PERFECT LIE

The Offer

The rain fell in relentless sheets, turning the city streets into rivers of reflected lights and blurred shadows. Ava Morgan stood beneath the flickering awning of a small café, clutching the final notice in her trembling hands.

“PAYMENT OVERDUE.”

The words seemed to mock her. Three months ago, she'd had a stable job, a modest apartment, and enough savings to sleep peacefully at night.

Now she had none of those things. Her employer had downsized. Her savings had vanished into rent and bills, and the landlord had made it painfully clear that if she didn't pay by the end of the week, she would be out on the street.

Ava folded the notice and shoved it into her bag.

She couldn't think about it, not right now, because she had something far stranger to worry about.

A meeting.

A mysterious phone call had arrived that morning.

A woman with a crisp, professional voice had offered her five thousand dollars to attend a meeting. Five thousand dollars, for one meeting.

At first, Ava had assumed it was a scam, but then the woman had transferred half the money up front.

No tricks, no conditions, just a time and location, which was why she now stood outside a café she could never normally afford, staring through the glass at one of the most powerful men in the country.

Ethan Blackwood.

Even from a distance, there was no mistaking him.

Tall, dark-haired, and perfectly dressed. The kind of man whose face appeared on magazine covers and business headlines, the billionaire CEO everyone talked about, the man who supposedly never lost, the man who definitely didn't meet with strangers. Yet here he was, waiting for her.

Ava swallowed hard, then she pushed open the door. The warmth inside hit her instantly. Conversations hummed softly around her.

Coffee machines hissed, but the moment Ethan looked up, everything else seemed to fade away.

His eyes locked onto hers, and for a second, Ava felt as though he could see every secret she'd ever tried to hide.

"Miss Morgan."

His voice was deep and calm. Too calm, like a man who was always in control. She approached the table carefully. "You wanted to see me?"

A faint smile touched his lips. "Please. Sit."

Ava sat. The chair suddenly felt far too small.

The silence stretched, and then Ethan slid a folder across the table.

"I have a proposition for you." Her stomach tightened. "A legal proposition?"His smile widened slightly."Entirely legal."That wasn't reassuring.

Ava glanced at the folder but didn't open it.

"What exactly is this about?"Ethan studied her for a moment, as if deciding how much truth she deserved. Then he spoke."I need a girlfriend."

Ava blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then she laughed, not because it was funny, but because it was ridiculous.

"You paid me five thousand dollars to tell a joke?"

"I'm serious."The laughter died immediately.

He wasn't joking, not even a little. Ava stared at him.

"You need a girlfriend."

"Yes."

"And you thought of me."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Ethan leaned back in his chair. "Because you have no connection to my world."The answer confused her."What does that even mean?"

"It means you're not famous."

"Most people aren't."

"It means you've never sold a story to the media."

Ava frowned. "I've never had a story worth selling."

"Exactly."

Something about the way he said it made her uneasy. He sounded prepared, like he'd researched her. A lot.

"How much do you know about me?"

"Enough."

That wasn't an answer. Ava crossed her arms.

"I think this meeting is over."She started to stand.

"Two million dollars." She froze.

The café suddenly seemed very "Excuse me?"

"Two million dollars."Ethan's expression never changed.

"That's what I'm offering."Ava slowly sat back down. Her heart hammered against her ribs.

Two million dollars. The number didn't feel real.

It felt like something from a movie, a fantasy, a cruel joke. Yet Ethan looked completely serious.

"What would I have to do?"His eyes darkened slightly."Attend public events with me."

"That's it?"

"Appear convincing."

Ava laughed nervously."Convincing as what?"

"My girlfriend."The word landed heavily between them. She stared at him. Part of her wanted to walk away. Another part couldn't stop thinking about two million dollars.

Her debts, her family, and everything that money could fix."There has to be a catch."

"There are rules."

"There it is."

Ethan reached into the folder and removed a document. He placed it in front of her.

"No discussing private matters with the press."

Reasonable."No public scandals." Also reasonable.

Then Ava reached the final page and felt her pulse skip."You want me to move into your house?"

"Temporarily."Her eyes widened."No."

"It would make the relationship appear authentic."

"No."

"The media follows me constantly."

"No."A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes.

"You seem very attached to that word."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Ava pushed the papers away. This was insane, completely insane. Nobody offered strangers millions of dollars without a reason.

Nobody."What aren't you telling me?"

For the first time, Ethan's expression changed.

The amusement vanished, the warmth disappeared, leaving something colder behind.

Something dangerous.

The atmosphere around the table shifted instantly.

Ava felt it. Every instinct she possessed felt it, and suddenly she understood why powerful people frightened others, because power wasn't loud.

It was quite controlled and certain, like Ethan Blackwood.

"There are people interested in my personal life," he said softly. "What kind of people?"

His gaze moved toward the rain-covered windows.

The answer took several seconds. When it finally came, it wasn't what she expected.

"The kind who don't like being denied." A chill ran down her spine. Outside, a black SUV rolled to a stop across the street.

Ethan's attention was fixed on it immediately.

His jaw tightened. The change was subtle, but Ava noticed. "What is it?" He didn't answer.

Another vehicle appeared behind the first, then a third. The uneasy feeling in Ava's stomach deepened. Something was wrong, very wrong.

Ethan slowly stood. The movement was calm, too calm, like a man preparing for something he'd seen before. "Ava."The way he said her name made her heart race. "What?"His eyes met hers, and for the first time since she'd arrived, she saw genuine concern in them."Leave through the back door."

"What?"

"Now."Fear shot through her."What is happening?"

The café's front door exploded inward. People screamed, glass shattered across the floor, and Ethan Blackwood's face went completely cold.