Two Hearts

Reality Check

Daniel POV

When I walked out of my father's office, I was furious. He had done exactly what I had asked him not to do.

He had found some random woman who was desperate enough to agree to this insane arrangement, and then he had backed me into a corner with it.

Literally.

I hated losing control. If I lost control, I wasn't in charge of the situation anymore. And if I wasn't in charge, someone else was. This time, that someone was my father. And I knew he wasn't going to back down.

Yes, I had signed the contract. No, that didn't mean everything was settled. It didn't mean the story was over. If anything, it meant the real nightmare was just beginning.

I needed an outlet.

I couldn't focus on work anymore. The entire situation had thrown me completely off balance.

Pulling out my phone, I called my assistant.

"Cancel the rest of today's meetings. Move them to another day." My tone was harsher than usual, but she knew better than to question me.

"Of course, sir. I'll take care of it." The call ended immediately.

One thing I had learned from my father was that employees should be respected—but there also had to be boundaries. People needed to know exactly where the line was and never feel comfortable crossing it.

I scrolled through my contacts.

There was only one thing that could clear my head right now - s*x.

I was a man with needs. Always had been. Always would be. And my father was delusional if he thought Laura Brown moving into my life meant celibacy.

Not happening.

Whether it was the same woman every week or a different one every night didn't matter to me. s*x had never complicated my life. People did.

My eyes stopped on the last contact I had called - Dana.

Lately, I'd been spending more time with her than with anyone else. Too much time. And I was beginning to suspect she wanted more than I was willing to give.

The problem was that I had been perfectly clear from the start - No romance. No dating. No promises. No love. Just s*x.

I expected nothing from her. She expected nothing from me. At least, that was the deal.

I pressed call. She answered before the first ring finished.

"Daniel. What a surprise. I didn't think I'd hear from you again so soon. We only said goodbye a few hours ago." There was entirely too much excitement in her voice. Too much hope.

I ignored it.

"Get ready. I'll pick you up." That was all I said. That was all she needed.

Less than an hour later, we were walking through the front door of my house.

Dana was impatient. That was probably why I kept calling her. She enjoyed s*x almost as much as I did.

During the drive, her hand had spent more time on my thigh than on her own lap. If the drive had been any longer, she probably would have climbed into my lap.

The second the door closed behind us, she was on me. One moment we were standing in the hallway.The next, we were tangled together on the living room couch.

Dana pushed me back against the cushions with the enthusiasm of a starving woman. Her fingers worked on my shirt buttons while her lips traced a path down my neck.

When she leaned in toward my mouth, I turned my head away.

"You know the rules." My voice came out cold. "No kissing."

That had always been one of my biggest rules. Kissing felt too intimate. Too personal. Too dangerous. I wasn't interested in that.

I felt her disappointment for a split second, but she recovered quickly. She always did.

I pulled her dress higher, exposing more of her legs as she settled herself onto my lap. Then I slid the straps from her shoulders. Her breasts spilled free immediately - Perfect. Artificial. Exactly the way I preferred them. The more artificial a woman looked, the easier it was to remember not to care.

I lowered my head, teasing one n****e with my tongue.

Dana gasped.

Her hands immediately found my belt. A moment later my zipper was open. I grabbed her hips and lifted her easily, positioning her exactly where I wanted her.

She was already ready for me. As always.

Dana started moving first, slow and deliberate.

Soft moans escaped her lips.

I let her keep control for a minute. Maybe two. Then I took it back. I always did. In business. In life. In bed.

We were both breathing harder when the doorbell rang.

Dana frowned.

"Are you expecting someone?"

"No."

The bell rang again. I didn't even look up.

"Ignore it."

Whoever it was could leave. I didn't care.

Dana resumed moving. The room filled with soft moans and ragged breathing.

The doorbell rang again.Still, I ignored it.

Then came a sharp knock against the living room window. Both of us froze. For a second I thought I'd imagined it. Then I turned my head.

And saw my father's furious face staring through the glass. For several seconds, neither of us moved.

My expression probably said everything I was thinking - What the hell are you doing here?

Dad's expression answered right back - Exactly what I should have expected.

Wonderful. Just wonderful.

"Get dressed." I lifted Dana off my lap and stood. My mood had officially gone from bad to catastrophic.

Dana remained standing in the middle of the living room, looking confused.

"Daniel?"

