Chapter 3:
Lena stared at the folder in disbelief, the bold letters Marriage Contract practically glowing on the page.
She snapped her gaze up. "Are you kidding me?" she said, her voice shaking with incredulity. "Why would I marry someone I don't even know—why would I agree to this?"
Jin, ever composed, folded his hands neatly on the table. "This is only temporary, Miss Morisawa. One year. After that, you can return to your normal life. No strings. No obligations. And look also at the benefits in the contract, you might find it to your liking."
She blinked. "Temporary? Benefits? This whole situation is insane."
"I understand," Jin said calmly. "Please think about it. I'll leave my card and the contract for you to review and consider it more. You can contact me anytime."
He stood, adjusting his suit jacket with professional precision. "Say goodbye to your parents for me."
With that, he strode out of the house and into a sleek black car waiting at the curb. The engine hummed softly as he drove off, leaving behind a stunned silence.
Lena sank back into her chair, burying her face in her hands.
This cannot be happening—not to me. Her thoughts raced. A marriage contract? With a stranger? And for what— his image? Reputation? What kind of absurd fairytale logic is this?!
She could still feel the weight of the folder on her lap. Her stomach twisted.
Just then, her mother called from the hallway, her voice chipper and curious.
"Did that gentleman leave already?"
Lena jumped up, scrambling to gather the papers before her mom could see them.
"Yes, he left," she said quickly. "I don't think he'll be coming back."
She started toward her room, hoping to shut this whole thing away—literally and figuratively.
"Wait, Len, are you really sure?" Paige asked, following behind her with suspiciously wide eyes. "He looked like someone important!"
"I'm fine, Mom. Seriously." Lena's voice was tight. She reached her door and pulled it closed behind her without waiting for more questions.
Paige stood there, puzzled and still curious. As she turned to leave, something on the floor caught her eye.
A sleek, dark card.
She picked it up, her brows lifting. "Maybe this is the rich guy's contact…" she murmured to herself. A smile crept across her face.
"Luck is on my side," she said with a little laugh, tucking the card into her pocket. "I'll keep this—for now."
Inside Lena's Room
Lena sat on the edge of her bed, one leg tucked beneath her as she stared blankly at the wall. The sunlight creeping through the curtain did little to warm the cold knot in her stomach.
She muttered, "What is even going on? Why would someone like him suddenly want to marry anyone, let alone…" Her voice trailed off as she grabbed her phone. It was buzzing again—another notification. She frowned. "Why did Aline blow up my phone this morning anyway?"
She tapped her recent calls and hit redial.
Aline picked up immediately, voice shrill through the speaker. "Why didn't you pick up earlier?!"
Lena winced and pulled the phone away from her ear. "Oh my God, Line! Keep it down! I just woke up. What's the emergency?"
"Have you seen the news?" Aline screeched. "You're famous, girl!"
Lena blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"I sent you the link! Go look—right now!"
She opened the link to a video app. It took less than a second to load.
#WillShadeFiancée
#FlowerGirlMystery
#FromFloristToFiancée
Lena blinked.
Her own face stared back at her—blurry at first, then painfully sharp in the thumbnail. Her hoodie. Her hair. The title beneath the video made her stomach drop:
BREAKING: Billionaire Will Shade Announces Engagement to an Unknown Girl! Internet Loses Its Mind.
With trembling fingers, Lena tapped it.
A polished anchor is seated behind a gleaming desk.
"In a stunning turn of events at the Lumina Corp press conference yesterday, tech billionaire and media darling Will Shade shocked the world by announcing his alleged engagement to an unknown girl, rumoured to be a florist's daughter from the working district."
Cut to a clip from the press conference: Will's figure at the podium, expression calm and careless.
"I could even marry a girl like her," he said, motioning somewhere offscreen.
Then came the freeze frame: her.
Zoomed. Enhanced. Highlighted.
The host continued:
"Internet detectives quickly tracked down this image of the mystery girl standing near the stage. Within hours, speculation exploded online, with thousands asking—Who is she? A secret girlfriend? A decoy? Or just a lucky girl caught in the spotlight?"
