The Cost of a Crash: The Billionaire's Pretend Wife

ie

d to Tiffany's car kept replaying in my mind, how I ru

y him a new car. I didn't know if I'd ev

urtains open, the silence felt odd, like the neighborhood had al

clock made my hear

eet, threw on clot

y her course over, and that was why other departments stopped borrowing it. But despite all that

nutes I was alr

ng, it was 10:21. Mrs. Cynthia was just about to lock the door. "Mrs. Cynt

"Arielle, you've never been l

swer. I just

he sighed and pushed the door open.

ise." I slipped in, and the roo

s. Like my laten

tes, so moments like this always fel

n empty seat. Once I sat, everyone l

g. Mrs. Cynthia dismissed us after an hour, and

me to get. Tiffany offered her

out me staying with her for

lothes and headed for Sunny's Diner. An

t, sitting with my boss, Miss Sylvia. Laughing

. I turned back slowly, prayi

mile and walked over. "I believe you've heard of this man. Darius Rothwel

nod

was playing a game with me. "Wow,

my foot. I was

Where on earth did you two meet? Because Arielle doesn't

with shame. What d

erly. "Where did you

... i

me time alone?" His voice

e had snapped invisible fingers. I stood there awkwardly unti

m. "No, sir. She was

es of his fries. "The way you reacted told me eve

ened. "N

ng?" he

dy was surpri

slow sip. "It's goo

w you came because of me.

ame to see Sylvia, actually. We knew each other in

ce like me. "Why are you

ending up like her. Takin

her." A lie rolled

what you did to my car. But don't worry, I won't tell your

at a sh

atulations,"

mouth. "But yo

mped. "Sir,

lp me with something. I've been trying to get my hands on a deal worth billions, and I ne

voice thinned. I b

ck casually.

you to be

table louder than my own scream. Cus

r, signaled from behind the

n't just short-circuited in public. I grabbed my

e talking. Ge

at. Was he trying to set me up? "I don't want anythin

ate again. I'll call the cops. I'll tell them everythin

betrayed me. I returned to th

I'm li

siness purpose. I already explained it to you. We'll

nths? As

I asked quietly. Even though I

arch on you. I went to your school. You don't have parents. They died when you were ten. You lived

would you do that?" I felt very uncomfor

w I fed the school with lies. My parents weren't dead. Bu

tended his h

thing that made no sense. "No," I

's a big offer. You have no one, nothing to lose

mean I was stupid. I wasn't going to fall into his tra

ve

thought when my life hadn'