"Get dressed and go." My patience was already gone. "My father's here. This isn't the time."

She hesitated.

I stared.

Finally she moved.

I shook my head and walked toward the front door. This conversation was going to be a disaster. I already knew it.

When I opened the door, my father stormed inside before I could say a word.

"What the hell was that?" His voice echoed through the hallway.

Before I could answer, Dana appeared. Of course she did. Perfect timing. She stepped into the room wearing her red dress, her hair still a mess.

Then she did something that made me want to bang my head against the wall.

"Hello. I'm Dana." She smiled politely and extended her hand. "You must be Eric."

My father didn't even look at her. Not once. Typical.

I immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the door.

"I'll call you." That was all I said.

The disappointment in her eyes was obvious. She looked seconds away from tears. I felt nothing. She knew the rules. If she couldn't accept them, that wasn't my problem.

The moment the front door closed behind her, my father exploded. The lecture lasted nearly twenty minutes - Responsibility. Maturity. My lifestyle. My choices. The women. The parties. The complete lack of direction in my personal life.

Strangely enough, he barely mentioned Laura. Or the contract. The criticism was entirely about me.

And there it was again. The thing that had always driven me insane - Control. My father wanted control. Wasn't the contract enough? Wasn't forcing me into a fake marriage enough?

Apparently not.

Now he wanted to tell me who I could sleep with too. Ridiculous. Honestly, I barely had a chance to defend myself before he headed for the door.

Then he stopped. And dropped a bombshell.

"Two weeks."

I frowned.

"What?"

"Two weeks and Laura moves in."

I froze.

"Excuse me?"

"You signed the contract."

"That doesn't mean—"

"It means exactly that." His voice turned cold.

"You wanted four months of pretending? Then start pretending."

I clenched my jaw.

"You don't get to run from this anymore."

He opened the front door.

But before leaving, he looked back one final time.

"And Daniel..." I already hated that tone. "Stop bringing your lovers to the house."

The door slammed shut behind him.

And for the first time since signing that contract...

I realized my life was no longer entirely mine.

Laura POV

Several days had passed since my meeting with Eric Carter. Several days since meeting Daniel.

Honestly, I wasn't even sure how many anymore. Everything had happened so fast. For the first time in years, life felt... lighter.

I had called every creditor. Every collection agency. Every person who had spent months chasing me. I confirmed every balance. Every debt. Every overdue payment.

And then I paid them. All of them. I paid the overdue utility bills. Bought groceries. Filled the refrigerator completely.

For the first time in years, I wasn't afraid every time my phone rang - No more threatening calls. No more final warnings. No more sleepless nights wondering which bill I couldn't afford this month.

I could breathe. I could focus on work.

Even the children noticed the difference.

I had become sharp and irritable over the last year. Everything annoyed me. Everything felt overwhelming. Because I had been drowning.

Now I finally had room to lift my head above water. Not complete freedom.

Not yet.

There was still the second half of the agreement waiting for me - There was still Daniel. Still the marriage. Still everything that came after.

And yet...

Eric hadn't called. No updates. No instructions. No timeline.

When would I move? What about Chris? How was I supposed to explain any of this? Because no matter how many times I rehearsed it in my head, I still hadn't told him. I simply didn't know how.

Chris was rarely sober enough for a serious conversation. And this wasn't exactly something you brought up casually over dinner.

I was working through a client report when my office door opened. My manager stepped inside. I immediately looked up.

"Laura, there's an attorney here to see you. He's waiting in the conference room."

My stomach dropped - An attorney? Why? I had paid everything. Hadn't I? Surely I hadn't missed something.

With a racing heart, I walked across the office. People were staring. Whispering. Even my manager watched me until I disappeared down the hallway.

I stopped outside the conference room door. Took a breath. Then stepped inside.

A well-dressed older man stood waiting. Professional. Polite. Serious.

"Mrs. Brown." He offered a small smile. "I need your signature."

He placed a stack of documents on the table.

Confused, I stepped closer.

Hadn't I already signed everything? Then I looked down.

And froze.

Divorce papers - My name. Chris's name.

Official. Legal. Real.

The room suddenly felt smaller. The contract with Eric Carter had been easy. The money had been easy. Even agreeing to marry a stranger had been easier than this.

Because now I had to go home. And tell my husband that our marriage was over.

And somehow...

That terrified me more than anything else.