Ch. 11..15: Chapter 11-15

CHAPTER 011: It's Over ~~Luke~~

Today's not going as well as I planned. Well, on the business side, it is. But on the pleasure aspect, I think

I'm screwed.

When Julie sent me the address earlier today, I thought it was just a coincidence. The same restaurant I'm meeting my newest business partner happens to be where I'll be having lunch with Julie and her husband. I should have seen this coming. It's just like they say: when something's too good to be true, it usually is.

I run a hand through my hair, pretending to listen to Ryan's rambling about his company's future while my mind is busy dissecting every single choice that led me here. I should have had my private investigator run a more thorough check on Julie. I can't believe I'd been so careless. This wasn't just bad luck-this was karma coming for me. "So, Mr. Martinez-" Ryan says.

"Luke, please," I cut in, giving him a tight smile. I need to keep things light, professional. Act like I'm not currently wading through an awkward situation with my "business partner's wife.

"Alright, Luke," Ryan beams. "I was saying, the way Couture Collective and Paragon Jewels will complement each other in this campaign is groundbreaking. The luxury market hasn't seen anything like

it."

I nod along, even though I'm only half-listening. I'm more interested in stealing glances at the door where Julie disappeared not long ago. Her quick exit spoke volumes. She's pissed. I don't blame her. But what am I supposed to say? That I had no idea her husband was Ryan, the CEO of the company I'm about to partner with? Sure, that's the truth, but it sounds flimsy even to me.

Ryan keeps talking, and I nod at intervals, throwing in an "interesting" or "that sounds good" every now

and then.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and Julie's name flashes across the screen.

I glance at Ryan, who's still deep in his pitch. "Excuse me," I say, standing up. "I need to take this."

"Of course, of course," Ryan says, waving me off like it's no big deal. "Take your time."

! step outside, feeling the tension follow me out the door. As soon as I'm clear of the restaurant, I hit

answer.

"What the hell is going on, Luke?" Julie's voice comes through the phone, sharp and full of fury. "Did you know Ryan was my husband?"

Great, she's jumping straight into it. No time to ease into this.

"I had no idea," I say, keeping my voice calm. I'm already tired of this conversation, and it hasn't even started. "I swear, Julie. This wasn't part of the plan."

You're lying," she snaps. "You've been grinning all through the meeting. I saw you. You were enjoying yourself!"

"That's my way of holding myself together. What else was I supposed to do? Break down and cry in front

CHAPTER 011: It's Over

of your husband?"

"Maybe don't look like a cat with stolen treats?" she says. "How the hell did this happen, Luke?"

"I didn't know," I say, enunciating each word. "I had no clue Ryan was your husband. Julie, if I had known, I would've handled things differently."

There's a pause, and I can hear her breathing on the other end. It's shallow, frustrated. She's not convinced.

"Fine," she says, her voice icy now. "Let's say I believe you. You know we can't go ahead with this fake boyfriend thing, right? It's over.

"Whoa, hold on," I say quickly, stepping further away from the restaurant door. "Why are we pulling the plug? This can still work."

"Work?" Her voice rises. "How, Luke? How is this supposed to work now that you're partnering with my husband? Do you hear how insane this is?"

I do, but I'm not about to admit that. "Julie, it's not that complicated. We keep things professional. You can still go ahead with the plan. This doesn't have to affect the deal."

She lets out a bitter laugh, and I can almost see her rolling her eyes. "Oh, sure. Because pretending to date you while also working with you isn't complicated at all. Are you listening to yourself?"

"Look, I get it. It's awkward, but we can manage. I'm good at compartmentalizing." I glance at the restaurant window, catching a glimpse of Ryan still at the table, head buried in his phone. "And frankly, Ryan's too caught up in business to care." "Oh, so now you're a relationship expert?" she snaps. "This isn't just awkward, Luke. It's a disaster waiting to happen."

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Julie, we've come this far. There's no reason to throw it all away."

"There's every reason to throw it away! You're insane if you think I'm going to keep this up."

"Come on, Julie," I say. "Don't do this. The campaign-"

"I don't care about the campaign," she cuts me off, her voice trembling with anger. "I care about not making an even bigger mess of my life."

