Millionaire Proposes A Fake Engagement To His Best Friend. He Ends Up Falling In Love For Real.
The Legal Trap
Lena barely slept that night. The moment she shut her eyes, her mind replayed every second of the dinner with Caleb’s grandfather.
She remembered the sharp glint in the old man’s eyes and the way he had dissected every word she spoke. Worst of all was the expectation that they would now be planning a wedding.
“A wedding.”
She stared at the ceiling of her small apartment. The diamond ring on her finger caught the dim glow of the streetlights outside. This had escalated far beyond what she had signed up for.
By the time the sun crept through her window, she had made up her mind. She was going to tell Caleb that this was too much. They needed to find another way.
But when she arrived at his office later that morning, the situation had already spiraled further out of control. The receptionist barely glanced at her before waving her through.
She strode past the sleek glass walls, her heels clicking against the marble floors until she reached Caleb’s office. The door was already open.
She froze in the doorway at the sight of a woman sitting across from Caleb. The woman had her arms crossed and an unreadable expression.
“Lena.”
Caleb said, standing up. His voice was steady, but there was something in his eyes—something off.
The woman turned, assessing Lena with a gaze that left nothing unnoticed. Her tailored suit was pristine and her dark hair was pulled into a sleek bun. She exuded power.
“Lena Burke,” the woman said, her tone measured. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Lena forced a polite smile even as unease settled in her stomach.
“I hope it’s all good things.”
The woman didn’t return the smile.
“That remains to be seen.”
Caleb cleared his throat.
“Lena, this is Victoria Langley. She’s my grandfather’s legal adviser.”
Lena’s pulse quickened.
“Legal advisor?”
That couldn’t be good.
“As I was just explaining to Caleb,” Victoria continued. “His grandfather wants assurances. A legally binding agreement that ensures this engagement isn’t just a fleeting arrangement.”
Lena’s stomach dropped.
“A what?”
Victoria pulled a folder from her bag and slid it across the desk.
“A marriage contract, signed and notarized before the wedding.”
Lena’s heart pounded so loudly she almost couldn’t hear anything else.
“You can’t be serious.”
She said, her voice breathless. Victoria merely arched a perfectly sculpted brow.
“Mister Montgomery is a cautious man. He won’t allow his grandson to make a mockery of this engagement. If this is real, then there should be no problem putting it in writing.”
Lena turned to Caleb, expecting him to look just as panicked as she felt. Instead, his face was unreadable. His hands were clasped together on the desk.
“You’re actually considering this?”
She asked, disbelief lacing her words. Caleb exhaled slowly.
“I don’t have a choice, Lena.”
The weight of those words settled between them. Victoria stood, smoothing out her blazer.
“I’ll give you both time to review the terms. But know this: Mr. Montgomery is expecting a signed contract by the end of the week.”
She turned on her heel and strode out, leaving only the sound of the door clicking shut behind her. Lena stared at Caleb.
“Tell me you’re not going to sign that.”
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Lena—”
“Caleb,” she cut him off, her voice rising. “This was supposed to be fake. Now there’s a legal contract, a wedding date. How much further is this going to go?”
He looked at her then, really looked at her, and something flickered in his gaze. It was something she couldn’t quite place.
“I know this is a lot,” he admitted. “But I swear I will make sure you don’t get trapped in anything you don’t want.”
Lena folded her arms, trying to ignore the way her chest tightened at the sincerity in his voice.
“You’re asking me to sign a contract obligating me to marry you, Caleb. How am I supposed to be okay with that?”
He pushed the folder toward her.
“Look at the terms before you decide.”
She hesitated, then slowly flipped it open. Her eyes scanned the contents, each line making her stomach twist tighter.
The agreement stipulated that their marriage would last a minimum of one year before an amicable divorce. Financial compensation was included, enough to ensure she wouldn’t suffer any losses.
There were clauses for privacy, media appearances, and even stipulations about maintaining the appearance of a loving couple. Lena’s fingers trembled slightly as she closed the folder.
“This is insane.”
Caleb leaned forward.
“I know. But it’s the only way to convince my grandfather. If I don’t do this, everything I’ve built could disappear overnight.”
She hated how conflicted she felt. Caleb had been there for her through everything. If their positions were reversed, would he hesitate to help her? She let out a slow breath.
“You’re really sure this is the only option?”
He nodded.
“I wouldn’t ask you if I had another choice.”
Lena stared at the contract, her mind spinning. Then, before she could overthink it, she grabbed a pen.
“If I sign this, you better promise me one thing.”
She said, meeting his gaze.
“Anything.”
Caleb said immediately.
“When this is over, we go back to normal. No complications, no mess.”
Something unreadable flickered in his expression, but he nodded.
“Agreed.”
Lena inhaled sharply, then pressed the pen to the paper. And just like that, she sealed her fate.
Lena had expected the engagement announcement to be a quiet affair. She thought it would be a simple social media post or a discreet mention among Caleb’s business associates.
She should have known better. The morning after she signed the contract, her phone exploded with notifications. Her name was suddenly attached to headlines she never imagined seeing.
“Caleb Montgomery’s surprise engagement: Who is Lena Burke?”
She stared at the screen in horror as article after article dissected her life, her job, and her past. Every detail was laid out for the world to see. By the time she made it to Caleb’s penthouse, she was fuming.
“You didn’t warn me about this!”
She snapped the second she stepped inside. Caleb, who had been standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows with his phone in hand, barely had time to react before she thrust her screen toward him.
His eyes flicked over the headlines before he sighed.
“I should have known they’d dig into everything this fast.”
“You think?” she shot back. “They’re treating me like some mystery woman who came out of nowhere. Do you have any idea how insane this is?”
He set his phone down and crossed the room, his expression unreadable.
“I’ll handle it.”
Lena let out a disbelieving laugh.
“You’ll handle it? The media is treating me like some gold-digging nobody, Caleb. They’re picking apart my job, my apartment, my entire life like I’m some fraud.”
His jaw tightened.
“That’s exactly why we need to control the narrative. If we act like we have nothing to hide, they’ll move on.”
She folded her arms.
“And how do you suggest we do that?”
He hesitated for only a second before answering.
“We stage a public appearance. A real one. No press statements, no rehearsed responses. Just us in front of the world, proving this engagement is real.”
Lena nearly groaned.
“So what, we just parade around town looking ridiculously in love?”
A small smirk tugged at his lips.
“Something like that.”
She rolled her eyes but knew there was no way out. If they didn’t take control of the situation, the speculation would only get worse.
“Fine. But I’m not playing some clueless fiance who stares at you like you hung the moon.”
Caleb’s smirk deepened.
“I’d never ask you to.”
She ignored the way her stomach flipped at that.
