Maya could hear her own heartbeat.
Xander’s fingers remained wrapped around hers, but his hand had gone rigid.
Evelyn Vance waited.
Behind her, several relatives stood inside the grand entrance.
Every face had turned toward them.
Maya could lie.
That was what the contract required.
She could laugh.
She could act offended.
She could look into Evelyn’s eyes and pretend this relationship had begun over coffee instead of money.
Instead, Maya smiled.
“Enough to make me seriously reconsider my opinion of your grandson.”
Silence.
Then Evelyn laughed.
Not politely.
A real laugh.
Xander slowly exhaled.
Evelyn pointed toward Maya.
“I like her.”
“You’ve known her twelve seconds,” Xander said.
“That was enough.”
She turned.
“Come inside before your uncle drinks all my champagne.”
Maya whispered without moving her lips, “You owe me another five thousand for that.”
Xander whispered back, “Denied.”
“You almost fainted.”
“I did not.”
“You definitely did.”
They entered.
Dinner was beautiful and terrifying.
Maya met cousins, executives, an uncle who kept asking about architecture, and an aunt who seemed determined to discover whether Maya knew which fork to use.
She did.
Her mother had once worked banquets at a hotel and taught her.
“People confuse etiquette with character,” her mother had told her. “Learn the rules, but never mistake them for kindness.”
Maya remembered those words when Caroline Mercer arrived.
Caroline was stunning.
Tall.
Elegant.
Perfect blonde hair.
White dress.
She kissed Evelyn’s cheek.
Then turned toward Xander.
“Happy birthday weekend.”
“It’s my grandmother’s birthday.”
“I was speaking generally.”
Her eyes shifted to Maya.
“Who’s this?”
Xander put a hand lightly against Maya’s back.
“Maya Bennett.”
Caroline smiled.
The smile never reached her eyes.
“Oh.”
One syllable.
Somehow it sounded like an insult.
Maya smiled back.
“Hello.”
Caroline looked at her dress.
Then her earrings.
Then her shoes.
“You’re a student?”
“Yes.”
“How sweet.”
Maya recognized condescension immediately.
She had spent four years serving people who spoke to her that way.
“What are you studying?”
“Architecture.”
Caroline laughed softly.
“My father employs hundreds of architects.”
“Then he probably knows how hard they work.”
Xander coughed to hide a smile.
Caroline noticed.
Her expression tightened.
Dinner began.
Evelyn sat at the head.
Xander and Maya were beside each other.
Caroline sat across from them.
For twenty minutes, conversation remained civil.
Then Evelyn asked Maya about her family.
“My mother raised me.”
“What did she do?”
“Whatever work she could find.”
Maya felt several people become uncomfortable.
She continued.
“She cleaned offices at night when I was little. Later she worked at a hotel. She wanted me to have opportunities she never had.”
“And your father?”
“Left when I was six.”
“I see.”
Maya looked directly at Evelyn.
“You asked.”
“I did.”
“I don’t mind answering.”
Evelyn nodded slowly.
“What does your mother think of Xander?”
The table went quiet.
Xander lowered his fork.
Maya swallowed.
“She died last year.”
Evelyn’s expression softened immediately.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“What was her name?”
“Lena.”
“Would she approve of him?”
Maya glanced at Xander.
He was watching her.
“I think she’d tell me to watch him carefully.”
Several relatives laughed.
Evelyn smiled.
“Smart woman.”
Caroline leaned forward.
“Forgive me, but this seems rather sudden.”
Xander’s face cooled.
“What does?”
“You.”
Caroline gestured toward Maya.
“This relationship.”
Maya took a sip of water.
Caroline continued.
“You barely attend social events. Suddenly you arrive with someone nobody has heard of.”
Xander said, “Perhaps I wanted privacy.”
“Or convenience.”
Maya looked at Caroline.
There it was.
A challenge.
Caroline smiled.
“Where did you two meet again?”
“The Beaumont Café,” Maya answered.
“What did he order?”
Xander’s eyes shifted toward her.
They had rehearsed this.
“Black coffee.”
Caroline smiled.
“Xander hates coffee.”
Maya’s stomach dropped.
She looked at Xander.
He had told her coffee.
Had he made a mistake?
Then Xander calmly said, “I hated the coffee.”
Caroline blinked.
“I ordered it because Maya was sitting at the only open table.”
Maya caught on.
“So you interrupted my work.”
“You were taking four seats.”
“I had blueprints.”
“You had an unreasonable amount of paper.”
“You asked if you could sit down.”
“You said no.”
The table laughed.
