Fake Dating the Billionaire

Chapter Two

Athlea’s Pov

"Please, delete that picture!" I begged the man with the big camera, but he just laughed and ran away into the gray city rain, disappearing around the corner of the busy avenue.

My heart was beating so hard it felt like it was going to burst right out of my chest, echoing loudly in my ears. Just an hour ago, I had walked out of the clinic, my legs shaking after my terrifying encounter with Ashton Sterling. I thought the hardest part of my day was finally over. I thought I could go home, pay off my dad’s scary debts, and keep the roof over my head. But the second I stepped outside the glass doors of the building, flashing lights blinded me like lightning bolts in a storm.

Camera shutters clicked like angry bugs. Shouting voices cut through the pouring rain, sharp and invasive.

"Mr. Sterling! Is she the one?"

"Over here! Look at the camera, miss!"

"Leave me alone, please!" I cried out, trying to shield my face with my hands as another flash went off right in my eyes. "I don't have anything to say to you!"

I had pulled my heavy coat over my face, ducking my head down low in sheer panic as I ran toward the bus stop, hoping to vanish into the crowd. But I was too late. I saw Ashton walking out just a few steps behind me, looking annoyed as he ignored the reporters. And because we came out at the exact same time, the cameras caught both of us in one frame, sealing my fate.

Now, sitting on my small, lumpy living room sofa with my phone clutched tightly in my hand, I felt physically sick to my stomach. The screen glowed bright in the dark room, showing a breaking news article with a picture of me looking messy and terrified, standing right near Ashton in his expensive suit.

The headlines screamed in big, bold letters across the top: Billionaire Ashton Sterling’s Secret Mystery Woman: A New Romance or Something More?

My fingers trembled as I scrolled down to read the comments section. People were so cruel, hiding behind screens. Strangers on the internet were tearing me apart piece by piece. “Look at her, she doesn’t match his style at all.” “She’s just a gold-digger trying to trap a rich man.” “Another common girl chasing a billionaire’s wallet.”

Hot tears spilled over my eyelashes and rolled down my cheeks, burning my skin. This was my worst nightmare come to life. I wasn't trying to trap anyone. I was just a terrified girl trying to save her family home, forced into a corner by unbearable debt. And now, the whole world thought I was a monster, a parasite feeding off a powerful man's wealth.

Suddenly, my phone rang so loudly in the quiet apartment that it made me jump. The screen flashed with an unknown number, glowing harshly. I swiped the screen with a trembling hand and put the device to my ear.

"H-hello?"

"Miss Morgan," a cold, deep voice said through the speaker. It was him. Ashton. "Turn off your television and stay off social media immediately. Do not speak to reporters, do not answer any phone calls, and do not make any public statements. My team is already handling the press release to deny any romantic connection."

Hearing his commanding voice over the phone spiked my anxiety into full-blown panic. I wiped the tears off my face, my voice shaking with distress and anger.

"Deny it?" I cried into the phone, overwhelmed by how quickly my life was spinning out of control. "Is that all you care about? Mr. Sterling, did you even look at what people are saying? They think I'm a thief! My face is all over the internet, and my life is completely ruined!"

"Watch your tone, Athlea," Ashton snapped back, his voice dropping to a dangerous, icy whisper. "You knew privacy was part of this agreement. This leak is a disaster for my company. If you lose your head and talk to the press, you will make things ten times worse."

"I didn't ask for any of this!" I sobbed softly, feeling completely helpless against his overwhelming pressure. "Why did you have to walk out right behind me? You ruined everything!"

"Calm down, Miss Morgan," he commanded through the line, his tone turning even frostier. "Panicking solves nothing. Just stay put."

Before Ashton could say another word, I hung up the phone and dropped it onto the couch, pulling my knees up to my chest. How was I ever going to survive this nightmare?

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The loud banging on my front door made me jump a foot in the air. Who could that be at this late hour? The reporters? Angry strangers?

"Who is there?" I called out, my voice quivering as I stared nervously toward the entryway.

There was no answer, just another heavy knock that rattled the cheap wooden frame of the door.

I tiptoed to the front door, looking through the tiny peephole with dread. My breath caught in my throat. Standing outside in the hallway was Ashton Sterling himself, alongside a tall man in a sharp gray suit holding a thick leather briefcase—his personal lawyer.

My hands shook so badly I could barely unlock the deadbolt. I pulled the door open a c***k, staring up at them in sheer disbelief.

"W-what are you doing here?" I whispered, staring up at him with wide, frightened eyes. "How did you even find where I live?"

"My security team has your file, Miss Morgan. Finding this building took all of five minutes," Ashton replied smoothly, his expression unreadable as he looked down at me. "May we come in, or do you intend to keep standing in the doorway?"

"I... I suppose," I stammered, stepping back and pulling the door open a bit wider.

Ashton didn't wait for a formal invitation. He pushed past me and stepped right into my tiny living room, looking around at my worn-out furniture with a cold, blank expression. The lawyer walked in right behind him, closing the door shut against the rain.

"We don't have time to waste, Miss Morgan," Ashton said, turning around to face me, his dark eyes burning with fierce determination. "That photograph you were careless about has already reached my investors. My international hotel merger—a deal worth billions of dollars—is about to fall apart because my board of directors thinks my personal life is out of control."

I wrapped my arms around myself, shrinking back under his harsh gaze and the intimidating presence of his lawyer standing right behind him in the doorway. "I... I didn't call the photographers, Mr. Sterling. I swear to you. I wouldn't do something like that on purpose. I was just trying to leave quietly!"

"It doesn't matter who called them or how they found out," Ashton said sharply, taking a step closer to me in the cramped space. "The damage is already done. My father is trying to use this exact scandal to strip away my control of the company and take over the board."

"And what does that have to do with me?" I asked, my voice rising in defensive panic. "I am just trying to get through this and keep my head down!"

He paused, taking a deep breath like he hated every word he was forced to say aloud. "Everything. Because my father and the board are watching my every move. There is only one way to fix this disaster. You need to pack your bags right now. You are moving into my penthouse tonight, and we are going to change the entire narrative."

I stared at him like he had lost his absolute mind, my jaw dropping open in shock. "Move into your... what? Are you insane? I am not going anywhere with you!"

"You don't have a choice in the matter, Athlea," Ashton said calmly, though his jaw was clenched tight with barely contained tension. "We are going to make the whole world believe we are deeply, madly in love, and that this pregnancy is a planned, joyous event."