The contract
1642 Words
The workload arrived at exactly 8:00 a.m.
Isabella stared at the stack of files placed on her desk.
Then she stared at the email notification.
Then she stared at the calendar attached to the assignments.
Her eyes narrowed.
Three weeks of legal work.
Due in two days.
She leaned back slowly.
“Unbelievable.”
Across the cubicle wall, the woman from yesterday peeked over.
“Bad news?”
Isabella lifted the top file.
“Compliance audit.”
The woman winced.
“That’s… painful.”
Isabella lifted another.
“International litigation.”
The woman’s face dropped.
“Oh.”
Isabella opened the email.
“Cybersecurity liability review.”
A third employee rolled his chair closer.
“Wait,” he said. “That’s three departments.”
“Yes.”
“Assigned to you?”
“Yes.”
“By who?”
Isabella didn’t answer.
The man leaned back slowly.
“Wow.”
The woman sighed.
“You really upset him.”
“I corrected him.”
“Same thing.”
Isabella flipped through the documents.
Each one required hours of review.
Each one involved complex legal exposure.
And every single one had the same deadline.
Two days.
She closed the folder.
“He’s testing me.”
The man laughed nervously.
“No.”
“What?”
“He’s breaking you.”
Isabella stood.
“I’ll let you know how that goes.”
She grabbed the files and walked toward the elevator.
Dominic Kane’s assistant looked up as Isabella approached.
“You again.”
“Yes.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
The assistant folded her hands.
“Mr. Kane is extremely busy.”
Isabella placed the heavy stack of files on the desk.
The sound echoed.
“I can see that.”
The assistant hesitated.
Then the office door opened.
Dominic stepped out.
He glanced at the files.
Then at Isabella.
“You’re moving faster than expected.”
“Am I?”
Dominic gestured toward his office.
“Come in.”
She dropped the files on his desk.
“They’re impossible.”
Dominic sat down calmly.
“They’re challenging.”
“They’re abusive.”
“That word has legal implications.”
Isabella crossed her arms.
“You assigned three departments’ workload to one employee.”
“Yes.”
“That’s inefficient.”
“Not if the employee is exceptional.”
Isabella narrowed her eyes.
“You’re enjoying this.”
Dominic opened one of the files.
“You completed half the compliance review.”
“That took six hours.”
“And?”
“And I slept two.”
Dominic looked unimpressed.
“That sounds manageable.”
Isabella leaned forward.
“You’re punishing me.”
“For what?”
“For embarrassing your executive.”
Dominic closed the file.
“No.”
“Then what is this?”
“A test.”
“You already tested me yesterday.”
Dominic’s gaze stayed calm.
“That was intelligence.”
“And this?”
“Endurance.”
Isabella let out a slow breath.
“You’re insufferable.”
“I’ve heard.”
She pushed the files toward him.
“I’m not doing this.”
Dominic raised an eyebrow.
“You’re resigning?”
“No.”
“Then you’re refusing an assignment.”
“I’m negotiating.”
Dominic leaned back.
“Interesting.”
Isabella placed a document on the desk.
The contract.
“You offered this yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“You said it was practical.”
“It is.”
She tapped the paper.
“So let’s talk practically.”
Dominic watched her carefully.
“You sign the contract,” he said slowly.
“And?”
“I reduce your workload.”
“By how much?”
“Significantly.”
Isabella studied him.
“You planned this.”
Dominic smiled faintly.
“I anticipated your decision.”
She flipped through the contract.
Three months.
Public relationship.
Appearances.
Events.
No personal questions.
No emotional obligations.
It looked simple.
Too simple.
“You want a fake girlfriend,” she said.
“Yes.”
“To avoid your fiancée.”
“Yes.”
“And you chose me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Dominic’s eyes held hers.
“You challenge me.”
“That’s not a relationship.”
“It’s interesting.”
Isabella looked down at the document again.
Three months close to Dominic Kane.
Three months inside his world.
Three months near whatever secrets he was hiding.
Her mind raced.
This was access.
Real access.
Private events.
Business dinners.
Personal spaces.
The kind investigators rarely got.
Mark would lose his mind.
She picked up the pen.
Dominic watched her silently.
“You’re agreeing,” he said.
“I’m thinking.”
“Quickly.”
“Why?”
Dominic checked his watch.
“Because my fiancée lands in six hours.”
Isabella froze.
“Six?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not tomorrow.”
“She changed her flight.”
“Why?”
Dominic’s mouth curved slightly.
“She’s impatient.”
Isabella stared at him.
“So if she arrives and finds out you’re single—”
“She’ll assume the engagement is proceeding.”
