"You have to pick a date between tomorrow and next Rome," Ryan insisted as he scrolled through his phone.

"I already arranged a girl for you, she's blonde just the way you like them." he winked at Roman who simply gave him an uninterested look before facing his laptop screen.

"I don't have time for that, maybe next time," Roman replied flatly.

Ryan had been trying to presuade Roman to hit the club with him since he got to his office, but his efforts has been completely fruitless so far as Roman was not showing any interests.

"You said that the last time and the time before that," Ryan said slightly annoyed. "You're paranoid Roman and you need to clear your head. Sex is the only way to do that."

"I'm not paranoid." Roman replied, still typing away on his laptop without spearing Ryan a glance.

"You totally went out on my cousin yesterday. What would you call that?" Ryan said, reminding him of that incident.

Roman stopped typing for a moment before glancing at Ryan.

"Yesterday was different." He sighed.

He had never acted the way he did yesterday, before, It was just a wrong timing. He was already pissed at his Grandfather for setting him up for marriage without his consent, and he ended up taking out his anger on her.

Roman frowned, but the girl still had the nerves to call him stupid.

'How brave of her.' he thought to himself.

"Don't space out on me, Rome," Ryan called on his attention when he noticed that he had been staring into space for some time now without attention to what he was saying.

"If you have nothing important to say, can you leave my office. I'm trying to work here," Roman said calmly.

Ryan was about responding when Roman's secretary barged into the office, her face filled with terror. Roman's gaze immediately shifted to the secretary, and a small frown formed between his brows. "What happened?" he asked calmly, despite his growing concern.

The woman hurriedly approached his desk, her hands trembling as she held out her phone. "You need to see this. It's terrible, sir," she said, her voice quivering.

Roman took the phone from her, his eyes scanning the screen. His expression quickly morphed from concern to anger as he read the headline displayed on the phone

'Roman Ashford slaps a Young teenager in a Cafe.'

His jaw clenched tightly, as he read through the content of the story to a certain part.

He was well aware of the consequences such an incident could have on his reputation and the reputation of his company.

"What happened?" Ryan inquired, curious to know what had completely ruined his friend's mood.

"Who's behind this?" Roman seethed, his voice laced with fury.

He forcefully handed the phone back to the secretary, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Find out who is responsible for this defamation immediately. I want their names, and I want every detail on how this story came to be." Roman ordered.

The secretary nodded and left the office. Her own fear now mingled with a sense of urgency. She understood the gravity of the situation and knew that if Roman's name was tarnished, it could have far-reaching consequences for the company's success and reputation.

"This is serious, Rome," Ryan commented as he scrolled through the content Roman just read. "They blew the whole thing out of proportion."

Roman's jaw clenched even tighter. To think that they did not just stop by exergarating the incident yesterday but still went as far as relating this incident to what happened eight months ago.

"Let's go grab a drink," Roman said abruptly catching Ryan off guard.

He picked up his car keys and swiftly made his out of the office without waiting for Ryan's response.

When Roman stepped into the hallway, his presence seemed to radiate a dangerous aura that sent shivers down the spines of those who passed by.

Reaching the private elevator, Roman pressed the button. The doors swiftly opened and he stepped inside.

"If only she had apologized properly, this wouldn't have happened," he muttered, as the elevator desended. "This is all your fault."

...

Alana

'Gring, Gring, Gring!..'

Alana rolled and reached out her hand towards the alarm clock, successfully silencing its persistent ringing. With her eyes still closed, she lingered in the same lying position for a few more seconds, before finally getting out from bed.

Setting alarms was not a regular occurrence for her, but last night had been an exception. She had stayed up late, diligently working on a project assigned by her professor to earn some extra marks.

Alana glanced up at the clock, its display indicating that it was just five minutes to eight. She had managed to wake up in time, ensuring she had sufficient time before her ten o'clock class. She immediately went to freshen up and get ready...

In no time, she was already sitting on the swing outside, waiting for Mr Brandon to drop her off at school. While waiting, she decided to pass the time by playing some games. After all, time was on her side.

Not long into her game, she felt the presence of someone approaching her. She looked up to see Ryan heading towards her, wearing a simple shorts and a short-sleeved shirt with a few buttons undone, exposing his toned chest

Alana immediately diverted her eyes back to her phone. Her her thoughts immediately drifted to how distant Ryan had become since she arrived at the house. He hadn't talked to her since after that incident at the cafe.

She remembered their childhood, recalling the times they used to play together and how close they once were.

