FROM PRETENCE TO FOREVER

Rain pressed softly against the café windows as Mina Laurent wiped down the counter for the third time in ten minutes. The dinner rush had ended an hour earlier. Only two customers remained: an old man dozing over a cold cup of coffee and a stranger sitting quietly near the back window, dressed in a dark coat and black cap, his head lowered. Mina sighed and checked the clock. “Please let tonight end peacefully.” Her co-worker, Lena, snorted while stacking cups. “You’ve said that six times tonight.” “Because I mean it.” “You’re nervous.” “I’m tired.” “There’s a difference.” Mina forced a weak smile. “Not tonight.” Lena leaned against the counter.“The hospital called again, didn’t they?” Mina’s hands stopped moving. For a moment, she stared at the damp cloth in her fingers before finally nodding. “They want another surgery.” Lena’s expression softened instantly. “And your mom?” “She pretended not to be scared.” “And you?” Mina let out a quiet laugh. “I can’t afford to be scared.” Silence settled between them. Rain tapped steadily against the glass while the coffee machines hummed softly in the background. Then the bell above the café door chimed. Three men entered together, dressed in expensive suits with serious expressions. They looked like the kind of people who belonged in boardrooms, not tiny neighborhood cafés. Mina frowned. “Either we’re being robbed politely, or someone rich got lost.” Lena nearly laughed, then suddenly froze.“Wait.” The stranger near the back table stood slowly. The moment he lifted his head, Mina’s breath caught. Sharp jaw. Dark eyes. Familiar face. Impossible face. “Oh my God,” Lena whispered. “That’s Adrian Vale.” Mina blinked twice. “The actor?” “The actor.” “The heartbreakingly handsome one?” “Yes.” “The scandal one?” Lena nodded. “The very same.” Mina stared. Everyone knows Adrian Vale a movie star, award winner, national obsession, and recently a disaster. For weeks, every news station had talked about him: a leaked argument with his ex-girlfriend, a drunken fight outside a club, rumors of addiction, cheating, and endless controversy. His perfect image had collapsed overnight. But standing there now, Adrian looked nothing like the arrogant celebrity from the gossip headlines. He looked exhausted. Truly exhausted. The kind of exhaustion that settled deep into a person’s bones. One of the suited men approached the counter.“Miss Mina Laurent?” Mina frowned. “How do you know my name?” “We’d like a private conversation.” “I’m working.” “It won’t take long.” Lena leaned closer and whispered, “If rich people ask for secrecy, always say yes.” Mina elbowed her lightly. “You are unbelievably unhelpful.” Five minutes later, Mina sat with Adrian in a quiet corner both. Rain blurred the city lights outside the windows. One of the suited men remained standing nearby. The woman beside Adrian crossed her legs elegantly. She had perfect posture, sharp eyes, and the intimidating presence of someone used to getting exactly what she wanted. She extended her hand. “Evelyn Hart.” Mina shook it carefully. “You look terrifying.” Evelyn smiled. “Thank you.” Adrian let out a quiet laugh under his breath. The sound surprised everyone, especially himself. Mina noticed immediately. “You don’t laugh often, do you?” His expression flattened again. “Not recently.” Evelyn slided a thick folder across the table. “We have a proposal for you.” Mina frowned. “I’m a waitress.” “Exactly.” “That explains absolutely nothing.” Adrian finally spoke. His voice was low and rough. “It’s temporary.” Mina looked at him carefully. Up close, he looked even worse. Dark circles under his eyes, tension buried deep in his jaw, and sadness cameras never showed. “What’s temporary?” she asked. Evelyn answered smoothly. “You pretending to be Adrian’s girlfriend.” Mina stared at her. Then she laughed. Then she realized nobody else was laughing. “Oh! are you serious.”