There's a long pause, and I realize I've pushed her too far. I'm about to apologize, to find some way to de-escalate, when she speaks again, her voice cold and final.

"We're done, Luke. I'm done." And with that, she hangs up.

I stare at my phone, dumbfounded. For a second, I can't believe she actually ended the call like that. I try calling her back, but it goes straight to voicemail.

Great. Just great. I glance back at the restaurant window, where I see Julie walking back to the table, her expression unreadable but tense. She's putting on her "everything's fine" face for Ryan, but I know better.

I shove my phone back into my pocket, take a deep breath, and walk back inside.

CHAPTER 012: The Tour

As I approach the table, I make a point of keeping my eyes on Ryan By out of the comer of my eye you, of age. can't help but notice Julie's blouse, it's been torture keping my eyes our of the undone buttons Focas Luke. Don't even go there. "So, Ryan," I say, clearing my throat. I'd love to get a tour of Paragon dewalt sometime See where the magic happens."

Ryan's face lights up, clearly thrilled by the idea. "Absolutely I'd love to show you around. We could sen that up right now, actually."

Julie is silent beside him, her eyes fixed on the table as if she's trying to disappear. She's still funning but Ryan's too busy playing host to notice.

"Would you like to come along, Julie?" I ask, the question innocent enough, but the tension between us is palpable, I'm giving her an out-she can decline, stay away from me for the rest of the day. Or she can come and we'll be forced to play this game a little longer. Julie looks up, her eyes meeting mine for the briefest moment before she turns to Ryan "So, about my guest. He cancelled," she says, her voice calm, controlled, "We'll have to reschedule.

Ryan blinks, surprised. "Oh? I totally forgot about that. Great news. That means you're coming along right?"

Julie nods. "Sure."

As we stand to leave, I can't help but steal another glance at Julie. Her expression is unreadable, but II know she's still pissed.

I just have to figure out how to fix this before everything blows up in our faces.

As we leave the restaurant, with everyone heading for their cars, I stare at Julie. She sides into her car without a word, not even a glance in my direction. I'm tempted to follow her, comer her, and force her to talk to me, but I know better. Pushing her right now would be like poking a bear with a stick

Instead, I head to my car, checking my phone for missed calls, for anything that could distract me from the pit in my stomach. Julie's voice is still ringing in my ears from our earlier argument, and that feeling- the one where I know I've messed up but can't quite figure out how to fix it-is clawing at me. What am I doing?

We arrive at Paragon Jewels within minutes, and Ryan's already there, practically bouncing on his heels, excited to show off his kingdom. Julie, however, is all business, her face set in a professional mask as she steps out of her car. No trace of the woman who had just chewed me out over the phone. She's good at this-compartmentalizing. I thought I was the expert, but she's giving me a run for my money today.

"Ready for the grand tour?" Ryan beams, throwing an arm around Julie's shoulders like they're the perfect power couple.

His touch lingers on her a second too long, and I catch the faintest flinch from her. Not that Ryan notices. He's already marching ahead, leading us into the building.

CHAPTER 012 The Tour

I follow, feeling like an outsider in a story I'm supposed to be a part of

"Paragon's been family-owned for generations," Ryan says, his voice dripping with pride Wooned the reasons we're so successful. We keep things close-knit, just like a family business should be

Ryan continues his enthusiastic tour, walking us through the gleaming hallways of the Pregn headquarters.

"So, Luke," Ryan says, pausing in front of a display case featuring a massive diamond necklace. "What so you think? I bet Couture Collective can't wait to get their hands on this kind of craftermansking"

I nod, not really paying attention to the jewelry. My eyes flicker toward Julie, who's standing a few fes away, staring at the diamonds but clearly lost in thought. Her shoulders are stiff, her lips pressed into a thin line. Before I can say anything, a woman's voice cuts through the air,

"Ryan!"

We all turn to see a blonde-haired lady striding toward us with a bright smile. The type of woman who

knows she's attractive and uses it like a weapon. She saunters up to Ryan and wraps he

him in a way that's too intimate for a staff,

This must be Emily.

around

This is the woman who started the entire mess with Julie's marriage. The woman Ryan cheated on Julie with. The reason Julie's here, trapped in this fake relationship with me. Julie's face is pale, her fists clenched at her sides. She's trying so hard to stay composed, but I can see the cracks in her facade. I can see how much this is costing her. "Emily, what's going on?" Ryan asks, smiling as if there's nothing inappropriate about this public display.