They were even mistaken as twins on many occasions due to their resemblance. They both had coffee brown hair and brown eyes. There was a huge contrast between those cherished memories and now. Well, she couldn't blame him; people change with time, and he was a grown man now.

"Hey."

Alana raised her eyes from her phone and met Ryan's face, who was already standing in front of her, nervously tousling his disheveled hair.

She could tell he wanted to ask her for a favor. Ryan had a habit of scratching his hair when he needed to ask for something difficult, a habit he had since they were kids.

"What time are you supposed to leave?" Ryan nervously asked.

"By nine-thirty. Why are you asking?" Alana asked casually, despite the offensive smell of alcohol coming from him. Sometimes she hated having such a sensitive nose.

"I was wondering if you could deliver something to a friend of mine for me," Ryan politely requested.

"Why don't you just deliver it yourself or send Mr. Brandon or any other worker?" Alana asked.

"Brandon is currently running an errand for me, and I don't trust anyone else with this particular task," Ryan replied.

"Then why not do it yourself?" Alana asked again.

"It's not a good idea for me to drive. I'm still feeling the effects from last night," Ryan admitted.

Alana's eyes narrowed. Ryan didn't look drunk to her. He still smelled like alcohol and a woman's perfume, but he didn't appear intoxicated.

"You can drive my car for the whole week if you do this for me," Ryan offered, desperate to persuade her.

"Fine. I accept," Alana finally agreed. There was no way she was saying no to an amazing offer like that.

Ryan smiled. "Great, Come with me," he said and started walking back to the house, with Alana trailing behind him.

...

Stopping the car in front of the silver gate, Alana glanced at the GPS to ensure she was at the right place. She turned off the engine and stepped out of the car, following Ryan's instructions. He had already informed the resident of her arrival.

The gates opened almost immediately, and she swiftly drove the car into the compound. After finding a suitable spot to park, she reached for the envelope that Ryan had entrusted her with, the one meant for the owner of the residence and stepped out of the car

She looked around the compound, admiring its breathtaking beauty. The grand and modern compound was a sight to behold. In the center, there stood a magnificent large fountain, surrounded by two equally impressive medium-sized fountains.

A man, whom she assumed to be the mansion's butler, was already waiting for her a short distance away from where she had parked.

"You must be Miss Gates. Mr. Gate informed us of your arrival. Right this way, Miss," the butler said, gesturing for her to follow him.

As they made their way towards the house, she couldn't help but notice that the workers kept staring at her and whispering amongst themselves.

Alana ran her fingers through her hair just in case she had dirt on her hair.

'Strange,' Alana thought to herself. 'Do I look like someone they've seen on TV before.'

She shook her head, ignoring their weird stares even as she and the butler entered the house.

"Please wait here," the butler gestured for her to sit. "I'll inform the master of your arrival." he said, Alana giving a small nod, before leaving.

Alana took that moment to observe the opulent interior of the mansion. She was more interested in the arts. Intricately carved woodwork adorned the walls, displaying the wealth and exquisite taste of the owner.

Her eyes widened when they landed on a particular landscape painting. Filled with intrigue, she moved closer to the painting. The last time she had seen it was at an art auction.

It was a painting she had made when she was thirteen, during a family vacation to the Philippines. She had spent two weeks diligently working on this painting, pouring her heart and soul into it. However, much to her dismay, after the vacation, her mother had sold it at an art auction.

Alana ran her fingers gently over the canvas, a bittersweet smile forming on her lips as she noticed her tiny signature nestled in the lower corner.

"I see you couldn't resist touching it for even two minutes," a voice teased from behind."

Startled by the sudden voice behind her, Alana spun around, her heart racing. Her face paled as she locked eyes with Roman, who stood just inches away.

"You," Alana blurted out, her voice trembling.

"Wow, I'm surprised you remembered the stupid blind man," Roman said calmly, though a hint of something else flickered in his eyes. "I see you came to make up for your mistake."

A wave of confusion washed over Alana.

'What was he doing here? And what did he mean?'

Realization struck her, causing her eyes to widen further.

Was this why Ryan sent her? Was it a setup? Even though Ryan was her cousin, that didn't mean she knew him well enough to trust him. Her head started racing with negative thoughts and various possibilities.

Roman took a step forward, causing Alana to stumble backward in response. Her back hit the wall, trapping her in place.

With one short stride, Roman stood right in front of Alana, causing her heart rate to skyrocket. Her gaze remained fixed on his chest, and she dared not meet his intimidating eyes.

She anticipated that he was about to take some action, but to her surprise, he simply reached for the envelope she tightly clutched in her hand. He gently pulled it from her grasp before stepping back and taking a seat.

