The Stage Is Set.
The ballroom was a symphony of polished marble, clinking crystal, and expensive perfume. Chatter wove between jazz notes, and laughter floated up to the high-arched ceilings, bouncing off golden chandeliers and plastered smiles.
Arielle Vaughn stood near the balcony doors, clutching a champagne flute like her life depended on it. The silk of her crimson gown hugged her too tightly, like the night was trying to squeeze her out of place. She had spent three hours getting ready, but now her lipstick felt wrong and her heels a punishment.
"Smile, Ari," she whispered to herself, forcing her lips into a pleasant curve.
She was here to represent the Vaughn Foundation, to support Jason,the man she had dated for the last two years. The man she had supported through three job transitions, two family deaths, and one emotionally distant mother. Her boyfriend and safe bet.
Tonight was supposed to be a celebration....Of him....Of them.
Then she saw him.Jason. Laughing with someone who wasn't her by the fountain centerpiece.Arielle tilted her head slightly, trying not to look obvious as her gaze followed his.
The woman was stunning. She had Ice-blonde hair, skin like porcelain, legs for days in a backless emerald gown. She leaned in, fingers brushing Jason's chest like she belonged there.
Arielle's stomach turned, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt.Until he kissed her right there, in front of everyone.
Arielle's heart thudded so loud she didn't hear the gasp behind her or the woman beside her murmur, "Oh my God, is that Jason?"
She blinked twice. The world narrowed and cracked.
She dropped the champagne flute. It didn't shatter,it just tipped over on the floor near her gown, spilling gold bubbles onto red silk. No one moved to help. She couldn't breathe.
Her hands shook, but she didn't cry. Her pride wouldn't let her,at least,not here. Not in front of the same board members who praised Jason last week for his "vision and discipline." Not in front of the women who had once looked at her and said, You're lucky. He's quite a catch.
No,definitely not here.
She turned on her heel. The click of her stilettos echoed louder than the music. Her heart racing fast,she walked out through the ballroom's double doors without looking back.
Outside, the cool night slapped her across the face. The scent of exhaust fumes and roasted peanuts from a street cart cut through the luxury haze that clung to her skin. Central Park glittered across the street like a promise she couldn't trust yet she didn't stop.
The tears came now– hot and angry ones of betrayal, sliding down her cheeks as she pushed past a valet, ignored a concerned stranger, and crossed into the darker edge of the park. Stupid yeah,but nothing about tonight made sense.
Why? Why would he do that? They hadn't been perfect. But they'd been stable or so she thought. They were supposed to go ring shopping next month. His mother had sent her a Pinterest board of engagement rings and he had kissed another woman with the carelessness of someone who knew there'd be no consequences.
The betrayal wasn't just in the kiss. It was in the public spectacle. The complete lack of shame.
She stumbled near a bench, pulled off one of her shoes, and let out a choked, bitter laugh. She was the perfectly polished girlfriend turned pitiful park crier. Somewhere, Jason was still inside sipping whiskey, charming someone new.
And she was unraveling beneath moonlight and misery.
She sat, back pressed to cold iron. Heels in her lap. Face tilted to the stars like maybe they'd offer a reason.
Instead, she screamed. One raw, primal sound ripped from the center of her chest.
A few moments later, a voice answered her silence. "Rough night?".... Arielle turned fast, startled. A tall figure leaned against a black SUV a few paces away, partially cloaked in the shadows cast by a tree and the streetlamp behind him.
She couldn't see much— just sharp lines of a dark coat, the gleam of expensive leather shoes, and the glint of a watch peeking from his cuff. From his appearance,though distant, Ari could tell he was a wealthy and somewhat dangerous.
"Who are you?" she asked, instantly on alert.
"Just someone with better instincts than your boyfriend."
Her spine straightened. "Excuse me?"
"I was inside....saw everything."
Of course he had. She swallowed hard, gripping her heels like they were weapons.
He pushed away from the car and stepped into better light.
Her breath caught. He was dark-haired, sculpted like a villain from a mafia novel. His gray eyes were winter steel, cold but clear. His presence was almost supernatural,quiet power cloaked in silk and shadow.
He really looked like money and dark secrets.
"Are you here to mock me?" she snapped.
"No. I don't have time for petty cruelty. Just… observing."
"Then observe somewhere else."
He tilted his head. "Most women would accept a coat, not snarl."
"I'm not most women."
His lip curved, barely. "I know."
That unsettled her more than it should've. "What do you want?" she asked finally, exhausted.
He paused, as if choosing his words mattered. "To offer you an out. A distraction or maybe more."
She narrowed her eyes. "From who? You?"
"No. From whatever you thought that life was going to be."
He stepped forward, slowly. It was deliberate, but non-threatening action. His cologne carried hints of cedar and quiet danger.
"You could be angry, humiliated or even vengeful." His eyes dropped to her hand, still gripping her stilettos. "But you're not. You're just... done. You want to be somewhere else. Someone else."
She said nothing.
"I can give you that." he added without any hint emotion.
Her laughter was dry. "That sounds like the opening line of a Netflix thriller."
"I'm not asking you into a van, Arielle."
Her heart thudded again. "How do you know my name?"
He paused. "Jason said it loudly during his toast earlier." The sarcasm and tone in his voice gave the lie away. But somehow, it didn't scare her.
"What are you offering, exactly?" she asked.
"A deal." he replied. She lifted her brows.
"Pretend to be my fiancée for three months." he said again,seriousness written all over him.
A beat of silence passed between them like thunder in the distance.
"That's not funny," she whispered.
"I'm not joking."
She waited for the punchline, the smirk, the tell,something to give him away. But he stood there like someone used to being taken seriously.
"I don't even know your name," she whispered.
"Leon Mikhailov."
Her breath caught. The name tasted familiar. Whispers. Rumors. Russian. Dangerous. Maybe part of old money Or newer, darker money.
"I've heard of you."
He nodded. "Most people have."
"And you want me… to play your fiancée?"
"Publicly for a few days. There are events,deals... Politics. Having someone beside me makes things… smoother."
"And you're choosing me? A woman who just got publicly humiliated?" She was obviously full of doubt.
"You're believable and oh well.....raw. You have fire."
Ari stared. Her heart said run but her pride said hell yes. She was tired of being overlooked and controlled. This man right here,in front of her, didn't just see her. He chose her. But of course,she had questions.
Leon's gaze didn't waver as she stepped closer.
"What do I get out of this?" Arielle asked, lifting her chin.
"Freedom, a fresh story,a new ending and three months to be someone no one expects."
She blinked. "Three months?"
"That's the deal." Leon added
"That's a long time to pretend." Ari was still unconvinced
"You're the one who needs a long break from reality," he said smoothly. "Besides, short lies are harder to believe... longer ones… feel real."
Arielle hesitated. Three months of lies for a chance to rewrite her life and to erase Jason's betrayal. Enough time and period to hide, from not just the world but herself.
"And what do you get, Mr. Mikhailov?"
His smile was slow, deliberate. "Someone the world won't question at my side. A personality they can't predict."
She stared at him for another long moment. Then she nodded.
"Three months," she repeated slowly.
His hand extended toward her, not for a handshake but an invitation. She placed hers in it.
"Deal," he said.
And just like that, in that moment, Arielle Vaughn made a decision that would change everything.