? “Very serious,” Evelyn replied. “You people are insane.” Adrian rubbed his forehead tiredly. “She said the same thing earlier.” Mina pointed at him. “Because it’s true.” Evelyn folded her hands neatly. “Adrian’s reputation is collapsing. Studios are nervous. Sponsors are disappearing. We need positive press.” “You need a fake relationship.” “We need something believable.” Mina pushed the folder away immediately. “No.” “You haven’t heard the payment.” “I don’t care.” “The contract pays two hundred thousand dollars.” Mina stopped breathing. Across the café, Lena nearly dropped a tray. Evelyn continued calmly. “Three months. Public appearances. Social media photos. Charity events. Interviews if necessary.” “And after that?”“You both walk away.” “No emotions involved,” Adrian added quietly. Mina looked directly at him. “I really hate this.”“I hate all of it.” “The fame.” “The pretending.” Their eyes met briefly. “But I need my career back.” Mina swallowed hard. Two hundred thousand dollars. Enough to save her mother. Enough to pay every hospital bill. Enough to finally breathe again. But the entire situation sounded ridiculous, dangerous, and far too complicated. Evelyn leaned forward slightly. “You have no scandals, no connection to Hollywood, and no public history. You look natural together.” “Is that your reason?” “There’s another one.” Mina narrowed her eyes. “What?” Evelyn smiled faintly. “Adrian noticed you before tonight.” Mina turned sharply toward him. “What?” Adrian sighed deeply. “You spilled coffee on me three weeks ago.” Her eyes widened. “The rude customer with sunglasses?” Lena burst into laughter across the room. “Did you insult him?” Evelyn asked.Mina covered her face. “Oh no.” Adrian leaned back lazily. “You called me emotionally constipated.” Lena was now fully crying with laughter. “You deserved it,” Mina muttered. “You didn’t even recognize me.” “You were wearing a hat.” “You still insulted me.” “You were rude.” “You spilled hot coffee on me.” “You were emotionally constipated.” A small smile appeared on Adrian’s face; the first genuine expression he had shown all evening. Evelyn noticed immediately.“There. That.” “What?” Mina asked. “The chemistry.” “There is no chemistry.” Adrian looked directly at her. “You’re already arguing with me comfortably.” “That’s because you’re annoying.” His smile widened slightly. “Exactly.” Mina hated that her heart skipped a beat. She crossed her arms tightly. “What happens if I say yes?” Evelyn answered immediately. “You move into Adrian’s guest house temporarily.” “What?” “It makes the relationship believable.” “No.” “The paparazzi will follow you constantly.” “Absolutely not.” “The payment doubles if you complete the contract.” Mina frozed. “Four hundred thousand?” “Yes.” Her mother’s tired face flashed through her mind. The unpaid hospital bills. The fear hidden behind forced smiles. The endless exhaustion. Adrian spoke quietly. “You can still say no.” “If you’d prefer that” “Honestly?” “Yes.” “I don’t want anyone dragged into this mess.” Something about the way he said it sounded painfully sincere, not manipulative or selfish. Just tired. Mina looked down at the contract again before lifting her gaze back to him. “What are the rules?” Evelyn smiled immediately. “No real dating.” “No falling in love,” Adrian added dryly. “No revealing the truth.” “No embarrassing public scenes.” Mina smirked. “That last one sounds impossible.” “You’ll manage,” Evelyn replied. Adrian leaned back in the booth. “You should know something before agreeing.” “What?” “My life is chaotic.” “I already guessed that.” “The paparazzi are ruthless.” “I’ve survived rude customers before.” “That’s not the same thing.” “Maybe not.” Their eyes locked again, and something strange passed between them. Not attraction. Not yet. But recognition. Two exhausted people pretending to be stronger than they really were. Mina finally exhaled slowly. “When would this start?” Evelyn answered instantly. “Tomorrow morning.” Mina nearly choked. “Tomorrow?” “We move quickly.” “You people are terrifying.” Adrian stood slowly and reached for his coat. “You don’t have to decide tonight.” “Yes, she does,” Evelyn corrected calmly. Mina frowned. “What does that mean?” Evelyn nodded towards the windows. “The press already suspects something.” Mina turned and froze. Camera flashes exploded through the rain outside. Photographers crowded the sidewalk while reporters pointed cameras towards the café windows. “Oh no.” Adrian picked up his coat. His expression looked tired again; resigned, almost guilty. Then he glanced at Mina. “Welcome to my world.”