They were improvising now.
Xander looked at Maya.
Maya looked at him.
And something happened.
For a few seconds, neither of them had to fake anything.
Their teasing felt natural.
Their smiles were real.
Caroline noticed.
Her face hardened.
After dinner, everyone moved into the library for drinks.
Maya escaped to the terrace for air.
The cold night wind felt wonderful.
“You handled that well.”
Xander stood behind her.
Maya turned.
“You told me coffee.”
“I panicked during rehearsal.”
“You? Panicked?”
“I dislike coffee.”
“That information would have been useful.”
“I drink tea.”
“I know that now.”
He moved beside her.
Lights stretched across the distant city.
“You were good with my grandmother.”
“She’s intimidating.”
“She likes you.”
“She asked if you paid me before I entered the house.”
“That means she likes you.”
Maya laughed.
Then Xander became serious.
“You didn’t have to tell everyone about your mother.”
“I wasn’t going to lie about her.”
“I know.”
His voice was quiet.
“I respect that.”
Maya looked at him.
Under the soft terrace lights, the cold billionaire from the penthouse party seemed far away.
“Why did you really invent a girlfriend?”
He looked toward the garden.
“I told you.”
“Not all of it.”
Xander hesitated.
Then he said, “My grandmother has heart problems.”
Maya’s expression changed.
“She doesn’t want anyone to know. She had surgery six months ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She keeps telling me she wants to see me build a life outside work.”
“So you lied.”
“I bought time.”
“For what?”
“To avoid disappointing her.”
Maya understood that more than she wanted to.
“Money can’t solve everything, can it?”
Xander smiled without humor.
“No.”
The terrace door opened.
Caroline.
“There you are.”
She stepped outside.
“Maya, may I borrow Xander?”
Maya raised an eyebrow.
“You’d have to ask Xander.”
Caroline’s smile tightened.
“Of course.”
Xander said, “What do you need?”
“My father wants to discuss Monday’s board meeting.”
“Tomorrow.”
“It’ll take five minutes.”
Xander looked at Maya.
“I’ll be back.”
He went inside with Caroline.
Maya remained outside.
A minute later, Evelyn joined her.
“My grandson is complicated,” she said.
“So I’ve noticed.”
“He hides behind work.”
Maya smiled.
“He hides behind sarcasm too.”
Evelyn laughed.
“Yes.”
They stood together quietly.
Then Evelyn said, “You’re not what I expected.”
Maya’s chest tightened.
“Meaning?”
“I expected a polished socialite.”
“Disappointed?”
“Relieved.”
Maya stared across the garden.
Guilt crawled through her stomach.
Evelyn genuinely liked her.
And Maya was lying.
“Mrs. Vance—”
“Evelyn.”
Maya hesitated.
“Evelyn.”
Before she could continue, Caroline appeared again.
“Maya.”
Something in her voice was different.
Cold.
“Can I speak with you privately?”
Maya followed her into a side hallway.
Caroline waited until they were alone.
Then she held out a phone.
On the screen was a photograph.
Maya leaving her apartment that morning.
Another.
Maya entering a coffee shop wearing an apron.
Another.
Her apartment building.
Caroline looked pleased.
“You’re two months behind on rent.”
Maya’s blood ran cold.
“How do you know that?”
“I know people.”
“You investigated me?”
“I investigate threats.”
“I’m not a threat.”
Caroline stepped closer.
“Then walk away.”
Maya’s jaw tightened.
Caroline lowered her voice.
“I don’t know what Xander offered you, but I’ll double it.”
Maya stared at her.
“You think I can be bought.”
“You already were.”
The words hit harder than Maya expected.
Caroline saw it.
Her smile returned.
“Whatever fantasy you’re enjoying, remember where you came from.”
Maya looked down at the phone.
Her apartment.
Her work uniform.
Her poverty.
Then she looked back at Caroline.
“You’re right about one thing.”
Caroline waited.
“I know exactly where I came from.”
Maya stepped closer.
“And it taught me that people who use money to humiliate someone usually have nothing else impressive to offer.”
Caroline’s smile vanished.
“You’ll regret that.”
“Maybe.”
Maya turned to leave.
Caroline grabbed her wrist.
Maya stopped.
“Let go.”
Caroline did.
But before Maya walked away, she whispered:
“When Xander finds out why his father really died, your fake little romance won’t be the biggest lie in this house.”
Maya froze.
She turned.
But Caroline had already walked away.
And for the first time since accepting Xander’s deal, Maya realized she might have stepped into something far more dangerous than a pretend relationship.
---