Chapter Two: The Deal
545 Words
Lena sat across from Grayson Wolfe in the private jet, her fingers curled around a glass of sparkling water she hadn’t touched. The silence between them was thick, broken only by the hum of the engines and the occasional rustle of papers as Grayson reviewed documents like she wasn’t even there.
She hated how calm he was. How composed. Like marrying a stranger was just another line item on his to-do list.
“You really fly private for everything?” she asked, trying to break the tension.
Grayson didn’t look up. “Time is money.”
“And people are…?”
“Assets. Liabilities. Occasionally useful.”
Lena scoffed. “Charming.”
He finally glanced at her, eyes cool and unreadable. “You agreed to this.”
“I agreed to survive,” she snapped. “Don’t confuse desperation with devotion.”
Grayson leaned back, folding his hands in his lap. “Six months. You play the role. You attend the events. You smile for the cameras. In return, you get five million dollars and full funding for your fashion line.”
“And what do you get?” she asked.
“A merger with the largest luxury conglomerate in Europe. They want stability. A family man. I need a wife who won’t fall in love or cause drama.”
Lena’s jaw tightened. “So you picked me because I insulted you at a gala?”
“I picked you because you’re smart, ambitious, and not easily impressed. That makes you believable.”
She didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended. Probably both.
The jet began its descent into New York, the skyline glittering beneath them like a promise and a threat. Lena stared out the window, her stomach twisting. She was about to step into a world she didn’t belong to, with a man she couldn’t trust.
And yet, part of her burned with curiosity. Who was Grayson Wolfe beneath the suits and silence? What had made him this cold?
The car waiting on the tarmac was sleek and black, the kind that whispered wealth instead of shouting it. Grayson opened the door for her, and she slid in, careful not to let her nerves show.
His penthouse was in Midtown—glass, steel, and silence. The elevator opened directly into the living room, where minimalist furniture and abstract art made the space feel more like a museum than a home.
“You live here alone?” she asked.
Grayson nodded. “Until now.”
Lena wandered to the window, staring out at the city below. “So what happens next?”
Grayson stepped beside her, his voice low. “We announce the marriage. We attend the gala next week. And we convince the world we’re in love.”
She turned to him, her eyes sharp. “And when the six months are up?”
“You disappear. Rich. Independent. Untouched.”
Lena held his gaze. “You really think I’ll come out of this untouched?”
Grayson’s expression flickered—just for a second. “I think you’re stronger than you know.”
She didn’t respond. But as she turned away, her heart whispered a warning:
This wasn’t just a deal. It was a war. And she’d just stepped onto the battlefield.
- Writer
