Single Dad Janitor Was Asked to Pose as CEO’s Fiancé But What His Daughter Did Left Her in Tears…
The Perfect Charade
Three days later, Marcus found himself in a department store dressing room, trying on suits that cost more than his monthly rent.
Victoria had insisted on a complete makeover, but she’d been surprisingly considerate about his comfort level.
The tailored charcoal suit made him look like someone he didn’t recognize: a confident, successful man worthy of standing beside a woman like Victoria Meridian.
Emma bounced on the store’s plush seating area, her eyes wide with wonder. The shopping trip was the most excitement she’d had in months.
Seeing her genuine joy made the charade feel less like deception and more like a gift.
“Daddy, you look like a prince!” Emma giggled, clapping her hands.
Victoria knelt down to Emma’s level, and Marcus watched something shift in the CEO’s expression.
“What do you think, Emma? Should we get your daddy this blue tie or the silver one?”
“The blue one matches your eyes, Miss Victoria,” Emma said solemnly.
“Daddy says when people match, it means they care about each other.”
Victoria’s hand trembled slightly as she adjusted the blue tie around Marcus’s neck. Their eyes met in the mirror, and for a moment, the pretense felt dangerously real.
The first business dinner was a minefield of small talk and strategic conversations. Marcus felt out of his depth among the executives and their spouses, but Victoria never left his side.
She introduced him as her fiancé with such conviction that he almost believed it himself.
When someone asked about his work, Victoria smoothly explained that he was transitioning between ventures. It was a kind way of protecting his dignity without outright lying.
But it was Emma who unknowingly became the star of every event.
Her innocent questions about business deals, her sweet observations about the fancy food, and her obvious adoration for both Marcus and Victoria melted even the coldest corporate hearts.
The board members who had initially seemed skeptical began nodding approvingly at Victoria’s choices.
“She’s going to make an excellent stepmother,” one board member’s wife whispered to Marcus during a charity gala. “Emma clearly adores her.”
Marcus watched Victoria across the room, crouched down and listening intently to something Emma was saying. His chest tightened with an emotion he couldn’t name.
This wasn’t supposed to be real. This was business—a transaction to save his daughter’s life.
But the way Victoria looked at Emma felt like something much more dangerous than pretense.
She remembered that Emma liked her sandwiches cut diagonally and her bedtime stories to include dragons.
