The billionaire's fake wife

"Dad, I don't think I can do this anymore". The words slipped out before I could stop them. I stood in front of my father's grave with my arms wrapped tightly around myself as the cold wind swept through the cemetery. The flowers I had brought looked pathetic, cheap and half-wilted. Just like everything else in my life. Three years since we buried him, three years since I promised I would take care of Noah, three years of struggling, three years of pretending I was stronger than I felt. "I'm trying", I whispered with my voice cracked and a lump formed in my throat. "I'm really trying". But trying didn't pay rent or magically produce eighteen thousand dollars for Noah's college tuition. The silence answered me, The same silence that always answered. Dead people couldn't fix broken lives, A bitter laugh escaped me Then my phone vibrated. It was my LANDLORD. My stomach immediately tightened. I knew what he wanted before I answered. "Ava". His voice sounded impatient. "I need the rent by tomorrow." "I just need a little more time". I said with my eyes closed. "You've already had time", "No more extensions". He said and the line went off. I stared at my phone. Tomorrow,not next week, not next month. Tomorrow. Then I looked back at my father's grave."I think we're about to lose the apartment." I stayed there over 30 minutes before finally walking away. Because grief was a luxury people like me couldn't afford. Work, Bills, and Reality was waiting. The dinner rush was brutal, every table was full, every customer wanted something and every muscle in my body ached. Still, I smiled. Because smiling paid tips And tips meant groceries. Around nine o'clock, a young man left table seven. I moved over to clear their dishes. That was when I noticed the envelope. Large, Brown and Unmarked. Tucked beneath a chair, I picked it up. It was heavy, too heavy. For a second, I considered handing it directly to the manager. Instead, curiosity got the better of me , my breath caught as I opened it. It was Cash. More cash than I had ever seen in one place. My pulse began to race. I slowly count. Ten thousand,Twenty thousand, Thirty thousand. By the time I reached fifty thousand, my hands were shaking. Fifty thousand dollars. The number felt unreal. I thought about Noah, I thought about tuition, I thought about rent and the eviction. For the first time in months, I could actually see a solution. The money sat there waiting. Nobody knows I found it and Nobody knew it existed. I could walk out right now. Pay every bill, Save Noah's future and Start over. My fingers tightened around the envelope. Then my father's voice echoed inside my head. Not literally Just a memory. Character is what you do when nobody is watching. I hated that memory because nobody was watching and for once, I wanted to be selfish. Tears burned down my eyes. "Why did you have to make me a good person?" I whispered. A customer called my name. The moment broke and I wiped my eyes, picked up the envelope and carried it straight to the manager's office. An hour later, the restaurant was nearly empty. I was wiping down counters when the front doors opened and the room instantly grew quiet. A tall man wearing a dark suit, with a cold eye stepped inside. The kind of man who looked like he owned every building he walked past and the manager practically ran toward him. "Mr. Blackwood", He said. The name sounded familiar, Very familiar. The stranger's gaze swept across the room then stopped on me. Something changed in his expression. Not recognition, Not exactly But close. He walked forward. Every step is calm, controlled and deliberate. My pulse quickened. "You're Ava Carter?". His voice was deep and steady. I frowned. "How do you know my name?" For a moment, he simply stared at me Then his eyes dropped to the envelope on the counter. "You found something that belongs to me". I slid it toward him and Relief flashed across the manager's face. The stranger looked at the envelope but didn't touch it. Instead, he kept looking at me. Like he was trying to solve a puzzle. Finally, he spoke. "Most people would have kept the money". "Then it's a good thing I'm not like most people", I said. To my surprise, the corner of his mouth lifted, the smallest hint of a smile then he held out his hand. "Ethan Blackwood". I shook it. "Ava Margaret", I said. The moment our hands met, his expression changed, Just for a second. A flicker of shock Gone so quickly I almost imagined it. "Margaret?" he repeated. My heart skipped, Something about the way he said my surname made me uneasy. As if he knows me, As if it meant something. Before I could ask why, he reached into his jacket pocket and handed me a business card. "What is this?" I asked. "A chance", he said. I looked down at the card then back at him. "A chance for what?", I asked. His eyes locked into mine and the next words changed everything. "A chance to earn ten million dollars”, he said.