Sophia , a street-smart pickpocket, makes the wrong move when she steals from a wealthy man at the mall-only to realize too late that he caught her. Instead of turning her in, Ethan Kingston, a billionaire under pressure to marry, offers her an unexpected deal: pose as his fiancée for two weeks to help him secure his inheritance. Thrown into a world of luxury, deception, and hidden family rivalries, Sophia soon realizes she's in way over her head. Jason, Ethan's jealous brother, and Lisa, his manipulative friend, plot against her. Jasmine, Ethan's sharp-tongued sister, is out to make her life miserable-but Sophia holds a secret weapon. Unknown to Jasmine, she saw her steal the family heirloom to frame her. As the charade spirals into chaos, Sophia and Ethan must decide-was this all just a game, or has pretending led to something real?
Chapter 1 A thief's gamble
A loud groan echoed through the small apartment as Sophia stirred from her siesta. Hunger gnawed at her insides, leaving her weak and irritable. She hadn't eaten all day. Stretching her arms, she dragged herself out of bed and made her way to the parlor, where she found Isabella lounging on the couch, eyes fixed on her phone.
"Aah, babe, you're here," Sophia yawned loudly. "I'm starving. Do we have anything to eat?"
Isabella barely looked up. "Nothing, my dear. No clients today, so I couldn't buy anything."
Sophia clicked her tongue. "That's bad. Alright, I'll figure something out."
She dashed into the room, rummaging through her things.
Sophia and Isabella were two young, beautiful women trying to survive in the city. They had been best friends for years, sharing everything-except one thing. Isabella was a hairstylist, while Sophia, out of frustration and joblessness, had resorted to pickpocketing. Isabella disapproved and had tried countless times to talk her out of it.
"I swear, if you ever get caught, I won't bail you out. I don't have that kind of money," Isabella would warn.
But Sophia always had the same response. "Yet when I bring money, you eat, don't you?"
That evening, Sophia hit the streets. Her first stop was a hair salon where she spotted a young man leaning against his car. Smiling sweetly, she approached.
"Good day, fine man," she greeted, her voice laced with charm.
The man looked up, slightly amused. "Good day, young lady. How can I help you?"
"Nothing much," she said, twirling a strand of hair. "I just saw you from afar and thought you were really cute. I like you."
Before the conversation could continue, a beautiful woman emerged from the salon. The man immediately straightened up and hurried to grab her bags.
Sophia scoffed internally. So, he's just a driver. Without another word, she slipped away.
Minutes later, the car pulled off with the driver-Paul-and his boss, Miss Jasmine, inside. A short distance away, Paul reached for his phone, only to realize it was missing.
"Paul, are you trying to kill me?" Jasmine snapped as he swerved slightly.
"Sorry, ma, I just-" He paused, checking his pockets again. "I can't find my phone."
"Where did you keep it?"
"It was with me the whole time," he said, panic creeping into his voice.
Jasmine sighed in frustration. "I'll call it."
She dialed the number. It was switched off.
"Shit!" Paul cursed under his breath.
"What now?"
"I think that girl from earlier took my phone."
Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Forget it. I'll buy you another one. Now, drive."
Meanwhile, Sophia examined her latest loot-a cheap-looking phone.
She sighed. This won't fetch much. Shrugging, she tucked it away and headed for a popular mall.
Inside, she spotted a well-dressed, handsome young man and deliberately bumped into him.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! My bad!" she exclaimed.
The man steadied her and gave a small smile. "It's fine. I'm Ethan." He extended his hand for a handshake.
"Sophia," she replied, shaking his hand. She turned to leave, but Ethan suddenly pulled her back.
"Hand me my wallet," he said, his eyes locking onto hers.
Sophia froze. How did he know?
Keeping her face neutral, she slowly brought out the wallet. "I-I'm sorry, sir. It was a mistake."
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Is this what you do? A pretty girl like you?"
"Let go of me," she snapped. "I gave you your wallet, didn't I? What now? Do you want to call security?"
"Maybe I should," Ethan said, his voice calm.
"Who do you think they'd believe-a grumpy man like me or a sweet-looking girl like you?"
Sophia smirked. "Even if you did, there's no proof."
Ethan chuckled and pointed to a CCTV camera nearby. "You sure about that?"
Her smirk vanished.
"What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Follow me," Ethan ordered.
She hesitated but ultimately had no choice. Without a word, she followed him to where his car was parked.
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