The Deal with the Devil
984 Words
Khan Coco sat at the kitchen table, staring at her phone as Sophie’s message taunted her.
A billionaire willing to pay a fortune for a wife.
She had read the words at least a dozen times, yet they still felt surreal. Was she really considering this? Selling herself into a contract marriage with a stranger?
Her gaze flickered to Mei’s sleeping form in the next room. The faint beeping of the oxygen monitor was a steady reminder of why she was even entertaining this insanity. Her sister’s medical bills were piling up. The part-time design work she did barely covered rent, let alone hospital treatments.
Desperation made people do reckless things.
Taking a deep breath, she typed a response.
Khan: Okay, tell me more.
Sophie didn’t waste a second.
Sophie: Meet me at Velvet Lounge in an hour. You need to hear this in person.
Khan frowned. The Velvet Lounge was an upscale bar, the kind she had no business stepping into. She glanced at her reflection in the kitchen window—oversized hoodie, faded jeans, dark curls in a messy bun. She looked exactly like what she was: exhausted and broke.
Still, this wasn’t about appearances. It was about survival.
She scribbled a note for Mei in case she woke up, grabbed her worn-out leather jacket, and headed out into the cold city night.
---
The Velvet Lounge was a different world. The air smelled of expensive perfume and aged whiskey. Soft jazz music played in the background as well-dressed patrons sipped on their overpriced cocktails. Khan felt wildly out of place as she weaved through the crowd, spotting Sophie at a corner booth.
Her best friend looked effortlessly glamorous as always, in a sleek black dress and bold red lipstick. She waved Khan over with a knowing smirk.
“You actually came,” Sophie teased.
Khan slid into the seat across from her. “I’m desperate, not stupid. What’s the deal?”
Sophie leaned in, lowering her voice. “Liam Carter.”
Khan blinked. “The Liam Carter? As in Carter Enterprises?”
Sophie nodded. “His grandfather stripped him of his position as CEO. The only way to get it back? He needs a wife.”
Khan scoffed. “And why me? I’m not exactly billionaire-wife material.”
Sophie shrugged. “Because you’re not a gold-digger. He needs someone who won’t fall in love with him or try to take half his empire when the contract ends. Someone with nothing to lose.”
Khan exhaled, running a hand through her hair. She had nothing to lose.
“And the money?” she asked hesitantly.
Sophie slid a napkin across the table. Khan picked it up, her eyes widening at the number written on it.
Five. Million. Dollars.
She swallowed hard. That was more than she could ever dream of. More than enough to cover Mei’s medical bills, set up a future for them both.
But it came with a price—her freedom, her dignity, her life entangled with a man she didn’t know.
“What’s the catch?” Khan asked, forcing her voice to stay steady.
Sophie smirked. “The catch is Liam Carter himself. He’s cold, ruthless, and completely closed off. This won’t be some fairytale romance, Coco. He needs a wife, not a partner.”
Khan bit her lip. Could she do this? Marry a stranger, play the role of a billionaire’s wife for money?
For Mei, the answer was clear.
“I need to meet him first,” Khan said.
Sophie grinned. “I thought you’d say that.”
---
The next afternoon, Khan stood in front of the Carter Enterprises building, staring up at the glass tower piercing the sky.
Inside that building was the man who could change her life.
Her fingers curled into fists as she squared her shoulders and stepped through the revolving doors. The lobby was sleek and modern, filled with men and women in sharp suits moving with purpose.
“Miss Coco?” A voice cut through her thoughts.
She turned to see a man in his late fifties, dressed in a tailored black suit. “Mr. Carter is expecting you. Follow me.”
The elevator ride to the top floor was silent, the weight of what she was about to do pressing down on her.
When the doors slid open, she stepped into a massive office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Behind a large mahogany desk sat Liam Carter.
He was nothing like she expected.
Dressed in a dark suit, he exuded power and control. Sharp features, piercing blue eyes, and an air of untouchable authority. He didn’t even stand as she entered—just studied her with an unreadable expression.
“You’re late,” he said coolly.
Khan crossed her arms. “I wasn’t aware I was on a schedule.”
A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. “Sophie told you why you’re here?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re considering it?”
Khan’s jaw tightened. “I need the money.”
He leaned back, steepling his fingers. “Then let’s be clear. This is a contract. No emotions, no expectations, and definitely no love. You’ll be my wife in public, but behind closed doors, we’re strangers. You’ll have everything you need—money, security—but when the time comes, we walk away. Understood?”
Khan swallowed hard. Could she do this? Could she really marry a man who saw her as nothing more than a means to an end?
But then she thought of Mei. Of the hospital bills. Of the life she wanted to give her sister.
She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze without flinching.
“Understood.”
Liam studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Then we have a deal.”
And just like that, her life changed forever.
- Writer
