Alex's heart skipped a beat as she heard Michael's voice on the other end of the line. She wondered what he wanted to talk about, and if he knew that she had signed the nondisclosure agreement.
"Michael, what's going on?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
"I need to see you," Michael said, his voice tense. "Can we meet tonight?"
Alex hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "Okay. Where?"
"Meet me at the park, near the fountain. 7 PM," Michael said, before hanging up.
Alex felt a mix of emotions as she put her phone away. She wondered if Michael was going to end their fake engagement, or if he was going to reveal the truth to the world.
As she made her way to the park that evening, Alex felt like she was walking on eggshells. She didn't know what to expect, and she didn't know how she was going to react.
When she arrived, Michael was waiting for her, looking serious and tense. They hugged briefly, and then Michael gestured for her to sit on a nearby bench.
"Alex, we need to talk about something important," he said, his voice low.
Alex braced herself, wondering what was coming next.
"I know that you signed a nondisclosure agreement with my office," Michael continued. "And I'm sorry that you had to go through that. But I want you to know that I'm not going to let this define us."
Alex felt a sense of relief wash over her. She wondered if Michael was going to end their fake engagement, or if he was going to ask her to continue the charade.
"I don't understand," she said, feeling confused.
Michael took a deep breath. "Alex, I don't want to keep lying to the world. I don't want to pretend that we're engaged when we're not. I want to come clean, and tell the truth."
Alex felt like she was in a dream. She couldn't believe that Michael was saying what she had been hoping to hear.
"You mean... you want to end our fake engagement?" she asked, feeling a mix of emotions.
Michael nodded. "Yes, that's what I mean. I want to tell the world that we're not engaged, and that we're just friends. I don't want to keep living a lie."
Alex felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She knew that she couldn't keep pretending, and that she had to be true to herself.
"I agree," she said, feeling a sense of freedom. "Let's tell the truth."
As they hugged, Alex knew that her life was about to change in ways she never could have anticipated. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew that she was ready to face it head-on, with honesty and courage.