Ethan's visits to Sweet Haven became a daily ritual. At
first, Mia thought it was a coincidence. Then she realized it wasn't.
"What do you want from me?" she asked one evening,
her hands on her hips.
Ethan, who had been sitting at his usual table, looked up.
"I have a proposition."
Mia raised a brow. "I'm listening."
"I need a fiancée."
Mia blinked, certain she'd misheard. "I'm sorry,
what?"
"My family is pressuring me to settle down," Ethan
explained. "It's affecting my business. I need someone to play the role
convincingly. In return, you'll be compensated generously."
Mia stared at him, torn between disbelief and laughter.
"You want me to pretend to be your fiancée?"
"Yes."
"And you think I'm just going to say yes?"
Ethan leaned forward, his gaze steady. "I think you're
smart enough to recognize an opportunity when you see one."
For a moment, Mia considered walking away. But then she
thought of her mother, her bills, and the suffocating weight of her secret
life.
"Fine," she said finally. "But I have
conditions."
"Name them."
"No real intimacy. No interference in my personal life.
And no surprises."
Ethan nodded. "Agreed."
As she shook his hand, Mia couldn't shake the feeling that
she had just made a deal with the devil.