Alana exhaled with relief as soon as he moved away from her.

"Sit," Roman said, tearing open the envelope to reveal a brown paper.

"I can't. I should be on my way," Alana replied, attempting to leave.

"I insist that you sit... for your own good, at least," Roman said coldly, causing her to pause.

Alana glanced at the wall clock, realizing she still had some time. She decided to stay and listen to whatever he had to say.

Roman finally set aside the file, his full attention fixed on her. "You must have seen the disaster you caused, right?" he asked.

"What disaster did I cause?" Alana asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"When was the last time you checked social media?" Roman asked.

"A month ago," Alana replied, wondering where this conversation was heading.

"Someone exaggerated what happened at the cafe the other day on social media, saying I assaulted you," Roman said.

"Oh," Alana responded, realization dawning on her. She had completely forgotten about that incident since it happened a week ago.

Now she finally understood why everyone had been staring at her in school and even here.

"But I still don't see how this is my fault. I wasn't the one yelling like an insane person," Alana said, the last part spoken in a lowered tone, though Roman still heard her.

"I'm not putting the blame entirely on you," Roman replied calmly.

"If I recall correctly, you said I caused this disaster," Alana retorted.

"Can you shut up for five f*cking seconds?" Roman frowned, his patience wearing thin. He sighed.

"I didn't ask Ryan to send you here so we could pick up where we left off last time."

"You were the one who asked Ryan to..."

"Yes," Roman cut her short with his answer, already knowing what she was going to ask. Alana frowned. She was definitely going to have a word with Ryan about this.

"So why am I here?" Alana asked, her impatience evident. She wanted to get this over with.

"I have a proposal to make," Roman paused, a slight frown appearing between his brows as if he didn't particularly like what he was about to say next. "Be my girlfriend for thirty-one days."

The room fell silent for a few seconds, before Alana burst into laughter, she couldn't help but find the proposal absurd. She covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter, but it escaped in bursts.

"Are you serious?" she managed to say between giggles.

Roman's serious expression only made it more comical to her.

"You're really good at making hilarious jokes," Alana chuckled.

"I am not joking. I mean it," Roman said with a serious face.

"Well, Mr...," Alana paused, not feeling inclined to address him by his name. "Ryan's friend, I am not interested."

"I will give you anything you ask for if you agree to this," Roman said, his voice sounding desperate.

Alana's attention was caught by what he said. The offer he was making was quite intriguing. She wasn't interested in his money, though. But there was something else she was interested in.

"Anything I ask for?" she repeated, emphasizing the words.

"Anything," Roman replied. Alana's lips immediately stretched into a wide smile.

"Then I accept your proposal," she said, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Roman stared at her, trying to ascertain if her answer was serious or just a joke, as she smiled like a five-year-old.

"I'm being serious here, Mr. I accept your proposal," Alana repeated.

"What made you change your mind?" Roman asked, still somewhat taken aback.

Alana points towards the landscape painting hanging on the wall.

"That painting. You said I could ask for anything, so I want that painting by the time our agreement ends."

"You drive a hard bargain, but deal. You'll have the painting," Roman agreed.

Little did Alana know that the painting held sentimental value to him, making her request more than just a mere item of interest.

"I'll get the paperwork done today," Roman said as he stood up, holding the document in his hand. "Come back tomorrow."

In that moment, Alana noticed the natural black mole on his jaw. She wondered how she had missed it before, as it was nearly impossible not to notice the dot, which only accentuated his already handsome face.

"Paperwork?" Alana asked, her eyes still admiring the mole.

"Yes," Roman replied. "You'll need to sign a contract to make it official."

...

Throughout the entire day, Alana found it difficult to focus on anything, even during her classes. Her mind kept drifting back to the events of that morning. She couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that she might be making a big mistake by agreeing to Roman's proposal. However, the thought of reclaiming the painting overshadowed her doubts. That painting held immense sentimental value to her, as it was a cherished memento of her late father. It contained the last memories they had shared together.

After her classes were over, Alana didn't head back home immediately. Instead, she drove to a quiet spot she had discovered earliar to clear her head.

The view of the setting sun was incredibly soothing, and Alana sighed, realizing that all she had to do was become a great actress in the public eye and tolerate Roman's attitude for just thirty-one days. How hard could that be?

When Alana finally arrived home, it was already dark everywhere. She spotted her aunt's driver speaking with Mr. Brandon on the side, which indicated that her aunt was home.

She was heading straight for the dining room, but she abruptly halted in her tracks upon hearing her name being mentioned by her aunt.

