Pitch Perfect Lies

Chapter 2

Naomi Carter wasn’t the type to play pretend. She fought her way through every barrier life threw at her. A scholarship kid at a fancy university. A junior exec who clawed her way into Leon & Co., one of the most prestigious marketing agencies in New York. She wasn’t handed anything, she earned it.

Now she was supposed to be someone else entirely? Sweet, adoring fiancée to Ethan Leon? The mere idea made her want to laugh and scream.

Sleep barely found her that night. She tossed and turned, dreams thick with flashes of Ethan's crooked smirk and the hard glint in his silver-blue eyes.

When morning came, she rolled out of bed, determined to face the day like armor sliding into place.

Naomi chose her outfit with ruthless precision: a sapphire-blue dress that hugged her curves without screaming for attention. Classy, powerful, untouchable. Her curls framed her face like a lioness's mane, wild but regal. She slipped into black heels, her expression hardening in the mirror.

“You can do this”, she told herself. It's just one dinner.

When seven o’clock approached, her stomach was a tight knot. She arrived at the rooftop restaurant Ethan had picked, Alouette, one of the most exclusive spots in Manhattan. The doorman recognized her name immediately and led her to the private terrace.

As Naomi followed the waiter toward their table, her mind reeled with a thousand second guesses. Every step in her heels felt heavy, like walking toward a future she hadn’t entirely agreed to. She caught glimpses of the other diners, power couples, celebrities, old money heirs, all dressed in muted luxury. Everyone here had something to protect, something to hide.

The night sky glittered like spilled diamonds above, the skyline pulsing with life. Tables were spaced luxuriously apart, glowing under soft candlelight. It was breathtaking... and suffocating.

When her gaze lifted and landed on Ethan, something unexpected tightened in her chest.

He wasn’t just powerful, he looked it. Perfectly tailored, devastatingly calm, with an aura that dared anyone to question his right to rule. It hit her, then, how convincing they would need to be. The world would expect perfection from a couple like them.

Ethan Leon stood by their table, one hand in his pocket, the other swirling a glass of whiskey. His black suit fit him like a second skin, sharp enough to slice through steel. When he saw her, a slow smirk curled his lips.

As she approached, Ethan's smile sharpened, but Naomi caught the flicker of something else in his eyes: calculation. As if she were a puzzle he had nearly solved but not quite.

For a split second, Naomi thought about turning around and walking out, but it was too late.

“Naomi Carter,” Ethan said smoothly, standing to pull out her chair like a proper gentleman. His fingers brushed the inside of her wrist as she sat down. The illusion was beginning.

And once it started, there would be no stepping back.

“You clean up well, Carter.”

Naomi smiled sweetly, the way one might smile at a particularly annoying insect. “You’re not so bad yourself, boss.”

The word dripped with venom, but Ethan only chuckled and pulled out her chair. His hand brushed the small of her back as she sat, sending an electric jolt straight through her spine.

“We need to talk strategy,” he said once they ordered. His voice was low and confident, every syllable wrapped in arrogance.

Naomi crossed her legs deliberately, giving herself something to do. “Strategy for what?”

“For us. Engagements don’t sell themselves. We need a backstory. How we met. How I proposed. The whole nine yards.”

He leaned forward, his scent like cedar wrapping around her.

Naomi forced herself to think. “Fine. How about this: we met at the company charity gala last year. Sparks flew. Secret dates. Romantic proposal at Central Park.”

Ethan tilted his head, studying her like a wolf would a wounded rabbit. “Not bad. But too tame. People know me. They’ll expect... drama.”

Naomi sipped her wine to hide her grimace. “Of course they will.”

Their food arrived, exquisite plates of seared salmon, wild mushroom risotto, and handpicked greens. Naomi barely tasted it. Her mind raced with possibilities and dangers.

“Do you understand what’s at stake, Naomi?” Ethan asked suddenly, his voice dropping lower. She looked up sharply.

“If we pull this off, I will secure the investor deal. Leon & Co. expands globally. You,” he said, his eyes burning into hers, “will have a direct line to a senior executive promotion. No more games. Real power.”

Naomi’s chest tightened. Power. Security. Everything she had worked for. But at what cost?

“And if we fail?” she asked quietly.

He leaned closer, his lips barely moving. “Then you’ll go down with me.”

The tension snapped taut between them, a thread stretched to breaking point.

Suddenly, Ethan’s phone buzzed on the table. He checked it briefly and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Naomi asked.

“Nothing important.” He tucked the phone away with a practiced smile. Too practiced.

Naomi narrowed her eyes but said nothing.

The evening unfolded with practiced laughter, fake inside jokes, and carefully placed touches. Ethan’s hand brushing hers. Naomi’s head tilted as she laughed a little too loud. To anyone watching, they were just another sickeningly sweet couple in love.

But inside, Naomi’s gut twisted.

She hated how easy it was to fall into the role. How the lines between fake and real blurred when Ethan’s hand lingered too long on her thigh, when his laugh rumbled low in his chest at something she said.

After dessert, as they waited for the check, Ethan’s gaze turned serious.

“There’s something else,” he said.

Naomi braced herself. “What?”

“We need to move fast. Make it public tomorrow. Engagement announcement. Social media blast.”

Her heart stopped. “Tomorrow?”

“You want the promotion, don’t you?” he asked softly.

She gritted her teeth. “Fine.”

Ethan’s smirk returned. “Good girl.” Before she could slap him, the waiter arrived with the bill.

They stood together on the terrace, the night air crisp against her skin. The city buzzed below them, endless and merciless.

“Get ready, Naomi Carter,” Ethan murmured against her ear, his breath stirring her hair. “Your life’s about to change forever.”

And then he pressed a kiss to her temple, too intimate, too real, and strode away without another word. Naomi stood frozen.

The city stretched out before her like a glittering trap. And somewhere in the shadows, a figure watched her. A figure who had been following her since she arrived.

Someone who knew the engagement was a lie.