"There's been an emergency," Emily says, still holding on to him, her fingers lightly tracing his arm. "We need you upstairs. Something about the new shipment." Ryan's face falls, torn between playing the charming host and rushing off to deal with whatever crisis is unfolding upstairs. He glances at Julie, then at me.

"Luke, I'm so sorry," Ryan says, his eyes full of regret. "I'll have to cut this short, but Julie can take over from here. She knows the company inside out. You'll be in good hands."

Julie's eyes widen for the briefest second, and I can feel her silent scream from across the room. The last thing she wants is to be left alone with me right now. Not after everything that's happened.

"Of course," I say. "I'm sure Julie will give me the grand tour."

Ryan flashes me an apologetic smile before leaning in to kiss Julie on the cheek. She stands there, frozen, her eyes darting between him and me

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Ryan promises, already halfway out the door with Emily clinging to his side.

As they leave, I hear Emily's voice echo down the hallway. "Wait, Ryan-was that Lucas Martinez? The CEO of Couture Collective?"

CHAPTER 012: The Tour

Ryan's response is lost in the distance, but I don't need to hear it to know what he's saying.

It's just Julie and me now, standing in the middle of Paragon Jewels like two actors left alone on a stage after the audience has gone home. The silence between us is thick.

Julie turns on her heel, her expression locked into professional mode. "Shall we continue?"

I follow her through the maze of displays, past glittering diamonds and precious gemstones. I can't stop thinking about the look on her face when Emily showed up. The way her whole body tensed. I knew this fake relationship drama wasn't real for me, but I'd somehow forgotten that for Julie, it was personal. Painfully so.

This isn't just a game to her. It's her life. And right now, I'm one of the people messing with it.

As we pass by a supply closet, I glance around. The hallway is empty. No one's around.

I don't think. I just act.

Without warning, I reach out and grab Julie's arm, pulling her into the supply closet. She gasps, startled, and spins around to face me as I close the door behind us.

"What the hell, Luke?" she hisses, her voice low but furious. "What do you think you're doing?"

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CHAPTER 013: The Supply Closet

"I'm sorry," I say. "I just... I couldn't stand it anymore."

"Stand what?" Julie snaps. Her arms are crossed so tightly, I'm surprised her blouse doesn't tear at the seams. She's glaring at me like she wants to strangle me.

I take a deep breath, my eyes locking on hers. "Seeing you like that. You were barely holding it together back there, Julie. I couldn't take it anymore."

Her face falls, just for a second. I know I've hit a nerve. "And what do you think you're going to do about it?" she shoots back. "Drag me into a supply closet and fix my life?" "Wouldn't be the worst idea." I lean against the door. "I mean, this is a multi-purpose room, right? Might as well use it to solve a couple of personal crises."

"Wow, Luke," she scoffs, rolling her eyes so hard I'm pretty sure they're going to pop out of her head and roll away. "Very original. If this is your grand plan, you've lost it." "You're right. I've lost it," I reply, stepping closer, lowering my voice. "I've lost the patience to watch you suffer like this. You deserve better than Ryan, better than all of this mess."

"Oh really? And you think you're the answer to my problems? You? The guy who jokes about everything?"

I shrug. "Humor always works. It worked for you last night, didn't it? When you called about a bad dream."

She glares at me, but I catch the twitch of her lips like she's fighting a smile. "You're ridiculous."

"And yet you're still here, trapped in a supply closet with me," I say, taking another step closer. "What does that say about you?"

"That I've officially hit rock bottom," she mutters, crossing her arms tighter. "I don't need you to fix anything, Luke. I just want this to be over."

"And what is 'this,' exactly? Your marriage? Your life? Because the way I see it, you're still fighting for something." I reach out, my fingers brushing against her arm. She doesn't flinch this time. Doesn't pull away either.

"Stop," she whispers, her eyes closing for a moment. But there's no conviction in it. Just exhaustion.

"I can't stop," I say, stepping in even closer, my voice dropping. "I can't stop because you deserve better than this, Julie. And I'll keep telling you that until you believe it."

