Contracted by the Cold-Hearted CEO

UntitledChapter 5: Lies in Designer Dresses Episode

“Smile wider,” the photographer instructed, flashing shots faster than Aria could keep up. “Show off that rock, darling.”

Aria angled her hand, the diamond catching the sunlight like a disco ball on steroids. Her cheeks ached from holding the same smile for thirty minutes straight.

Another photo op. Another set of strangers pretending to care about her “whirlwind romance.”

And another lie sewn into the seams of a thousand-dollar designer dress.

They were attending a brunch for the "Hearts for Change" initiative—a charity event full of influencers and socialites with perfectly curated i********: aesthetics. Aria had been dressed in a flowing cream Valentino number, her makeup soft and radiant. A stylist had even curled her hair into glossy waves.

To the world, she was Dominic Blackwell’s glamorous, glowing fiancée.

But inside, she felt like a mannequin on display.

“You’re a natural,” Dominic whispered beside her, lips barely moving.

She forced a chuckle. “It’s the dress. It does all the work.”

They walked together to their assigned table, every eye in the garden following them. Dominic wore a three-piece navy suit that looked custom-made—because, of course, it was. Every detail of him was sharp, measured, and designed to distract from the truth.

He was faking this as flawlessly as she was.

Seated across from them were two couples—one a tech billionaire and his fourth wife, the other a fashion mogul and his very bored-looking date. The conversations swirled around brand partnerships, private islands, and whether Aspen was “too last season.”

Aria sipped champagne and kept nodding like she belonged.

“You must be so proud,” the tech billionaire’s wife said to her. “Landing Dominic is no small feat.”

Aria smiled. “Yes, I had to trap him with my charm and my artistic poverty.”

The woman laughed, but Dominic’s hand touched her thigh under the table—a gentle squeeze of warning. Not here. Not now.

Aria bit her tongue.

Later, while Dominic chatted with an investment banker, Aria excused herself and stepped into the garden path behind the event. The air smelled like roses and citrus. Finally, she could breathe.

“Not a fan of our little social circus?”

Aria turned to find a man standing a few steps away, dark-haired and grinning like he knew something she didn’t. He was handsome in a rougher way than Dominic—leather jacket, messy curls, stubble.

“Depends. Are you going to ask about my dress or my engagement ring first?”

He chuckled. “Neither. I’m more interested in how someone like you ends up with someone like him.”

“Wow. Subtle.”

He stepped closer. “I’m Liam. Dominic’s younger brother.”

Aria blinked. “He has a brother?”

Liam smirked. “Shocking, I know. I’m the disappointing one.”

“I didn’t even know he had siblings.”

“That’s Dominic for you. He likes to erase things that don’t fit into his master plan.”

She frowned. “Are you saying you don’t approve of me?”

“Oh, I don’t care one way or another,” Liam said, leaning casually against the stone railing. “But I know fake when I see it. You’ve got the eyes of someone barely holding it together.”

Aria stiffened. “You don’t know me.”

“No, but I know him. And whatever deal you’ve made, I hope it’s worth it.”

Before she could respond, a voice called out her name.

Dominic.

He was standing by the entrance to the garden, his jaw tight. Aria turned to Liam, who winked and walked off like he hadn’t just dropped a grenade in her lap.

“Who was that?” Dominic asked the moment she returned to his side.

“Your brother.”

He exhaled slowly, nostrils flaring. “Stay away from him.”

“Why? Because he’s not under contract?”

Dominic didn’t answer. Instead, he took her elbow, guiding her back toward the car.

The silence in the limo was heavy. Aria stared out the tinted window, watching the city blur past.

“Do you regret it?” Dominic asked suddenly.

She turned. “Regret what?”

“Saying yes.”

The question caught her off guard. For a second, she thought he might actually care.

Then she remembered who she was dealing with.

“I regret the lies,” she said softly. “But I don’t regret survival.”

Dominic nodded slowly, as if her answer surprised him.

“Good,” he said. “Because the deeper we go, the harder it will be to get out.”