Falling for Her Fake Fiancé

One Month of Pretending

Chapter 2: One Month of Pretending

Leila stared at the check in her hand, her heart pounding like it might burst through her chest. Five million naira. Just like that.

“I’m not for sale,” she said finally, placing the check gently on the counter.

“I’m not asking you to be,” Damian replied, calm as ever. “This is a business arrangement. Nothing more.”

Zara elbowed her from behind. “Girl, do you even hear yourself? Your shop is dying. You need this.”

Leila turned to her friend, whispering, “It’s Damian. He once told me I was invisible. Do you remember that?”

Zara made a face. “I also remember that he graduated top of your class and built an empire in five years. He’s a jerk, yeah — but a rich, desperate jerk. You have the power here.”

Leila looked back at Damian. He didn’t fidget. He didn’t beg. He just… waited, like he already knew what she would say.

“Why me?” she asked finally. “You could hire a model or an actress. Someone who actually likes you.”

“Because I need someone real,” he said simply. “Not someone who’ll leak the story or demand more later. I need someone with no ties to my world. Someone I can trust to disappear after this.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Trust? You don’t even know me anymore.”

Damian leaned forward, resting both hands on the counter. His voice dropped an octave.

“But I remember you. You were honest. You didn’t chase clout or attention. You were the only one in school who didn’t pretend around me.”

That stopped her.

Leila wasn’t used to being remembered — especially not by someone like Damian Cole.

Still, she folded her arms. “What exactly would I have to do?”

“We’d sign a simple agreement,” he said. “You move into my house for one month. We attend three public events together. A gala, a family dinner, and one interview. In return, you get five million naira — upfront.”

Her mouth went dry. “Live with you?”

“It’s for appearances. My family will ask questions if you’re not around me. You’ll have your own room, full privacy. No funny business.”

Zara was nearly vibrating behind her. “This is straight out of a K-drama.”

Leila bit her lip. Her mind was racing — the money, the humiliation, the risk.

And yet…

“I want a written agreement,” she said.

Damian didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”

“And I get to walk away if anything crosses the line.”

“Agreed.”

She picked up the check again, still not fully believing this was real. Five million. Her mother’s shop. Her future.

One month. One lie.

What could go wrong?

Two days later, Leila stood in front of a black luxury SUV parked outside the shop, her small suitcase by her side.

“You’re seriously doing this,” Zara whispered, eyes wide.

“I guess I am,” Leila murmured.

The driver opened the door, and there he was — Damian Cole, in a black shirt, sleeves rolled up, jaw sharp as ever.

“Ready?” he asked.

“No,” she replied honestly. “But let’s go anyway.”

As the car pulled away from her neighborhood and toward the glittering skyline, Leila couldn’t help but feel like she was stepping into someone else’s life.

And maybe… just maybe… she’d lose more than her name in the process.

Maybe she’d lose her heart too.