Her eyes snap open, blazing with a mix of anger and something else. "Better than what? Better than Ryan? He's my husband, Luke."

"And that's supposed to mean something? He's not even there for you. You know what he's doing while you're breaking yourself to hold everything together? Kissing Emily's ass at the office and probably her Hips too. You deserve someone who treats you like you're the center of his world."

Julie's face hardens, but there's a flicker of pain behind her eyes. She turns, pressing her back against the shelves like she's trying to disappear into the wall. "It's not that simple. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," I challenge, stepping right into her space now, until there's barely an inch between us. "Divorce him, Julie. Leave his sorry ass behind. He's not worth the stress."

CHAPTER 013. The Supply Clos

"And what would I have left? Nothing?" she shoots back, her voice shaking. "I've already given up everything for him. My pride, my sanity, my-" she cuts herself off, biting her lip as if speaking any more would break her.

I swallow the anger boiling in my chest. "Fine. Then let's keep fighting," I say. "Since that's what you want, let's do it. We'll revive the plan. Play the game. Make him think you've moved on and can't stand to look back. We'll fake this relationship, take it up a notch. Make Ryan think you're the one in control now." Julie scoffs. "You're his business partner, Luke. It's crazy."

"It's perfect," I insist. "You've got leverage, Julie. If he thinks I'm on your side, he'll feel the heat. He can't afford to lose control over me, and he sure as hell won't let you go if he thinks you're the key to keeping me happy. Use that. When you start making demands like him kicking Emily out of his life-he'll have no choice but to do it."

She stares at me like I've sprouted a second head. "You're seriously suggesting I manipulate my husband?

"Your cheating husband. And yes, I am. You want him back? Fine. But do it on your terms. Not his."

Julie laughs. "And what exactly would that make me? You're telling me to build my marriage on what? Fear? Control? That's not love, Luke."

I step even closer, our bodies almost touching, my breath hot against her cheek. "Are we really talking about love when it comes to you and Ryan anymore? Or are you just fighting to win? Because I can't tell the difference."

Her eyes flash with something like desperation. "I want my husband back," she says. "But I want love too.

"You deserve love," I say, leaning in, so close I can smell the faint scent of her perfume. "You deserve to be loved right and by the right person."

For a moment, there's nothing but silence between us. Her breath catches, and I can feel the heat between us. She's searching my eyes, trying to figure out what's happening.

"This is crazy," she mutters. "We shouldn't be doing this."

"Maybe," I say, my voice rougher now. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop."

The door suddenly creaks open, and we both jump.

CHAPTER 014: Footage

~~Julie~~

Oh, god.

I don't know what came over me.

The person standing at the door, eyes wide, is a cleaning guy.

"Uh, sorry," he mumbles, backing away quickly, clearly not wanting to deal with whatever weird situation he just walked into.

I step away from Luke, shaking my head. "See? This is what happens when you drag me into a closet to fix my life."

"What happens?" he asks, leaning against the wall.

"People see."

"And?"

Koll my eyes. "You're impossible."

"Yeah, but you like me anyway," he says with a wink.

I don't say anything else. I just grip Luke's hand and start pulling him out of the closet, toward the hallway. My pulse is racing, though whether it's from the cleaning guy busting in or the fact that Luke had been way too close just a minute ago, I'm not sure. "Alright, Mr. Martinez," I say, once we're fully outside. "Back to the real world."

Luke raises an eyebrow. "We were just getting started."

I shoot him a look. "I don't know what kind of start you think we had in a supply closet, but trust me, it's

over."

"For now."

I ignore him and straighten my blouse, trying to regain some sense of control. "Let's continue the tour, shall we?" My tone is professional.

Luke stretches his arms lazily and shakes his head. "Nah, no need. I don't need a tour anymore."

""You don't?"

"Nope," he says, hands in his pockets, looking far too comfortable for someone who'd just been caught red-handed. "Anything I need to know about navigating this place, I'll learn from you during our fake relationship." I cross my arms. "Oh really? You think you're so smooth."

He steps closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur, sending a ripple through me. "I don't think. I know."

"Stop," I snap, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. "I haven't even decided about this whole fake relationship thing yet."

