A deceit deal with the ruthless billionaire CEO

world had turned into a stage and she was the reluctant lead actress. Overnight, the scandal broke: a made-up story spreading like wildfire. The people had already ma

as distance. The paparazzi were unyielding. They had been outside waiting for them, yelling questions, taking pictures from all angles. Andrew was his typical calm, unconcerned, uninterested, but Victoria could see the walls closing in on her. The weight of their lies seemed to be smothering her, as if the world were doing so. Fending off enquiries and attempting to maintain the façade, she had been doing this for days. But the more time this went on, the more she started to doubt everything. Was she really only a pawn in Andrew's game? Was this all only a convenient arrangement, or was there something more under the surface? A camera's flash in her face caused her to recoil. The reporter's voice pierced the din. Victoria, is this phoney engagement beginning to feel real? She gazed at Andrew, a wall of ice, standing next to her. As usual, his face was unreadable. He moved with the same quiet, composed attitude he had kept throughout the whole controversy. But for the first time, she saw something delicate under his surface. She seethed with frustration. It was all too much: the unending stream of enquiries, the never-ending camera flashes. "You don't care how this is influencing me!" she said, withdrawing from him. The words came out before she could stop them. Though Andrew's face stayed impassive, his eyes held something that flared briefly. "You believe this is simple?", he enquired quietly yet forcefully. Whether you like it or not, we are now in this together. Victoria paused, her throat constricted. His voice's unvarnished sincerity made her heart race. Still, she was unsure of its reliability. Andrew's eyes widened and his jaw tensed as she looked at him attempting to discern some truth. The tension between them was obvious, and at that instant, Victoria understood that whatever came next would alter everything. Victoria stood by the penthouse's large window, gazing out at the dazzling city lights below. Pressed down on her chest the weight of the day, the cameras, the lies, the unending inquiry. The metropolis looked to throb in sync with her own frenetic heartbeat. But the room's quiet with Andrew felt far more oppressive. She turned to look at him. Arms crossed, he stood by the door, his face as unreadable as always. "We have to talk," she replied, her voice cutting and reflecting her annoyance. Andrew gazed at her, his face frigid, yet his eyes held something calculated. What should we discuss? She could no longer keep it in. How can you be so composed? The media is tearing us apart; you are... what? Distant? Why do you appear unaffected? Almost as if he were weary of hearing her words, Andrew breathed out slowly. His voice was calm and unfeeling as he said, "I'm protecting you." You simply don't notice it yet. Victoria blinked, her feelings a mae