Chapter 4: Rules of the Pretend Game

Ethan Montgomery had made a lot of deals in his life, but none as dangerous as this one.

Sitting across from Olivia in her cozy apartment, he realized just how high the stakes were. Not just for his business, but for his sanity.

Pretending to be engaged to the woman who had just rejected his real proposal?

Absolute madness.

And yet, here they were.

"So," Olivia said, arms crossed, her hazel eyes scrutinizing him. "If we're going to pull this off, we need some rules."

Ethan exhaled, leaning back against the couch. "Rules?"

"Yes," she said firmly. "If we don't set boundaries, this whole thing will fall apart before it even begins."

He arched his brow. "And you think you're the one who should be making the rules?"

"I know I am," she shot back. "You're the one who needs my help, remember?"

Fair point.

Ethan sighed and gestured for her to continue. "Fine. Let's hear them."

Olivia took a deep breath, as if mentally preparing herself.

"Rule number one," she began, "no actual romance."

Ethan smirked. "Isn't that kind of the point of an engagement?"

She shot him a glare. "I mean no real romance. No flirting unless it's in public. No kissing unless we have an audience. And definitely no… other things."

Ethan's lips twitched. "Other things?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Do I?" he teased. "Because you're being awfully vague."

Her cheeks flushed, and she grabbed a pillow from the couch, tossing it at him. "Don't be a jerk, Ethan."

He caught the pillow with ease, chuckling. "Alright, alright. No other things. Got it."

Olivia pursed her lips but moved on. "Rule number two: We don't talk about the past."

His smirk faded.

She was serious now, her eyes avoiding him.

"No talking about what happened at the restaurant," she continued. "No rehashing why I said no. No analyzing our relationship. This is a business arrangement now. Nothing more."

Ethan swallowed hard.

He didn't like that rule.

But maybe it was necessary.

If he let himself dwell on why Olivia had rejected him, if he let himself keep wondering if she had ever truly loved him the way he loved her… this whole thing would be unbearable.

"Fine," he said, his voice quieter. "No past talk."

Olivia nodded, looking relieved. "Rule number three: We have an expiration date. Two weeks. That's it. No extensions, no last-minute changes. Once the gala is over, we go back to our separate lives."

Ethan forced a smirk. "You make it sound like I'd want to keep pretending to be engaged to you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Trust me, you wouldn't."

He chuckled, but there was an unexpected pang in his chest.

Did she really think so little of the idea of being with him?

He pushed the thought aside. "Okay, so we fake an engagement for two weeks, then we 'break up' in a way that won't make me look bad to Donovan."

Olivia nodded. "Exactly."

Ethan stretched out his legs, considering. "And how do we convince people we're really engaged? We can't just slap a ring on your finger and hope no one asks questions."

Olivia hesitated. "We'll need a story. Something believable. And we need to spend time together in public—just enough to make it look real."

A slow grin spread across his face. "So… we're going on fake dates?"

She groaned. "Don't make it weird."

"Too late."

She threw another pillow at him.

---

The First Step: The Engagement Announcement

The next morning, Olivia regretted everything.

Not just saying yes to Ethan's insane request, but also agreeing to let him handle the official engagement announcement.

Which, apparently, meant a staged photo.

In his office.

With his entire staff watching.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered under her breath as Ethan guided her into Montgomery & Pierce Real Estate's main lobby.

"It's necessary," Ethan countered, not bothering to lower his voice. "People expect a show."

A show was an understatement.

The entire office had stopped working the moment they walked in. Phones went unanswered, emails were left hanging, and all eyes were glued to them.

It didn't help that Ethan had his arm firmly wrapped around her waist, pulling her close in a way that made her skin tingle.

"Alright, everyone," Ethan announced smoothly, his voice carrying through the office. "Since half of you already saw the proposal video, I figured it was time to make it official."

A murmur of excitement spread through the room.

Olivia forced a smile. Just play along, she reminded herself.

Ethan turned to her, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Shall we, fiancée?"

Before she could respond, he lifted her left hand and slid the engagement ring onto her finger.

It fit perfectly.

Her breath caught.

He had chosen this ring before the rejection. Before this entire charade.

Which meant… he had chosen it for her for real.

Something in her chest tightened.

Ethan gave her a knowing look, as if he could read her thoughts. Then, without warning, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

The office erupted into cheers.

Olivia forced herself to smile, to act like a woman who had just gotten engaged to the love of her life.

But deep down, she felt like she was playing with fire.

Because the way Ethan held her, the way his lips had brushed against her skin… it felt a little too real.

And that was dangerous.

Because there was one rule she hadn't thought to set.

Rule number four: Don't fall for him again.

And judging by the way her heart was racing…

She was already in trouble.