Chapter Three

Jake's POV

My company, JTech Solutions, had been in talks for a merger we desperately needed to avoid bankruptcy. I was just days away from sealing the deal when Donald—the CEO, dropped the bombshell.

"I can’t go through with this, Jake." His voice was tight, every word clipped, as he took a slow sip of his Scotch.

"Excuse me?" I blurted, leaning forward. A wave of uneasiness pressed down on me, and suddenly the room felt hotter—like someone had turned up the temperature. I tugged at the button of my suit jacket, needing room to breathe.

Donald sighed, "Your résumé is perfect and your product is genius but our clients are old-school. They trust men with families—husbands, not bachelors. It's stupid, I know, but it's how this industry works"

I clenched my jaw and nodded like a professional before turning to exit. As I turned the doorknob I heard a voice stop me in my tracks.

I turned to face Donald, now standing, his narrowed eyes fixed on me. He placed both hands firmly on the table and leaned forward.

"Fix it!" he barked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Come back with a ring on your finger. Then we will talk."

I walked out of that office lighter, almost relieved. There was still hope. But the moment the door shut behind me, the weight returned—a thousand thoughts crashing through my mind, each one trying to solve my newfound dilemma.

That was three days ago.

I cleared my busy schedule and booked an urgent flight from California, where I lived, to visit my only sibling and younger sister, Sarah in New York. Sarah was not just my sister. She was my backup brain and my moral compass when mine got a little foggy. And she would always—always—help me find a loophole, even if the plan was borderline illegal.

I left home at eighteen for Stanford which was one of the hardest things I had ever done. California was far, but my father didn’t care about distance. He never asked where I wanted to go in the first place. He didn’t need to. He was footing the bill, and in our home, that gave him the final say.

My father was a firm, hardworking and relentless man who gave his children the best, even if it meant being twice as hard on me after Mom passed. He played both roles—father and mother—and expected me to do the same for Sarah.

And I did.

At least, I tried.

Being her big brother was a full-time job. Even now, at twenty-nine, nothing has changed about her. She was still as impulsive and bold as ever—qualities I admired but also feared they could get her into trouble. And into trouble they did. It did not help that her best friend, Valerie, matched her energy step for step. They made the perfect mischievous duo.

Valerie and I had known each other for several years. We tolerated each other—okay, more like coexisted—for Sarah's sake. I thought she was a little too wild, too opinionated, too… unpredictable.

During the time I started counting down to the end of high school, I began to notice the way Valerie looked at me. She would smile shyly and play with her hair every time we had a conversation.

And though I knew the motive behind those gestures, I pushed the thought aside — she was just like a little sister to me. Nothing more. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself, until the moment Valerie stepped into the living room this evening, I noticed how much she had changed. Her body curved into a slender silhouette, the dress hugging her in all the right places. She looked even prettier than I remembered. Her blue eyes skimmed past me as if I weren’t there, but the usual sparkle was gone and her smile faltered which felt a bit off.

I would soon discover that Valerie was the reason Sarah hadn’t come to pick me up from the airport as promised. She canceled at the last minute, citing an “emergency” she refused to explain. It wasn’t until later that I learned exactly who—and what—that emergency really involved.

Right now, I’m sitting across from Sarah at the dinner table, talking after a hearty meal. Valerie had already left. I'm replaying the conversation I had with the CEO for the third time

"You need to be married?," Sarah repeated, eyes wide.

I nodded, rubbing my temples. "Apparently, being single means I'm unstable, untrustworthy and lacking vision"

She rolled her eyes, "that is ridiculous"

"I know"

An intense silence stretched between us. Then she leaned forward, that mischievous glint dancing in her eyes.

"You need a fake wife", she said slowly.

My eyes widened in surprise, "Come again?"

Sarah cleared her throat, "A fake marriage, Jake. Just for the contract", she explained "You need someone who can play the part—wear a ring and win them over"

I couldn’t hold back the laughter that bubbled up, "and where exactly am I supposed to find someone like that? This is not a movie, Sarah"

Her grin only widened, "Actually…"

She stood up, walked to the kitchen, and grabbed her phone.

I narrowed my eyes, "What are you doing?"

"Calling Valerie," she said casually, tapping at her screen without looking up.

"Valerie? Absolutely not", I spat, feeling a surge of frustration that I couldn't swallow or spit out.

"Oh, come on!", Sarah protested, "She is smart, presentable, and already used to dealing with your annoying attitude. Plus, she owes me a favour".

"Sarah—"

"She just got dumped and needs a date before Gina's wedding— kinda like a fake boyfriend and you need a temporary wife. It's perfect", she proposed.

"She is your best friend", I retorted.

"Exactly. Which means I trust her not to screw this up," Sarah quipped, sinking back into the chair she had just stood from.

I rubbed my hands over my face. "This is insane"

She smirked, "So is losing a billion-dollar deal because you are single".

Before I could argue further, she placed the phone to her ear and I watched her speak in a hushed tone. A few minutes later, she ended the call and faced me squarely.

"Well…,” she finally said, eyes gleaming. “I think I’ve got just the idea. But you have to trust me.”

And right then, I knew two things:

One—I had no clue what her plan was.

Two—I was definitely about to do something reckless.