5
956 Words
After the meeting ended successfully, the Japanese investors surprised everyone by inviting Luke and Cassie to a formal dinner the following night to celebrate their partnership.
Luke accepted the invitation graciously, but Cassie felt her stomach twist.
She hadn’t even agreed to this fiancée charade, yet it seemed like she was in deeper trouble than she ever intended.
Once the investors left, Luke wasted no time dragging Cassie to his office.
The pristine, modern space was a sharp contrast to the chaos that had unfolded earlier. Standing near the desk was a man in a dark suit, holding a small toolkit.
“Finally,” Luke muttered. “Get these cuffs off us.”
The man nodded and quickly got to work. With a few precise maneuvers, the cuffs clicked open, and Cassie rubbed her sore wrist with relief.
She thought she’d be able to slip away, but Luke blocked her path, his expression unreadable.
“How could you introduce me as your fiancée?” Cassie snapped, crossing her arms.
Luke smirked, leaning casually against his desk. “Oh, don’t act so shocked. You dragged yourself into this mess. If anything, you should be grateful I gave you such a prestigious title. Girls would kill to be in your shoes.”
“Grateful?” Cassie’s voice rose in disbelief. “I don’t want this! You think I want to be your fake fiancée? No, thank you.”
Luke’s smirk widened. “Oh, really? Wasn’t that your plan all along? To get my attention? Maybe slashing my tires wasn’t working, so you had to escalate.”
Cassie opened her mouth to retort, but before she could get a word out, the door opened, and a tall, sharp-looking man walked in.
“Hello,” he greeted smoothly, holding out his hand. “I’m Mark, Luke’s lawyer.”
Cassie hesitated before shaking his hand. Her heart sank at his introduction. ‘Why does he need his lawyer here?’ she wondered, her mind racing.
Mark set down his briefcase and turned to Luke. “I reviewed the footage,” he said, pulling out a tablet.
He tapped the screen, and to Cassie’s horror, a video of her crouching by the Bugatti played in crystal-clear detail.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Cassie muttered under her breath.
Luke turned to her, his expression triumphant. “You see, I do have proof. So, should I go ahead and file the lawsuit, or do you want to explain why you were vandalizing my car?”
Cassie felt cornered. “Fine,” she admitted. “I was angry, okay? Your company is destroying my neighborhood! My family was kicked out of our home without notice, and you didn’t even care.”
Luke’s expression hardened. “We followed the law. The landlords were paid for the land, and what they did with that money is not my responsibility. I’m running a business, not a charity.”
Cassie stared at him, her anger bubbling to the surface. “People’s lives aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet, Luke.”
Luke ignored her outburst and gestured to Mark, who began packing up his things.
”Regardless,” Luke said, his tone turning cold, “you’re lucky I’m willing to be reasonable. I could sue you for property damage, harassment, and defamation, and you’d lose. But I’m giving you an alternative.”
Cassie’s stomach sank. “What kind of alternative?” She asked.
Luke crossed his arms. “You’re going to continue being my fake fiancée until the contract with the investors is finalized. Family values are important to them, and you’ve already played the part perfectly. If you agree, I’ll drop the idea of suing you. We’ll call it even when the deal is done.”
Cassie gaped at him. “What? No way! I’d rather be engaged to the devil than to you.”
Luke chuckled darkly and responded. “You don’t have a choice, Cassie. Either you agree to this, or you can deal with my lawyer in court. Trust me, it won’t end well for you.”
Cassie’s hands balled into fists at her sides. She wanted to argue, to stand her ground, but she knew he was right. A lawsuit would ruin her life. She didn’t have the resources to fight someone as powerful as Luke Hudson.
“I can’t believe this,” she muttered, glaring at him. “You’re blackmailing me.”
“Call it what you want,” Luke replied coolly. “But it’s a simple arrangement. Be my fiancée until I get the contract signed, and then you can go back to hating me in peace.”
Cassie hesitated, weighing her options. She hated everything about this, but the reality of her situation left her with no other choice. “Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “But I’m doing this under protest.”
Luke smiled, clearly pleased with himself. “Smart decision.”
Mark handed her a document, his expression professional but sympathetic. “This is a non-disclosure agreement,” he explained.
“It ensures that you won’t disclose any details of this arrangement to anyone. You’ll also be compensated for your time, of course.”
Cassie scanned the document, her eyes narrowing. “Compensated?”
“Yes,” Luke said, his tone dismissive. “I’m not heartless. You’ll be paid for your trouble.”
Cassie signed the document reluctantly, feeling as though she was signing away her freedom. Once the paperwork was complete, Luke extended his hand to her, his smirk returning.
“Welcome to the team, fiancée,” he said mockingly.
Cassie slapped his hand away. “Don’t push your luck, Hudson.”
Luke chuckled while he said, “This is going to be fun.”
- Writer
