Love Lies And My Ceo

Chapter five

Jasmine's pov

I told myself it would be simple. Pretend to be Charlotte, play the part, smile in all the right places. Long enough to pay off my family’s debts that was the deal.

But William Smith wasn’t simple. He was a storm wrapped in a suit.

I sat in the hotel lobby, pretending my hands weren’t trembling. The chandelier above threw gold across the floor, but all I could think about was his grandfather’s eyes. Sharp. Heavy. Watching me too closely. He hadn’t called me out, not yet, but something in his smile told me he suspected.

And days later, that look still burned on my skin.

This weekend was supposed to be routine, the no-contract signing with Charles, the official terms of our “relationship.” On paper, we were partners. In reality, I was a fraud. William didn’t know it. His grandfather wasn’t sure. And Charlotte… Charlotte was the reason I couldn’t walk away.

The memory of our late-night call returned like a blade against my ribs. Her voice had been shaking when she told me what was at stake, how William’s company was her last chance to escape the marriage trap her father had set for her, how refusing him would ruin everything. And then there was I, with debts gnawing at my family like hungry wolves. I couldn’t afford to say no.

So here I was. Stuck. Pretending. Panicking.

“Miss Charlotte,” William’s voice cut through the hum of the lobby.

My borrowed name coiled around my throat, and for one awful second I was sure he could see the lie beating in my veins.

“Ready?” His voice was soft, but it carried like a command.

I nodded. My throat refused to work, but I forced the motion anyway.

We sat in a quiet spot at the café. William stayed composed, checking his phone and lining up the cutlery like everything had to be perfect. Meanwhile, Of course I spilled my water.

The ice clattered across the table, drops splashing onto his sleeve. My breath caught. Smooth, Jasmine.

“Sorry! I…..I wasn’t……” I stammered, fumbling for a napkin.

But he stopped me with a slight shake of his head. He wiped his sleeve with deliberate care, every movement so controlled it felt like a warning nothing touched him unless he allowed it.

That was worse.

“Relax. You look like you’re about to go to war.”

His calm only made my mask c***k faster.

The signing with Charles had been straightforward, “Six months,” Charles had said, sliding the paper toward me. “Convince the world you’re his or we’re finished.”

And now William was testing me, slowly, subtly.

“What was the name of my grandfather’s first company?” he asked casually, like it was a throwaway question.

My stomach dropped as if someone had pulled the floor out from under me. One wrong answer and the mask would fall. But I remembered I’d memorised every fact, every detail, every scrap of William Smith trivia I could find.

“Smith & Sons Textiles,” I answered, forcing confidence into my voice.

He nodded, almost approving. Then he smiled but it wasn’t kindness. It was the kind of smile that said he already knew the ending to a game I hadn’t realized I was playing.

Another question followed. And another. Every one of them, I answered boldly. I couldn't stop watching his eyes, waiting for a c***k, was I actually convincing him? Or was he letting me dig my own grave?

But then came the mistake.

He leaned back, studying me. “And tell me, Charlotte… What did I say to you at the restaurant last week that made you laugh?”

The truth rose hot in my throat then I swallowed it. “You always say things that make me laugh. I can’t remember exactly.”

His gaze sharpened. Silence stretched.

I muttered an excuse and bolted for the restroom. Inside, I rested against the sink dangerously staring at my reflection. On the outside, my disguise held, my hair neat, makeup flawless, my posture borrowed from Charlotte, but my eyes gave me away, wide and nervous.

I splashed water on my face, whispering to myself, “You can’t slip. Not now. Not ever.”

When I returned, William hadn't moved; he was pressing his phone, though I could tell it was work but his expression was as unreadable as ever. He didn't question me, but I could feel his silence hitting me harder than any reply

Hours later, as we stepped out together, the heaviness in my chest grew. My life didn’t feel like mine anymore. I was caught between debts, secrets, and a man who could destroy me with just a single look.

And yet, there was something dangerous about him, but there was something pulling people's attention to the way he carried himself. He wasn’t just a storm that pulled you in, even while threatening to break you apart.

That terrified me most of all.

As we stepped out onto the quiet street, a voice cut through the night.

“Charlotte?”

I froze.

William turned.

And there, standing under the streetlight, was someone who knew me. Betty.

My blood turned to ice.

William’s eyes flicked between me and Betty. And in that split second, I knew my double life had just shattered.