"She's been through a lot this year. I can't just help but worry about her." Alana heard her aunt say, her concern evident in her voice.

"She looks fine to me, mom." Alana heard Ryan reply.

"If she was fine, she wouldn't have tried to kill herself in the first place," Alana heard her aunt say with certainty in her voice. "I know her mother asked me not to talk about it with her, but still, I can't relax on this issue. I'm afraid that she might try to hurt herself again."

Alana had heard enough, so she went straight to her room. She no longer had an appetite to eat. She opened the door and slammed it shut after entering.

She threw her bag to the ground and scoffed bitterly.

"You painted the story so well, Mom," Alana muttered as she stripped off her clothes. "I bet he told you to say that."

Alana snickered mockingly before entering the bathroom and turning on the shower. The cold water cascaded down her body like calming waves, but it still wasn't enough to ease her anger towards her mother.

...

The next morning, Alana woke up feeling dull as she had barely gotten any sleep the night before.

Since it was a Saturday, she didn't have any classes. She got out of bed and started getting ready to head to Roman's place.

She put on a tank top and tight jean trousers, then wore a brown leather jacket long enough to cover her wrists. She picked up Ryan's car keys before heading out.

On her way out, she ran into Rosalind, who was on the phone with someone. Alana mouthed a 'good morning' to her and was about to continue on, but Rosalind gestured for her to wait.

Rosalind pulled the phone away for a moment.

"Your mom wants to speak with you," she said, handing the phone over, to Alana.

Alana's face instantly turned to a frown, as her gaze settled on the phone.

Taking the phone from Rosalind, Alana placed it by her ear and walked a little distance away from her aunt. She didn't utter a word and the other end of the phone remained equally silent.

"You didn't bother to call me," her mother said from the other side of phone.

"What do you want Stephanie," Alana said bluntly, calling her mother by her name.

"You now call me by my name huh? No mom any more?" Stephanie asked, slightly offended.

Alana scoffed. "You lost that title Stephanie. Don't you remember?"

The other end of the phone turned silent but Alana could hear whispers from the background.

"Come on baby. I appologized already, what more do you want from me?" Stephanie asked after a moment.

"I want you... No, I need you to fuck off." Alana replied harshly and disconnected the call.

She took a minute to calm herself first before going back to return Rosalind's phone.

"I'm heading to a friend's place," Alana said Immediately she gave the phone to her aunt, as she did not want her to talk about the phone call.

"You already have a friend," Rosalind said, a hint of surprise in her voice because she knew that her niece was not type who made friends easily.

But despites what she thought, she was still glad that Alana had made a new friend.

Rosalind smiled. "I would love to meet this friend of yours sometime. Maybe you can invite her over for dinner tomorrow." She suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. See you later," Alana said, as she hurriedly left.

Alana's brows furrowed in thought as she drove into Roman's mansion. The weight of recent events pressed through her mind. She hadn't given much thought to the phone call from her mother earlier, but now, as she reflected on it, she recalled hearing her stepfather's voice in the background.

Confusion and disgust welled up within her. It seemed suspicious, because her mother had assured her, before she left, that she was filing for a divorce. Alana's frown deepened, confirming her suspicion that her mother had been attempting to deceive her before.

Alana shook off every thought related to her mother from her head. She knew she needed a clear mind to go through the contract with Roman.

She stepped out from the car and the kind looking butler was already waiting for her.

He greeted her warming and led her to the house.

Alana was expecting to wait in the sitting room for Roman's arrival, but today was different, as the butler informed her the Roman was waiting for her in his study.

The butler finally stopped in front of a door and knocked a few times.

"Come in." A deep voice said from inside after some seconds.

The butler opened the door and gestured for Alana to step inside, which she did. Her face instantly cringed as the harsh smell of smoke hit her nose. Her eyes scanned the room, which appeared to be a study, for a brief moment before settling on Roman's back as he stood by the window.

"You're late," Roman commented before turning to face Alana. His eyes skimmed over her outfit as he took a drag from his cigarette.

Alana frowned at his comment. "You only asked me to come today, we didn't agree on a particular time," she responded, already getting annoyed by his attitude.

Roman simply stared at her, his gaze cold, before going to sit behind his desk.

His gaze settled on his butler, who still stood by the door. "Get her a glass of water," he said to the butler.

Alana was about to object, but the butler had already left. She sighed and moved to sit opposite Roman. Her gaze involuntarily settled on the cigarette between his lips before moving up to meet his intense gaze. She quickly averted her eyes.