“And that’s bad?”
Dominic’s expression hardened slightly.
“Yes.”
Silence filled the office.
Isabella looked at the contract again.
Then she signed it.
The pen scratched across the paper.
Dominic watched the signature appear.
Then he took the document calmly.
“Efficient decision.”
“Strategic decision.”
Dominic folded the contract.
“Welcome to your new role.”
Isabella leaned back.
“Temporary role.”
Dominic smiled faintly.
“Of course.”
Two hours later the entire building knew.
The rumor spread faster than wildfire.
Dominic Kane had a girlfriend.
And she worked in legal.
Isabella’s phone buzzed nonstop.
Her coworker leaned over the cubicle wall again.
“Please tell me the rumor isn’t true.”
Isabella kept typing.
“It depends on the rumor.”
“That you’re dating Dominic Kane.”
Isabella sighed.
“Yes.”
The woman gasped.
The man from earlier nearly fell out of his chair.
“You survived challenging him,” he said.
“And now you’re dating him?”
“Temporarily.”
“That’s worse.”
Her phone buzzed again.
Mark.
She answered quietly.
“You signed the contract.”
He sounded horrified.
“How did you know?”
“Because half the building is talking about it.”
Isabella rubbed her temple.
“That was fast.”
“Isabella,” Mark said slowly.
“You just became the fake girlfriend of the man we’re investigating.”
“Yes.”
“That is either brilliant…”
He paused.
“…or incredibly dangerous.”
“Probably both.”
Mark sighed.
“Just remember why you’re there.”
“I know.”
“To gather evidence.”
“I know.”
“And don’t get emotionally involved.”
Isabella snorted.
“With Dominic Kane?”
“Yes.”
“Trust me,” she said dryly.
“That won’t be a problem.”
Across the building, Dominic stood near the window of his private office.
His head of security stepped inside.
Ethan Cole.
Tall.
Calm.
Unpredictable.
“You called,” Ethan said.
Dominic didn’t turn.
“Yes.”
“Something wrong?”
Dominic placed the signed contract on the desk.
“She signed.”
Ethan glanced at it.
“The fake relationship.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t look surprised.”
“I’m not.”
Ethan folded his arms.
“You expected it.”
Dominic finally looked at him.
“She’s intelligent.”
“That’s why you’re suspicious.”
Dominic didn’t answer.
Ethan understood immediately.
“You want a background check.”
“Yes.”
“How deep?”
Dominic’s voice stayed calm.
“Everything.”
“Education.”
“Yes.”
“Employment history.”
“Yes.”
“Financial records.”
“Yes.”
Ethan studied him.
“You think she’s hiding something.”
Dominic’s gaze moved toward the contract again.
“She’s too observant.”
“That’s not illegal.”
“No.”
“But it’s interesting.”
Ethan nodded slowly.
“When do you want the report?”
Dominic turned back to the window.
“As soon as possible.”
Ethan walked toward the door.
Then Dominic added quietly,
“And Ethan.”
He paused.
“Yes?”
Dominic’s voice dropped slightly.
“Be careful.”
Ethan frowned.
“Of what?”
Dominic’s expression was unreadable.
“Of what you find.”
Ethan left the room.
Dominic stood alone.
His phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
Landing in 30 minutes.
Dominic stared at the screen.
Then he sighed softly.
“Perfect timing.”
Downstairs, Isabella packed her laptop into her bag.
The day had been exhausting.
Signing that contract had changed everything.
She was now officially Dominic Kane’s girlfriend.
Fake.
But very public.
Her phone buzzed again.
A notification appeared.
BREAKING NEWS: Tech Billionaire Dominic Kane Fiancé Arrives in New York
Then the elevator doors opened.
Several executives rushed toward the lobby.
Security guards moved quickly.
Employees whispered.
Something was happening.
Isabella stepped toward the glass wall overlooking the entrance.
Outside, a long black car stopped at the front of the building.
The doors opened.
A tall woman stepped out.
Elegant.
Cold.
Beautiful.
Power radiated from her like quiet electricity.
The employees around Isabella started whispering.
“Is that her?”
“It must be.”
“The fiancée.”
Isabella froze.
The woman looked up.
Straight at the building.
And smiled slowly.
As if she already knew everything.
Upstairs, Ethan opened the first file on Isabella Cole.
The screen filled with information.
Name.
Education.
Employment.
But something caught his eye immediately.
He leaned closer.
Then frowned.
“Dominic isn’t going to like this.”
He picked up his phone.
“Sir,” Ethan said.
“You were right.”
A pause.
“She’s hiding something.”
- Writer
