Millionaire’s Family Thinks He’s Dating Someone, She Pretends for a Night and Becomes His Forever
The Billionaire’s Bargain
“I told my family you were my girlfriend,” Lawson Trent said, standing in the middle of a tiny bakery that smelled like cinnamon and bad decisions. Kiara Callahan blinked at him.
“Excuse me?”
He ran a hand through his dark hair. “My mom’s in town. She brought my aunt, my cousin, and her expectations. I panicked. I told them I’m dating someone. You.”
Kiara leaned against the glass counter filled with muffins she’d overbaked by fifteen minutes.
“You told your millionaire family that your girlfriend works at a run-down bakery with a flickering sign and a broken espresso machine?”
“They don’t know where you work,” he said. “They just know I’m seeing someone. And now they want to meet you tonight at our family dinner in our penthouse.”
“Oh my god,” she breathed. “You are insane.”
Lawson didn’t flinch. “Probably. But you’re the only person I trust to pull this off.”
“You barely know me.”
“We’ve known each other for six months. You come in here for black coffee and you always forget your wallet.”
He pulled out a sleek black card and placed it on the counter. “Not today.”
Kiara stared at the card. Amex Platinum, of course. She should have guessed he was loaded the moment he wore suede shoes in the rain without flinching.
“I’ll pay you,” he added. “Five thousand just for tonight.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me?”
“I’m desperate,” Lawson said, eyes burning into hers. “Please.”
Kiara hesitated. Her rent was due. Her oven was broken. Her bank account was a joke. Technically, it was just one dinner.
“One night?” she asked.
“One dinner,” he confirmed. “You sit next to me, smile, answer a few questions, make it believable, and then you never have to see me again.”
Kiara blew out a breath. “Fine. But I’m wearing my own clothes. I’m not squeezing into some designer dress just to impress your snobby relatives.”
He looked at her outfit—flower-dusted jeans, a faded Rolling Stones tee, and sneakers held together by hope. He nodded slowly.
“Deal.”
Two hours later, Kiara stood in front of a glass elevator in a marble lobby that had its own chandelier. Lawson had sent a car, a black SUV with tinted windows and bottled water that cost more than her groceries.
When the elevator doors opened, she stepped into a world she didn’t belong in. The penthouse looked like something out of a movie. There were floor-to-ceiling windows, crystal light fixtures, and a view of the city that made her knees wobble.
Fresh flowers were on every surface like a wedding was about to happen.
“Wow,” she muttered.
Lawson was already inside wearing a tailored navy suit that made him look like he owned the entire skyline. He turned toward her and for a moment he stopped breathing.
“You look—”
His voice dipped.
“—beautiful.”
Kiara hadn’t changed. She just wiped the flour off her face and put on mascara.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“I’m a desperate liar,” he said, stepping closer. “But not about that.”
Before she could respond, the front door opened and chaos walked in.
“Lawson!”
A woman in her sixties rushed over, draped in pearls and perfume. “Where is she?”
Lawson took Kiara’s hand. “Mom, this is Kiara, my girlfriend.”
Kiara smiled. “Hi.”
His mom tilted her head. “You’re not what I expected.”
“Well,” Kiara said, “neither is this penthouse.”
The tension cracked and Lawson’s mother let out a laugh. “I like her.”
Dinner was held on a terrace that overlooked the entire city. Waiters served food Kiara couldn’t pronounce. His family asked dozens of questions about how they met, what she did, and what her parents were like.
Kiara answered everyone with sharp wit and zero panic.
“I work in a bakery,” she said when someone asked. “It’s small, not fancy, but I love it.”
They asked how they met.
“He came in every day and forgot his wallet,” she said with a smile. “I figured if he was going to rob me, I might as well get dinner out of it.”
Everyone laughed, even Lawson. Somewhere between the third course and the overpriced wine, something shifted. Lawson looked at her like he wasn’t pretending.
After dessert, his mom pulled her aside. “He’s different with you, you know.”
Kiara blinked. “Sorry?”
“He’s been distant for years since the company took off. But tonight he laughed. He looked happy.”
Kiara didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t dating Lawson; she was just a girl with rent problems and a weakness for soft eyes.
But when he walked her to the elevator, something about his expression made her heart thump.
“That went better than expected,” he said. “You owe me five thousand bucks.”
“I’ll send it tomorrow.”
She nodded. “Good.”
He hesitated. “Thanks for doing this.”
Kiara shrugged. “I was in it for the money, right?”
“Right,” he said, but his voice was soft. “Still, thank you.”
The elevator doors opened. She stepped in. He stayed behind. Just before the doors closed, she turned and said, “You’re not so bad, Lawson Trent.”
He smiled. “Neither are you, Kiara Callahan.”
