Elena sat at the café table, nervously stirring her coffee. When Ethan asked to meet, she thought maybe it was about a new project—or perhaps about Alex climbing into the HR manager's handbag yesterday, calling it a "spy mission."
But when Ethan walked in, wearing a suit and an unreadable expression, she immediately sensed this was… different.
"Thanks for coming," he said, sitting down. He slid a folder across the table.
Elena peeked at it and froze.
"Marriage contract?!"
"Fake marriage," he clarified. "Emphasis on fake."
Elena blinked. "Okay, so either I'm on a hidden camera show… or you've lost your mind."
"I wish it was the first one." Ethan leaned back and sighed. "Long story short—my dad left a ridiculous condition in his will. If I don't get married this year, I lose EC Games. And Alex… well…"
"Alex is your tiny emotional blackmailer," Elena nodded.
"Exactly."
"And you want me to pretend to marry you… why me?"
"Well," he shrugged, "you saved Alex, you're smart, you're not obsessed with my money or my face—which is rare, apparently—and Alex keeps calling you 'mummy candidate number one.'"
Elena took a long sip of her coffee. "So you're saying… become your fake wife. Live in a house with a CEO and his dramatic son. Attend public events like a couple. Keep it secret from everyone except your assistant and your lawyer."
"Yes."
"…Do I at least get my own room?"
"Of course. Unless Alex tries to bunk with you. He's clingy."
Elena looked at him, then burst out laughing.
"I can't believe I'm considering this," she said, flipping through the contract. "But the money's good. And I do love drama."
"So…?"
She reached for a pen. "Let's make it the most chaotic, fake, utterly scandalous marriage this city has ever seen."
Ethan smirked. "That's the spirit, Mrs. Contract CEO."
From behind a potted plant, a very sneaky little boy whispered into his walkie-talkie:
"Operation Parent Trap: Phase One… success."