Chapter 14: The Deal
984 Words
Bella Luna was always packed at 7 PM.
The smell of pasta, the clinking of glasses, and the sound of customers laughing made up Naya’s daily background music.
She carried a tray with three plates of spaghetti carbonara, her professional smile plastered on her face even though her feet were already aching.
“Table 12, careful,” she muttered to herself.
Before she could move, a harsh voice from behind stopped her.
“Hey! Daydreaming again?! Where’s my order?!”
Naya turned around. Table 7. A man in his 40s, face red with anger.
“I’m sorry, sir. Your order is still being prepared. Just 5 more minutes—”
“5 minutes?! I’ve been waiting for 30 minutes!” he snapped.
A few other customers started staring. Embarrassing.
Naya was about to apologize again when a calm voice cut in from beside her.
“He apologized. Don’t yell in a public place.”
Naya glanced over. Tall, black suit, face as cold as ice.
Around 28 years old. Handsome, but his aura made people take two steps back.
“Who are you?” the man at Table 7 asked, not backing down.
“Adrian Blackwood,” he answered simply.
That name made the room go silent instantly.
Blackwood Group. The biggest real estate company in the city. Nobody didn’t know it.
The man at Table 7 immediately went pale.
“O-oh… sorry, sir. I didn’t know—”
“Pay your bill and get out. Don’t disturb people who are working,” Adrian cut him off flatly.
The man left without a word, his face looking like he wanted to cry.
Naya was still frozen.
“Th… thank you, sir. But you didn’t really need to—”
Adrian looked at her. His eyes were sharp, but not unkind.
“You’re Naya, right? The night shift waitress.”
Naya blinked in surprise. “How do you know my name?”
“I eat here three times a week. You always stay late to cover for your pregnant coworker.”
He paused for a second.
“I need your help.”
Ten minutes later, they sat in the empty corner of the restaurant.
Naya was still confused.
“Help? What else do you want to order, sir?”
Adrian placed a business card on the table.
“I don’t need an order. I need you to be my girlfriend. Fake. For one month.”
Naya almost laughed.
“Huh? Sorry, sir, I’m not—”
“Not that,” Adrian cut her off quickly. “Listen first.”
He took a breath.
“Next month I have a big family event. My grandmother’s 80th birthday. She’s seriously ill, and her only wish is to see me bring a serious girlfriend.
The problem is, I don’t have a girlfriend. And my ex will be there with her fiancé to show off.”
Naya started to understand.
“So you want to hire me to be your fake girlfriend?”
Adrian nodded.
“500 million rupiah. For one month. You’ll live with me in my apartment, attend four family events, and act like we’re dating.
Contract. Legal. Nothing weird.”
Naya stayed silent.
500 million.
That money was enough for her brother Rian’s kidney transplant surgery. He’d been waiting for a donor for eight months.
Her waitress salary wouldn’t be enough in ten years.
“But… why me?” Naya asked quietly.
Adrian looked at her for a long time.
“Because you’re honest. I saw how you handled that guest earlier. You didn’t pretend. And you’re not afraid of me.”
Naya let out a small laugh.
“I’m a little scared. You’re intimidating.”
For the first time, Adrian gave a faint smile.
“Good. That means the acting will be easy.”
That night, Naya couldn’t sleep.
She sat on the edge of her boarding house bed, staring at the photo of Rian sleeping in the hospital.
“500 million, Rian. If I take this, you can have surgery next month.”
But… living with a cold CEO? Acting as his girlfriend?
Was this insane or what?
Her phone vibrated. A message from an unknown number:
_“I’ll give you until tomorrow 6 PM. If yes, a 100 million down payment will be transferred immediately. -A”_
Naya sighed deeply.
“Crazy. This is crazy.”
But when she remembered her brother’s pale face in the hospital bed, she knew the answer.
The next day, at 5 PM, Naya stood in front of Blackwood Tower.
Cold hands, heart pounding.
She replied to the message:
_“Yes. I’ll do it.”_
The glass door opened automatically.
Adrian was already waiting in the lobby, wearing a gray suit. No smile, but his eyes looked relieved.
“The contract is ready with my lawyer. Read it first. If you don’t agree, it’s fine,” Adrian said, handing her a black folder.
Naya opened it. Five pages. The main points were:
1. Duration: one month, starting tomorrow.
2. Naya must stay in Adrian’s apartment.
3. No physical contact outside of acting.
4. After it’s over, they part ways amicably.
Nothing weird.
Naya signed it.
Adrian took the folder back, then looked at her.
“Tomorrow at 8 AM, a car will pick you up. Pack enough clothes. You’ll be staying there.”
Naya nodded stiffly.
“Yes, Mr. Blackwood.”
Adrian shook his head.
“Outside the office, call me Adrian.”
Naya wanted to protest, but Adrian had already walked away.
“Welcome to the biggest lie of your life, Naya.”
That night, 100 million rupiah hit Naya’s bank account.
She cried in her boarding room while hugging Rian’s photo.
“You’ll get better soon, okay, little brother.”
She didn’t know that tomorrow her life would change completely.
Because living with Adrian Blackwood was…
not as easy as she thought.
- Writer