Shortly after, the butler returned with the water. He placed it on the table and left the room. Alana glanced at the water but refrained from touching it.

Roman dropped the finished cigarette bud into the ashtray and retrieved a black file from his drawer.

"Here's the contract. Make sure to read through it carefully," Roman said as he sliding the file over to Alana.

She picked it up and opened it to read through. As she flipped through the pages, she noticed that the contract spanned four pages. She glanced at Roman, wondering why the contract was so lengthy.

"Is it supposed to be this long?" Alana voiced her question.

"Yes," Roman replied curtly as he extracted another cigarette from the pack.

Alana picked up a pen from his desk and started reading through the contract. Only two pages in, and she couldn't help but raise a brow as some of the conditions in the contract seemed a bit overboard.

This relationship was only going to be a pretense, so why did it state here that she would not be allowed to be in any romantic relationship until the thirty-one days were over?

She continued reading until she reached a particular section that stated she would have to live with him for the entire duration of the thirty-one days, which would start counting from tomorrow.

Alana glanced at Roman. "I can't move in with you," she says.

"You have to, unless you don't want this contract to work," Roman said.

"But it isn't mandatory for me to move in with you," Alana countered.

"It is," Roman insisted.

"Why?" Alana asked.

"Because I said so, Alana," Roman responded.

Alana was left speechless. She grumbled inwardly but made no further objections. For some reason, she was already starting to develop a headache just from reading the contract.

She glanced at the cigarette between Roman's lips for the fifth time, a frown appearing between her brows. She wished he would just stop smoking until she was out of here. The smoke was making it hard for her to concentrate, and he didn't seem to care.

'I wonder how many sticks he's had this morning?' Alana mused inwardly.

"Is the smoke causing you any discomfort?" Roman asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

She nodded, hopeful that maybe he was going to stop smoking, but Roman's next reply shocked her.

Roman smirked, the corner of his lips tilting into an amused curl. "Good," he said.

"Good?" Alana repeated, staring at him in confusion.

"I just found a way to punish you when you go against the rules in the contract," Roman said, an evil glint appearing in his eyes for a split second.

Alana stared at him as if he were insane before dragging her eyes back to the contract.

She decided to sign the contract, even though there was still a page left to read. She couldn't bear to read any more because the room was hot, and she had been rereading the same line for the past five minutes.

As the pen was about to touch the paper, a sudden wave of nervousness washed over Alana, which she couldn't explain.

Perhaps it was the realization that she knew nothing about this man and yet was blindly entering into a contract with him.

She shook off her nervousness and signed the contract. There was no going back now; she was committed. She stared at her signature for one last time before handing the contract back to Roman, who confirmed her signature before placing it on his desk.

"I will send someone to pick you up from your place by 5 pm today, so pack whatever you'll be needing before they arrive," Roman said, glancing at his wristwatch.

"I..." Alana wanted to say something, but she held her tongue.

"You what?" Roman asked, curious to hear what she had to say.

Alana shook her head. "Nothing. Forget it. I'll take my leave now," she said and stood up.

Roman tilted his head a bit. "Who said you could leave?" he asked with utmost seriousness in his voice.

Alana blinked at him in confusion. "I thought we were done here," she replied, wondering what more he could possibly want again.

"Sit," Roman said, his tone intimidating, which forced Alana to sit back down. His gaze roamed over the jacket she was putting on, then settled on her chest. "Take off your jacket," he ordered, causing Alana to frown.

Alana hesitated for a moment, her frown deepening. His intense gaze only made her uneasy. She wondered what he could possibly gain from her taking off her jacket.

Reluctantly, Alana obeyed his command, slowly slipping off her jacket and revealing a plain, tank top underneath. She couldn't help but feel exposed under Roman's scrutinizing eyes.

"Why?" she asked, her voice slightly lower. She tried to maintain a calm composure, but her unease was palpable.

Roman's expression remained stoic as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes still fixed on her. "Ryan mentioned that you have a tattoo on your chest. I just wanted to see it," he replied, his voice sounding slightly disappointed.

Alana's confusion grew, mixed with a hint of annoyance. She put her jacket back on and stood up, ready to leave this time.

Luckily, Roman made no attempt to stop her.

She had a tattoo but it was hidden somewhere else. She figured out that her mother must have told Rosalind about it and that was how Ryan also found out. But there must have been a misinformation, because her stepsister is the one who has a tattoo on her chest not her.

Exhaling with relief, Alana stepped out of his study, finally able to breathe in some fresh air. Now her major problem was figuring out how to break the news to her aunt that she was leaving the house today.