling around her.

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Lucas. Her stomach tightened. She hadn’t heard from him since their last meeting—a heated exchange at the office that had ended in near silence. He’d been cold, distant. But there was something in the way he looked at her that kept her on edge, a pull she couldn’t ignore.

We need to talk.

Tamara exhaled sharply, glancing around the empty street before typing out a quick reply. About what?

The dots appeared almost immediately. Lucas was quick to respond, always direct.

I think you know.

She frowned, staring at the message for a moment longer before typing back. I’m not in the mood for games, Lucas.

Another reply came. It’s not a game. Meet me at the office. Now.

She hesitated. Every fiber of her being screamed to say no, to walk away, to focus on the things that mattered. But there was something about his message, something final in the way he wrote it. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she knew she had no choice. If she was going to move on from all the confusion, she needed to face this head-on.

She arrived at the office building a few minutes later, the doors swishing open as she entered. The lobby was quiet, save for the soft hum of fluorescent lights and the distant sound of a janitor pushing a cleaning cart. Her heels clicked on the tile floor as she made her way to the elevator, where Lucas stood waiting.

He didn’t say anything as she stepped inside, and neither did she. The tension between them was palpable, an invisible thread pulling them closer even as both seemed to resist it. Lucas hit the button for the top floor without looking at her, and the elevator doors slid shut.

When they reached their destination, Lucas led the way to his office. His steps were measured, controlled. She couldn’t help but notice how different he was when it was just the two of them. The ice around him had thawed just enough to reveal a glimpse of the man beneath—cold, calculating, but… real. And for the first time in a while, she wondered if he was playing her or if he was just as caught up in this as she was.

“You wanted to talk?” Tamara’s voice broke the silence as they entered his office. The walls were lined with sleek, dark wood paneling, and the view from the windows showed the sprawling city below. Lucas gestured toward the chairs in front of his desk but didn’t sit. Instead, he leaned against the window, his arms crossed.

“I’m not here to waste your time, Tamara,” he said, his tone as firm as ever. “I need your help.”

She blinked, surprised. “My help? For what?”

His eyes flickered with something unreadable. “My ex is making things difficult for me. She doesn’t know when to let go. I need to get her off my back, and I need you to pretend… pretend that we’re together.”

Tamara’s heart stuttered in her chest. She stared at him, half convinced she’d misheard. “What?”

Lucas turned slightly, his gaze steady but intense. “It’s simple. You pretend to be my girlfriend. A few photos, a few public appearances. She’ll see that I’ve moved on, and I’ll get the leverage I need to put an end to her interference.”

Tamara took a step back, her mind racing. Was he serious? She had no idea what game he was playing, but something told her that this wasn’t a conversation he would have if he weren’t desperate. Still, it was a lot to process, and her first instinct was to turn him down. She had her own issues to deal with, her own life to sort out. Pretending to be Lucas’s girlfriend? It sounded ridiculous.

“I don’t know if I’m the right person for this, Lucas,” she said carefully, though she could feel the pull of his gaze. “What exactly do you expect from me? How far are you willing to take this?”

Lucas straightened, finally meeting her eyes directly. “I don’t expect you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. But it’s the quickest way to get this done. No one will take us seriously unless we make it real. A few public displays of affection, some casual conversations. And that’s it. It’ll be over before it even starts.”

Tamara’s thoughts spun. On one hand, it was a way out—a way to end the drama with his ex. On the other, it was a risky game that could backfire in ways she wasn’t ready to deal with.

“But what about your family?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Won’t they get involved? Won’t they question why I’m suddenly your girlfriend?”

A flicker of something—regret, maybe—passed through Lucas’s eyes. “They’re not the problem. It’s my parents. They’ve been pressuring me for months to settle down. They think I’m wasting time. It’s not just about personal life anymore—it’s about how it’ll look for the company. If I’m not seen as serious, they’ll start to question my ability to lead.”

Tamara’s eyebrows furrowed. She hadn’t realized just how much his family’s expectations weighed on him. “So, this is more than just your ex?”

“Exactly,” Lucas admitted, his voice low. “They’ve been pushing me into relationships that ‘look good on paper’—perfect, polished, corporate. My family doesn’t care if the relationship is real, just that it makes me look responsible and grounded. But that’s not what I want. And I’m running out of time to show them I’m serious about something—anything.”

Tamara chewed on her lip, the reality of his situation sinking in. This wasn’t just a petty rivalry with his ex—it was about his future, his position in the company, and his family’s approval. It wasn’t fair, but in a way, she understood. She was constantly trying to balance the pressures of her own life and expectations too.

“I’ll do it,” she said finally, though the words felt heavy as they left her mouth. “But make no mistake, Lucas. This is for convenience. It’s strictly business.”

Lucas nodded, a slight, almost imperceptible smile tugging at his lips. “I don’t expect anything more.”

He extended his hand to her, and despite the wariness in her chest, Tamara shook it. The deal was struck. And she couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be before the line between business and something else entirely began to blur.