The screen filled with tweets, posts, and gossip headlines:
"Shade's Secret Sweetheart?"
"She's just a florist—how romantic!"
"Gold digger or Cinderella?"
"Get ready for The Shade Wedding—flower girl style."
"What about Leeann? Is it over already?"
He continues:
Whether it's love, scandal, or spin, one thing's for sure: the Shade spotlight has found its next obsession."
The video ended. Lena just sat there, the silence around her suddenly heavy.
Her chest tightened as she looked down at her phone.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.
She buried her face in her hands and whispered through clenched teeth:
" I should go back to sleep now".
Here's your scene transformed into clean, novel-style narration—fluid, sharp, and perfectly paced without dragging:
Inside Will Shade's sleek, sun-drenched office, Jin stepped in quietly and gave a crisp nod.
"I'm back, sir."
Will didn't turn. Standing by the tall glass window, hands in his pockets, he watched the skyline like it owed him something.
"Well?"
"She's still thinking about it."
He exhaled slowly and unimpressed. "We don't have time for hesitation. I want this handled immediately." He turned, his gaze cold. "She's just playing hard to get. But people like that always bow to money."
Jin didn't blink. "I'll see to it."
"She should feel honoured," Will muttered, already walking back to his desk. "To have my name, even for a year."
"Yes, sir."
"Let's move on. What's on the agenda?"
"I sent it to your email, Sir."
As they talked through the schedule, a stir of whispers rolled through the hallway. Heels clicked like gunshots on marble. A woman in blood-red stilettos glided through the corridor, her long black hair cascading over designer sunglasses. The perfume announced her before she even reached the doors. Two guards flanked her sides.
"That's her," someone whispered.
"Wasn't she supposed to date Mr. Shade?"
"Here to reclaim her throne?"
"Honestly, she's a goddess. I'd pick her over that flower girl any day."
She smiled, lips curved in perfect self-assurance. Praise was expected. Always had been.
Actress Leeann.
Just before she reached the door, inside:
"What about the leak?" Will asked sharply, not looking up from a contract.
"Handled," Jin said. HR terminated the employee. Permanently."
Will gave a cold nod. "Insolent fool."
Suddenly—
"William!" Leeann burst into the office, her voice echoing. The secretary followed, flustered.
"I told her—she didn't have an appointment—"
Will raised a hand. The room emptied. Guards, secretary, even Jin paused in the doorway.
"I said," Will growled, sitting down, "don't call me that. Especially in public."
Leeann strutted in like she owned the place and dropped herself into a chair. Arms folded. Legs crossed.
"What do you want?"
Her voice softened, dramatized. "You broke up with me on the internet, William. Don't I deserve an explanation?"
Will rubbed his temples. "This entire mess started because of you. You got drunk. I had to drag you out of that club. Now there are photos. Headlines. And people asking if I'm unstable."
Leeann gasped. "You're blaming me? Jin, you tell him. Girls have needs. And I only told the world I love him. Because I do!"
"Miss Leeann, please calm—"
"Enough," Will cuts in. "Just say sorry. Jin, leave us alone for a moment."
She huffed, then leaned forward like a chastised child. "I'm sorry, my William. So tell me… who is she?"
"None of your business."
"But I care about your life!" she whined, voice pitching higher. "I deserve to know!"
She threw her head back dramatically, nearly knocking over a vase. "I want to know now!"
Will sighed and motioned her closer. She practically bounced over.
He patted her head once. "I will take care of it soon, and everything will go back to normal, okay?"
She beamed. "Yes. But just… tell me directly next time, okay? No more finding out online. Oh, by the way, I'm heading to China tomorrow. Big movie. You should come."
"You can go now. Please leave. Em, I have work."
She paused, planted a kiss on her palm, and tapped it gently against his cheek. "Bye, love you."
She glided out like she owned the building.
Outside, Jin handed her an envelope. "Your travel funds are transferred. Safe trip."
Leeann tossed her hair. "Thanks, Jin. You work too much, you'll end up stiff like my Will. Loosen up sometime."
"I'll think about it."
And just like that, chaos left the corridor in red heels and fake kisses.