A Billionaire Hires an Actress to Be His Fiancée, and What Happens Changes Everything
Beyond the Pretense
The Greer estate felt emptier without Ivy. Sebastian threw himself into work, trying to salvage his business.
But he couldn’t escape the memories. Sophie noticed the change.
“Is Ivy coming back?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.”
“Why did she leave?”
“Because sometimes grown-ups make mistakes, and I made a big one.”
“Then you should fix it,”
Sophie said.
“If you love her, you should tell her.”
The answer hit Sebastian like a freight train. He did love her. Meanwhile, Ivy was back in her tiny apartment. The life she had known before felt hollow.
One evening, Claire arrived at her door with a letter.
“He misses you. And Sophie asks about you every day.”
“I don’t know if I can go back. Look what it cost him.”
“It cost him more to lose you,”
Claire said before leaving. Ivy opened the letter.
“Ivy, I made a mistake letting you go. None of it matters without you. Please let me prove this is real. It always was. Sebastian.”
Tears blurred her vision. The next morning, Ivy hailed a cab to the estate.
“I need to see Sebastian,”
She told the intercom. Inside the office, Sebastian froze when she stepped in.
“I got your letter. And I needed to see you.”
“I meant every word.”
“I think I made a mistake leaving,”
Ivy said. Sebastian crossed the room and pulled her into an embrace.
“We can figure it out together.”
That evening, they sat with Sophie. Sebastian’s demeanor had softened.
“This won’t be easy,”
Ivy said.
“I know. But I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
Sebastian called a meeting with his PR team.
“I’m owning up to the truth. I won’t let this lie define us.”
He released a statement to the press.
“I made a mistake thinking I could control love. What started as a business deal became something far more meaningful.”
Ivy read it with a tightening chest.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did. I meant every word.”
Over the next few weeks, Sebastian worked to rebuild trust. He spent more time with Sophie and opened up to Ivy about his fears.
“You make me want to be better,”
He admitted.
“You already are,”
Ivy replied. Margaret noticed the change too.
“You’re not the same woman, and neither is Sebastian.”
At a family gathering, a cousin made a cutting remark about the past arrangement.
“Ivy is part of this family now,”
Sebastian cut in coldly.
“If you can’t accept that, then you’re welcome to leave.”
Ivy’s heart swelled with gratitude. Weeks turned into a natural rhythm. One night on the patio, Ivy admitted her fears.
“I don’t want to lose this. I don’t want to lose you or Sophie.”
“You’re not going to lose us.”
Later, Margaret spoke with Ivy in the garden.
“Sebastian chose you because you’re not like anyone else. You make him happy. That’s a man in love.”
That evening, Ivy asked him where they stood.
“It’s everything to me,”
Sebastian said.
“Then why haven’t you told me how you feel?”
“Because I was afraid of scaring you away.”
He took her hands.
“I love you, Ivy. I’ve loved you since I realized you weren’t just pretending anymore.”
“I love you too,”
She whispered. A few weeks later, they sat watching Sophie play.
“Marry me?”
Sebastian asked.
“Are you serious?”
“I’ve never been more serious about anything.”
Ivy nodded, tears spilling over.
“Yes, of course, yes.”
The following days were a dream. They planned a small ceremony. Margaret was overjoyed.
“Does this mean you’ll be my mommy now?”
Sophie asked one night.
“It means I’ll always be here for you,”
Ivy replied. The morning of the wedding arrived with clear skies.
Sebastian stood at the end of the aisle. When Ivy stepped into view in her ivory dress, his composure faltered.
“This is your moment, my boy,”
Margaret whispered.
At the altar, Sebastian took her hands.
“You’ve shown me what it means to love and be loved. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy.”
“I promise to stand by you through everything,”
Ivy replied.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
They shared a kiss that spoke of every emotion they had fought to express. As the sun set, they stood together.
“Are you happy?”
“Happier than I ever thought I could be.”
A year later, life at the estate continued to evolve. One night at dinner, seven-year-old Sophie looked up.
“Are we going to have a baby?”
Ivy choked on her drink.
“I just think it would be fun to have a little brother or sister.”
“Well, that’s something to think about,”
Ivy said, blushing. Later, Sebastian pulled her closer by the fireplace.
“I think it would be incredible. But only if it’s what you want too.”
“Let’s take it one step at a time.”
On the balcony overlooking the city, Sebastian wrapped his arms around her.
“Do you ever think about how far we’ve come?”
“All the time. It’s hard to believe we started as a lie.”
“But it became the truest thing in my life,”
Sebastian said.
“And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“Neither would I.”
They kissed, the city lights twinkling below as a testament to their journey.