CHAPTER 014. Footage

Luke looks genuinely surprised. "You haven't? What's holding you back?"

"It's not like I'm against the idea. I just need time to think."

He looks at me for a moment, searching my face like he's trying to figure me out. "Okay," he says, gentle. Take your time."

For a moment, we just stand there, staring at each other. The space between us feels charged, but neither of us moves.

Finally, Luke clears his throat. "Well, I guess I should head out. Say goodbye to Ryan for me."

I nod, my throat tight. "Sure. I will."

As he walks away, I let my eyes follow him without thinking. There's something about the way he moves, so effortless, like he knows exactly what kind of effect he has. When he turns around, catching me staring, I freeze. Luke winks.

Heat rushes to my face. I spin around so fast I nearly trip over my own feet, mortified. What the hell is wrong with me?

I don't look back as I head for my office, trying to shake the image of his stupid grin out of my mind.

Later that evening~~

When I get home, I'm greeted by the low hum of the TV and the sound of laughter. Ryan and Emily are curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, cozy as hell.

Emily spots me first, her eyes lighting up like she's genuinely happy to see me. "Hey, Julie! How was your day?"

I force a tight smile. "Fine."

Ryan doesn't even glance my way. "How'd it go with Martinez?" he asks, eyes glued to the screen. His hand is resting on Emily's leg in a way that makes me want to scream.

"He was cool," I say, crossing my arms. "I think our companies will be in partnership for a long time."

That gets Ryan's attention. He finally looks at me, his face lighting up. "Really? That's fantastic news!" He turns to me, beaming. "He's so smart. Single-handedly raised Couture Collective to where it is today. Phenomenal." "Absolutely," I agree, even though all I want to do is throw something at him.

Emily shifts uncomfortably, clearly not enjoying the way Ryan's now focused on me. She interrupts with a high-pitched voice, "Um, babe, we're missing the best part of the movie."

Ryan blinks, as if snapping out of it. He leans down, kissing her forehead. "Sorry, love. Let's get back to it." Just like that, I'm invisible again. He turns his attention back to the TV, forgetting I'm even in the room.

I head to the kitchen, needing something, anything to do with my hands. The coffee machine is my

first

CHAPTER 014 Footage

instinct, but the thought of them giggling under that stupid blanket makes me change my mind. I don't need coffee. I need something stronger,

I grab a shot glass and head to the wine cellar, pulling out the good whiskey-the kind Ryan never touches because it's "too harsh."

I pour myself a shot and down it in one go, the burn in my throat a welcome distraction. When I return to the living room, glass in hand, Ryan's the first to notice.

"Everything okay?" he asks, eyebrows raised.

I shrug, sitting down in the armchair, far from the cozy couple. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"You're drinking whiskey right after work," he says.

I shrug again, not looking at him. "Long day, I guess."

Ryan's grin widens. Something mischievous dances in his eyes. "Or is it because your boyfriend didn't show up for lunch?"

My what? And then I remember I was supposed to introduce Luke to Ryan as my boyfriend. Well, that didn't go as planned. Nothing in my life ever goes as they're supposed to. My husband wants another woman, a cheesy blonde bitch who thinks monogamy is outdated. My grip tightens on the glass. Ryan wants to play games? Fine.

I open my mouth, ready to rip into him, but before I can get the words out, Emily suddenly pipes up. "Oh my god, look at this!" she exclaims, grabbing Ryan's attention. "Someone just sent a video."

Ryan frowns. "What video?"

Emily holds up her phone, her face scrunched in confusion. "It's... it's security footage. From the office."

My stomach drops. Oh, god. No.

Ryan leans in closer, squinting at the screen. "What am I looking at?"

Emily's voice is small, hesitant, like she knows this is bad. "It's Mr. Martinez. And... Julie. They're in a supply closet."

CHAPTER 015: Family Moments

I feel the blood drain from my face as Ryan's eyes slowly turn toward me, his expression unreadable. That stare-cold, calculating-sends a chill down my spine, but I don't flinch. I won't give him the satisfaction. "What the hell is this, Julie?"

I take a deep breath, trying to play it cool even though my heart is pounding in my chest. "What does it look like?" I ask. I lean back into my seat and cross one leg over the other.

