The Valentine's Proposal

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Deal with the Devil

(Violet’s POV)

The car glides smoothly through the bustling city streets, but inside, my thoughts are a chaotic mess. What have I done? Proposing to a random stranger—and not just any stranger, but my ex-boyfriend’s boss? This is madness.

Silver sits across from me in the back seat, his posture relaxed, like this kind of thing happens to him all the time. His gray eyes glint with amusement, and the small smirk on his face is both infuriating and unsettling.

“Why are you so calm?” I snap, breaking the silence.

“Why aren’t you?” he counters, his voice smooth as silk. “You’re the one who proposed to me, remember?”

I groan, pressing my fingers to my temples. “I didn’t actually mean it!”

“Could’ve fooled me,” he says, glancing at the ring on his finger. “Fits perfectly, by the way. Good taste.”

I glare at him. “This isn’t a joke. Do you have any idea how humiliating this is?”

He raises an eyebrow. “For me or for you?”

Before I can respond, the car pulls to a stop in front of a sleek, glass-covered building. Silver gestures for the driver to wait and then turns to me.

“Come inside,” he says.

“Why would I do that?”

“Because we need to talk,” he says simply, opening the door and stepping out.

I hesitate, but curiosity—and a lingering sense of satisfaction from Boris’s stunned face—push me to follow. The lobby of the building is as intimidating as Silver himself: marble floors, minimalist furniture, and a front desk manned by staff who look like they stepped out of a fashion magazine.

Silver leads me to a private elevator, and I try not to fidget as the doors close.

“You know, you’re handling this better than I expected,” he says, leaning against the elevator wall.

“Handling what?” I snap.

“The fact that you just pretended to be engaged to a total stranger,” he replies, his smirk returning. “Most people would be freaking out by now.”

“I am freaking out!” I exclaim. “I just don’t have time to show it because I’m too busy wondering how I’m going to explain this to my friends, my family—”

“Relax,” he says, cutting me off. “You won’t have to explain anything. This is temporary.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “What do you mean?”

The elevator dings, and the doors slide open to reveal a spacious office with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stunning view of the city. Silver gestures for me to sit on the plush white couch in the corner.

“Let’s make a deal,” he says, sitting across from me.

“A deal?”

He nods, his expression turning serious for the first time. “You clearly wanted to send a message to Boris. And, as it happens, I could use a distraction right now.”

“A distraction?” I repeat, confused.

He leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “My mother has been pressuring me to settle down. She’s coming to visit soon, and she’s expecting to meet someone.”

“And you want me to be that someone?” I ask, my voice rising.

“Just for a little while,” he says calmly. “You play the role of my fiancée, and in return, I’ll make sure Boris regrets ever crossing you.”

The idea is absurd. Completely insane. But then I think about the way Boris looked at me today—like he didn’t believe I could ever move on without him. The thought of proving him wrong, of making him squirm, is tempting.

“What exactly are you offering?” I ask cautiously.

Silver’s smirk returns. “Let’s just say I have the resources to make your life very comfortable while we’re ‘engaged.’ You’d get to enjoy the perks of being with someone like me—private jets, five-star vacations, the works. And when it’s over, we go our separate ways. No strings attached.”

I stare at him, trying to gauge if he’s serious. “You’re really willing to go through all this just to avoid your mom?”

“You’d understand if you met her,” he says dryly.

I bite my lip, torn between my better judgment and the little voice in my head telling me this could actually work. “What if someone finds out it’s fake?”

“They won’t,” he says confidently. “As long as we’re careful.”

“And if I say no?”

He shrugs. “Then you’ll have to explain to Boris why you’re no longer engaged to his boss. And I’ll have to tell my mother I’m still single. It’s a lose-lose situation, really.”

I sigh, my head spinning. “This is crazy.”

“Maybe,” he says, standing and holding out his hand. “But it’s also an opportunity. So, what do you say, Violet? Do we have a deal?”

I hesitate, staring at his outstretched hand. This is risky—more than risky. But the thought of seeing Boris’s face when he realizes I’ve moved on is too good to pass up.

“Fine,” I say, shaking his hand. “We have a deal.”

---

The rest of the day is a blur. Silver insists on taking me to a high-end boutique to “upgrade my wardrobe,” as he puts it. I try to protest, but he brushes off my concerns like they’re nothing.

“You’re my fiancée now,” he says with a wink. “You need to look the part.”

By the time we’re done, I’m exhausted—and carrying more shopping bags than I can count.

As we walk back to the car, I glance at him, trying to piece together the enigma that is Silver. He’s charming, confident, and annoyingly good-looking. But there’s something else beneath the surface—something guarded.

“You’re quiet,” he observes as the car pulls away from the curb.

“Just trying to figure you out,” I admit.

“Good luck with that,” he says, his smirk returning.

I roll my eyes but can’t help smiling. This may be the craziest thing I’ve ever done, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m in control.

Little do I know, this is only the beginning.