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.

Putting her last pair of shoes in the her suitcase, Alana looked around her room to make sure she had packed everything. Seeing that there was nothing left, she zipped the suitcase and placed it aside before exiting the room.

Her feet padded down the stairs, and she made her way straight to the sitting room where her aunt was in a meeting with her business partners. As she reached the door, her hand was just a few inches away from the handle when she paused, contemplating her next move.

She didn't want to disrupt her aunt's meeting, but at the same time, she couldn't wait any longer because it was almost five o'clock.

After contemplating for a few minutes, Alana finally decided to gather the courage and enter the room. She excused her aunt from the sitting room, completely ignoring the eyes that fell on her.

"What is the matter?" Rosalind asked when they were outside the room, concern evident in her voice.

"Uh..." Alana bit her lower lip nervously.

Even though she had already rehearsed her story in her head and said it to herself over and over again, she was still doubtful that it would sound believable to her aunt. She knew how terrible she was at lying.

And telling the truth was out of the question. Alana couldn't tell her aunt about the contract with Roman; her aunt would disapprove of such an agreement. So lying was the only option left. Alana mentally prepared herself before starting to speak.

"Do you remember my friend I told you about this morning?" Alana asked, her voice slightly hesitant.

Rosalind nodded. "Of course, I remember," she replies, her curiosity evident.

Alana ran her fingers through her hair, nervously twirling the tips of her hair.

"The thing is, her parents just finalized their divorce yesterday, and it had a huge impact on her because she's been going through a lot lately," Alana explained

She paused to weigh her aunt's expression, seeing that Rosalind was paying rapt attention to her story, she then continued. "So she asked me to move in with her, just until she feels better, and I agreed to it."

No reply came from Rosalind as she was trying to process what her niece had just said.

"But you just moved in here," Rosalind said. "You can't just move out like that. You should have spoken to me first before making this decision to leave."

"I'm sorry, but it happened so fast, and I just couldn't say no. Plus, I think this is what's best for me. I haven't really felt at home since I got here," Alana said, her voice filled with a hint of sadness.

Rosalind's eyes widened, but Alana continued, undeterred by her aunt's expression.

"I just need to be away from family. I see the way you look at me, like I'm some fragile, dying flower who ends all the nourishment it can get, but I'm okay. I know you're only worried about me but I can't stand the looks anymore."

Alana paused when she saw the hurt in her aunt's eyes, but she hardened her heart and continued. "I'll only be gone for a month so you don't have to worry about me." She added.

Rosalind was speechless which only worried Alana because she thought her words had hurt her aunt

"You have my permission to leave," Rosalind said after the brief silence. "But on only one condition, that you promise to call me whenever you can." She added, knowing that insisting on everyday would be too much for her niece.

With a wide smile on her face, Alana wrapped her arms around her aunt in a tight hug.

"Thank you so much. I promise to call whenever I can," Alana said, her excitement evident in her voice.

"So when will you be leaving?" Rosalind asked as soon as they disengaged from the hug. "In less than five minutes," Alana replied.

"Oh, I was thinking we would be able to have dinner together tonight," Rosalind said, with a disappointed face. "But it's fine."

Her eyes drifted behind Alana. "I need to return back to my meeting, dear."

Alana nodded, and Rosalind patted her shoulder before walking away.

Alana exhaled. "That was easy," she mumbled to herself before going back to her room to take her luggages outside.

A black car pulled into the parking lot precisely at 5 pm. A man in a black tailored suit stepped out of the car, his gaze sweeping across the compound.

Alana glanced at him, wondering if he was her ride. She left her luggage by the doorstep and approached the man to confirm her thought.

As the man looked around with a contemplative expression, his gaze shifted to Alana. Just as she was about to speak, the man beat her to it.

"Good evening," the man greeted. "I'm looking for Alana Gates."

"I'm Alana," she replied. "Did Roman send you?" Alana questioned curiously.

"Yes, he did," the man replied, surprise flickering in his eyes.

Alana noticed his expression but pretended not to.

The man loaded her belongings into the car and opened the back door for her. Alana stepped in, and he followed suit, starting the engine.

As the car drove off, Alana looked back at the gates until they disappeared from her view. She felt a twinge of disappointment that she didn't get the chance to speak to Ryan.

Letting out a sigh, she rested her head against the side window, enjoying the evening scenery.

The ride was utterly quiet, but Alana didn't feel comfortable due to the driver's occasional short glances at her through the rearview mirror.

"Where are we going?" Alana asked, when she noticed that they were not following the route to Roman's mansion, but instead were heading to some other location.

"To Roman's house, miss Gates," the man replied. "He doesn't live in that house where you met with him. He lives in a penthouse." He explained further.

Alana nodded, leaning back in her seat, digesting the new information.

Finally, the car came to a halt in front of an impressive high-rise building. Alana stepped out of the vehicle, her eyes scanning the entrance as the man retrieved her luggage from the car. They made their way towards the building's entrance.

The lobby was equally lavish, however, Alana couldn't admire the elegance that surrounded her, as it reminded her of the place where she used to live.

As they entered the elevator, Alana's heart quickened its pace. There was a mixture of uncertainty and nervousness coursing through her veins.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a spacious penthouse with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered breathtaking views of the city skyline. Alana stepped out, her eyes darting around the place.

"This way miss Gates." The man called on her attention and she followed him.

The man stopped in front of a particular door. He seemed to be contemplative on whether to enter or not, but he finally opened the door and stepped in. He put her things down just a few steps from the door and scratched his hair nervously.

"Roman doesn't usually share this room with anyone, so I think you should wait until he gets back before you unpack your things," he said.

Alana nodded in understanding, and he left to get her remaining belongings from the car.

She sat on the couch, her gaze settling on a king-sized bed adorned with opulent black linens and plump pillows. She did not plan on sharing a bed with Roman, but since it might happen, she was happy that the bed was big enough.

The man returned almost immediately with her things.

"Do you need anything?" the man asked. "I can order something for you if you're hungry."

Alana shook her head. "I'm good. Thanks, though."

"I'll be in the kitchen, just in case you need anything, and I'm Erin, by the way." the man finally introduced himself.

Alana stared at him for a moment before nodding, and he left.

...

After eating the noodles Erin had ordered for her, Alana took a hot bath and got ready for bed. It was already past 11 pm, and Erin had already informed her before he left, that Roman would not be returning that night.

Therefore, there was no need for her to wait for him. Alana slipped into the bed and held a pillow closer for added comfort. In no time, she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, she woke up to absolute silence. She remained in bed for a while before finally getting up.

Yawning, she began running her fingers through her hair.

As she was still fiddling with her hair, the door suddenly swung open, and Roman entered with a woman.

Alana's eyes widened in surprise when she saw who the woman was, and it was clear from the woman's expression that she was similarly taken aback.

"Katherine."