ENTANGLED: Hired as a Billionaire Girlfriend

CHAPTER5

The air hung thick over the three of them. The silence felt heavy, broken only by the laughter and clanging plates coming from the kitchen.

Daniel kept looking between them, his face begging for assistance from his friend.

"I have to go. Now," Nessa said, shoving her things into her bag.

"Just give us five minutes. Please," Richard said. He heard how desperate he sounded and hated it.

"What's going on?" Daniel asked. "Ever since you checked your phone, you've been..."

"If I'm not at the library in five minutes, I'll lose my job. It's the only thing keeping us afloat," she cut in, still scrambling with her things. "So my answer is no." That last part came out final. Absolute. She stood to leave.

Daniel didn't back down. "I know how it sounds. Just... hear me out." He saw her hesitate and jumped on it. "I'll pay you. Name your price. A thousand? A hundred thousand?"

Nessa froze. She actually blinked. Money. Her whole life had been a fight against not having enough of it. And now this man was throwing out numbers like it was nothing.

"I think we skipped the best part of the deal," Richard said, shooting Daniel a look.

Nessa just stared at Daniel. She knew Richard, knew of his politician father anyway. But this guy was a complete question mark. Was he for real? He dressed normal, but something about him felt different. Like he had power she couldn't see. She felt.

Just like that, her sister's medical bills didn't seem so impossible. The house payments. Everything. Was this actually happening?

"Okay. So what would I actually have to do? You know, to pretend?" she asked, her voice quieter now. She sat back down. "If I said yes."

Daniel almost smiled. "Normal stuff. I take you to California to meet my family. You come to a wedding with me. That's it."

"From Canada to California," she repeated, mostly to herself. Okay. Just act like a girlfriend. With the guy who knocks people out in one punch.

But then her mind went there. What if she actually started to like him? She looked at him again. No way. A guy like him could have anyone. What about his ex? What if she wanted him back?

Nessa, stop. This isn't some romance novel, she told herself. Catching feelings would only end with her getting hurt.

"Sorry. I just can't do it. It's too complicated," she said, standing up again. This was it.

This is the stupidest thing you've ever done, she thought, walking away.

"What was that?" Daniel asked, completely lost. He thought he had her.

He turned and saw Richard just sitting there. Smiling. Sipping his drink like he had it all figured out.

"Okay. What's the plan I know you've got one?"

"Two ideas. First, we find someone else..."

"It has to be her," Daniel said. His voice left no room for argument.

"Relax. I want to help her too. She's a good person. Her family needs a break," Richard said.

"So?"

"You have to trust me on this. You want her? Then do exactly what I say."

Richard pulled out his phone and called her. Daniel felt a chill when he heard Nessa's voice. She sounded out of breath, probably running to work.

"Nessa, listen. I'm really sorry about all that back there."

"It's fine. You were trying to help your friend. It was kind of sweet, actually."

"So we're good?"

"Yeah, we're good. I'm sorry too for..."

"Don't be. I'm calling for another reason," Richard said, finishing his drink.

"Is this about the foundation?" she asked, her voice careful.

"No. It's about Mia. Your sister. I brought all that up because I wanted to help her. To help you. I get why you're scared, but you don't have the whole story."

"What whole story?"

"We lied. Daniel isn't heartbroken." He let that sit for a second. "He's…Asexual."

Daniel's head snapped up. His hands clenched. What are you doing?

"Seriously?" Nessa asked. He could hear a laugh in her voice.

"You know what that means, right? It's when someone..."

"I know what it means, Richard. It means he doesn't feel that way about people," she said. Daniel's face was pure fury.

This better work, Richard, or you're dead, Daniel thought, forcing himself to stay quiet.

"But it's more than that. I've seen his medical records. He..." Richard paused, looking at Daniel with a grin he tried to hide. "...is impotent." He just put it out there.

Daniel dropped his face into his hands. The word echoed in his head. He was going to kill Richard for this.

"What did you say?" Nessa almost yelled. She must have heard him wrong. But he said it again.

"He's impotent. There was no girlfriend. He made it up so people would think he's normal. His family is a big deal. If this got out, he'd be a joke," Richard said. He knew he was in deep trouble. Only a yes from Nessa would save him now.

Nessa was quiet. How could someone like him have so much going on?

"So I'm trying to help you both. You get your sister the help she needs. He gets his family to back off."

"So he just wants to hire me to keep his secret?" Nessa asked.

"Yeah. So, will you help? He's a big deal. Self made, too, not just family money," Richard added, hoping the flattery would calm Daniel down. "You help your sister. You help him. You're safe with him, I promise."

"Okay, Richard. I'll think about it. But I think... I think I'm going to say yes. Just give me a little time," Nessa said. Her voice was softer now.

"Sure. Talk soon," Richard said, hanging up. He looked at Daniel.

"You better hope this works," Dani

el said. His voice was low and threatening, but underneath it was something else. Something like hope.