Ryan's jaw tightens. "It looks like you've got some explaining to do."

"Do I?"

God, I hate this. Why is it always a performance with him? Why does he get to be the one who's angry?

Emily, who's still clutching her phone like it's a live grenade, glances nervously between the two of us. I can tell she's trying to figure out how to mediate without getting caught in the crossfire. Good luck with that.

"Uh, maybe we should just..." she starts.

1 cut her off with a sharp look. "Who sent that video, Emily?"

She hesitates, eyes flicking to Ryan as if hoping he'll rescue her from answering. Of course, she doesn't want to say. She loves playing the innocent act, but I'm not buying it. Not today.

"I-I don't know if I should say," Emily stammers, her face flushing.

Pathetic. "Oh, don't give me that," I snap, standing up. "If you're going to pull out security footage of me, at least have the guts to tell me who sent it."

Ryan steps in, his voice sharp. "That's not the issue here, Julie. The real question is-are you the one being pulled into the supply closet by Luke?"

I turn to him, meeting his stare head-on. "Yes. I am."

There's a beat of silence that seems to stretch for eternity. I watch his eyes narrow. I can see the wheels turning in his head, the calculations, the rationalizations, trying to make sense of what I just admitted. "Why?" His voice is tight, controlled, but I can hear the anger in it.

"Why?" I echo. "Because it's none of your damn business, that's why."

Ryan's jaw clenches, his fists balling at his sides. "It sure as hell is my business when it involves my wife and my business partner!"

"Oh, now you care about what's going on in my life?" I spit back. "You didn't seem to care when you were off playing house with her."

I shoot a look at Emily, who visibly shrinks into the couch, her face pale. I almost feel bad for her-almost -but then I remember she's part of this mess, too.

Ryan's face turns red, and I can see the tension building in his neck. "This is different, and you know it." "Different how?" I ask, folding my arms. "Because I'm not sleeping with someone under our roof?"

CHAPTER 015 Family Moments

Emily clears her throat, trying to ease the tension. "Maybe we should all just calm down-"

"Stay out of this," Ryan snaps at her, not even sparing her a glance. His eyes are locked on mine, full of fire. "Are you seriously going to compare what I'm doing with you messing around with Luke? My business partner?"

I throw my hands up. "Oh, my God, Ryan, give it a rest. Luke being your business partner is irrelevant. My personal life isn't up for discussion."

His eyes flash, and for a second, I see something in them I can't quite place. Fear? Betrayal? It's there for a split second before he hides it behind the anger again. "Your personal life became very relevant when you started sneaking around."

I take a step toward him, refusing to back down. "I'm not sneaking around. I just haven't paraded my relationship in front of you like you have with Emily."

That hits a nerve. Ryan's face darkens, and for a moment, I wonder if I've gone too far. But I don't back down. Not this time.

"Why didn't you introduce him to me earlier today?" Ryan demands.

Because we didn't know!" I shout back, throwing my arms out. "We didn't know each other's real names until lunch today! It was as much of a shock to me as it was to you."

Ryan stares at me, dumbfounded. "What the hell are you talking about?"

I grit my teeth, feeling my patience wearing thin. "Luke and I started dating a while ago. But neither of us knew who the other really was. We never used last names. We just... connected, okay? It was fun. It was... "So, what-you're telling me it was all a coincidence? That you just happened to start dating the one person who could blow up everything between me and my company?"

"Exactly," I say. "It was a coincidence, Ryan. I didn't plan this, and neither did Luke. But now that we know, we're figuring it out."

There's a dead silence in the room. Emily looks like she's about to crawl out of her skin, while Ryan just stares at me, his face unreadable. I can feel the weight of his disappointment, his anger, pressing down on me like a boulder.

And then he speaks, his voice calm. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said," I start, my voice steady even though my heart is racing, "Luke is my boyfriend. And we're figuring things out."

It feels so good calling Luke my boyfriend. I feel like saying it again just to get that look on Ryan's face. The silence that follows is deafening. Ryan looks at me like I've just slapped him across the face, while Emily's mouth is slightly open, blinking as if trying to process what's happening.

Ryan's voice, when it finally comes, is low and cold. "You need to end whatever this is. Right now."