Fake Dating the Billionaire Who Hired Me

ChapterTwo

Athlea’s Pov

"Delete that picture right now!" I yelled at the man with the big camera, but he just laughed and ran away into the gray city rain.

My heart was beating so hard it felt like it was going to burst right out of my chest. Just an hour ago, I had walked out of the clinic trying to catch my breath after my fight with Ashton Sterling. I thought the hardest part of my day was over. I thought I could finally go home, pay off my dad’s scary debts, and keep the roof over my head. But the second I stepped outside the glass doors of the building, flashing lights blinded me like lightning bolts in a storm.

Camera shutters clicked like angry bugs. Shouting voices cut through the pouring rain.

"Mr. Sterling! Is she the one?"

"Over here! Look at the camera!"

I had pulled my heavy coat over my face, ducking my head down low as I ran toward the bus stop. But I was too late. I saw Ashton walking out just a few steps behind me, looking annoyed and arrogant as he ignored the reporters. And because we came out at the exact same time, the cameras caught both of us in one frame.

Now, sitting on my small, lumpy living room sofa with my phone in my hand, I felt sick to my stomach. The screen glowed bright in the dark room, showing a news article with a picture of me looking messy and scared, standing right near Ashton in his expensive suit.

The headlines screamed in big, bold letters: Billionaire Ashton Sterling’s Secret Mystery Woman: A New Romance or Something More?

My fingers trembled as I scrolled down to read the comments. People were so cruel. Strangers on the internet were writing the meanest things they could think of. “Look at her, she doesn’t match his style at all.” “She’s just a gold-digger trying to trap a rich man.” “Another common girl chasing a billionaire’s wallet.”

Tears hot and heavy spilled over my eyelashes and rolled down my cheeks. This was my worst nightmare. I wasn't trying to trap anyone. I was just a girl trying to save her family home, a girl renting out her own body because she had no other choice. And now, the whole world thought I was a greedy monster.

Suddenly, my phone rang so loudly it made me jump. The screen flashed with an unknown number. I swiped the screen and put it to my ear, my voice shaking with anger.

"Hello?"

"Miss Morgan," a cold, deep voice said. It was him. Ashton. "Turn off your television and stay off social media immediately. Do not speak to reporters, do not answer any phone calls, and do not make any public statements. My team is already handling the press release to deny any romantic connection."

Hearing his bossy voice made the sadness inside me turn into pure, burning fire. I stood up from the sofa, wiping the tears off my face with the back of my hand.

"Deny it?" I shouted into the phone. "Is that all you care about? Your precious image? Mr. Sterling, did you even look at what people are saying about me? They are calling me awful things! They think I'm a thief trying to steal your money! My face is all over the internet, and my life is completely ruined, and all you care about is your stupid press release!"

"Watch your tone, Athlea," Ashton snapped back, his voice dropping to a dangerous, icy whisper. "You knew privacy was part of this agreement. This leak is a disaster for my company. If you lose your temper and talk to the press, you will make things ten times worse."

"I am not your employee!" I screamed, feeling so mad I could barely breathe. "Stop treating me like a piece of garbage you can boss around! I didn't ask for any of this!"

Before Ashton could say another word, I hung up the phone and threw it onto the couch. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering even though the apartment was warm. How was I ever going to survive this? The agency promised this would be a secret. They promised nobody would ever know.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The loud banging on my front door made me jump a foot in the air. Who could that be at this time of night? The reporters? Angry strangers?

I tiptoed to the front door, looking through the tiny peephole. My breath caught in my throat. Standing outside in the hallway was Ashton Sterling himself. And standing right beside him was a tall man in a sharp gray suit holding a thick leather briefcase—his lawyer.

My hands shook as I unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the door open.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered, staring up at him in total shock.

Ashton didn't wait for an invitation. He pushed past me and stepped right into my tiny living room, looking around at my worn-out furniture with a cold, blank expression. The lawyer walked in right behind him, closing the door shut against the rain.

"We don't have time to waste, Miss Morgan," Ashton said, turning around to face me, his dark eyes burning with fierce determination. "That photograph you were so careless about has already reached my investors. My international hotel merger—a deal worth billions of dollars—is about to fall apart because my board of directors thinks my personal life is out of control."

I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him. "My careless about? I didn't call the photographers, Mr. Sterling!"

"It doesn't matter who called them," Ashton said sharply, taking a step closer to me until I could smell his expensive cologne mixed with the fresh rain. "The damage is done. My father is trying to use this scandal to take away my control of the company."

He paused, taking a deep breath like he hated every single word he was about to say.

"There is only one way to fix this," Ashton said, his stormy eyes locking onto mine with a look that made my stomach twist in knots. "You and I are going to have to fix the story ourselves. You need to pack your bags right now. You are moving into my penthouse tonight."

I stared at him like he had lost his absolute mind. "Move into your... what?"

"You heard me," Ashton said calmly, though his jaw was clenched tight. "We are going to make the whole world believe we are deeply, madly in love."