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Five

Amélia's Point of View

I returned to my desk, still in shock. My mind was racing with everything that had just happened. This morning, I’d left the house worried, wondering how I would keep a roof over our heads. Now, by some twist of fate, I’d secured three million dollars.

It wasn’t a real engagement—this arrangement with Leonardo was purely business. But still, in a matter of minutes, I was about to get married.

When I reached my cubicle, I sat down, closing my eyes to focus on my breathing. It was the only thing keeping me from completely losing it.

“Are you okay?” asked Megan, my friend and coworker.

I opened my eyes, trying to nod, but suddenly tears pricked at the corners.

“Oh, honey,” Megan said, her expression filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I... can’t talk about it here,” I whispered.

She looked around, sympathetic. “Dana will kill us if we sneak out now, but at lunch, we’re going somewhere quiet, and you can tell me everything.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I could really tell Megan everything. But she had always been someone I could trust. And I had to tell someone—I couldn’t keep it all inside.

Not that I could tell my mom. She’d panic if she knew I’d agreed to marry someone for money, even if it was to help us out of debt. She would say that no matter how bad things got, this wasn’t the answer. But it was. Things were that bad, and I was not going to let us end up on the streets.

When lunch finally came around, Megan and I slipped out of the office. She insisted on a trendy café nearby, despite my hesitation about the price. When I admitted I was low on funds, she insisted on covering me.

Soon, I’d have more money than I’d ever dreamed of, and I’d repay everyone who’d helped me along the way.

“Alright,” Megan said, once we’d sat down at Fresh Roast Bistro. “What on earth happened to you?”

I took a deep breath and spilled everything—the bills piling up, the threat of foreclosure, how I’d stolen hotel soaps as a desperate measure, and finally, Leonardo’s crazy proposal.

“Leonardo Ricci? You’re kidding me,” Megan said, her eyes practically glowing. “That man is every woman’s dream.”

I snorted. “It gets crazier.”

I told her the rest of it: the foreclosure, his condition to marry him, and the financial deal he offered me. When I finished, Megan was just blinking at me in disbelief.

“Yeah, that’s how I felt,” I muttered.

“Amélia, this is insane,” she finally managed. “Are you really going to do this?”

I sighed. “I don’t have a choice, Meg. What else can I do? Without this, my mom and I are going to lose everything. She’s already struggling with her health, and I can’t let this make things worse for her.”

She reached over and gave my hand a squeeze. “You’re one of the most selfless people I know.”

“Stop,” I said, embarrassed. “You’d do the same thing if it were your mom.”

She nodded, sighing. “Yeah, I probably would. But this is a lot, Amélia. Although, let’s be real, if you’re going to be around someone as gorgeous as Leonardo… Well, there are worse sacrifices to make!”

I laughed and shook my head. “It’s not like I’m some fairy-tale princess being swept off my feet. He doesn’t even want me—he just wants what I can do for his image.”

“Do you think he might back out of the money deal?”

That thought hadn’t crossed my mind. “No… surely, he’ll keep his word?”

“Just… make sure you’re careful. You’re entering into a deal that’s too important not to.”

I nodded, feeling the weight of the arrangement settle on my shoulders. As long as he kept his promise, this could work out. I’d just have to make sure I kept my heart out of it—something I didn’t expect to be too difficult. We both knew what this marriage really was: mutual convenience.

But then, he’d hinted the door to his bedroom would be open...

“What if he expects more from me?” I asked, almost to myself.

Megan grinned. “Is that a bad thing? Most women would do anything to be in your shoes.”

It wasn’t that I found him unattractive—he was almost too perfect. But I was still a virgin, and marriage to someone who only needed a “fake wife” wasn’t what I’d envisioned for my first time.

When we returned from lunch, I felt a bit more at ease. But just as I started getting back into work, a message popped up from Leonardo, requesting to see me again. Irritated, I went to his office.

“I have work to do, you know,” I muttered as I walked in. “You can’t just summon me whenever you feel like it. Dana’s going to fire me if this keeps up.”

“Don’t worry about Dana,” he said, slipping on his blazer. “You’re coming with me.”

“Where are we going?” I asked, folding my arms.

“Home.”

“We’re not even married yet, and suddenly we have a ‘home’? This is getting out of hand, Leonardo!” I huffed.

He chuckled at my impatience. “Calm down, Amélia. It’s all closer than you think.”

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