The room smelled like roses and rain, she noticed immediately. Mia stood in front of the tall mirror, her reflection barely recognisable. The white gown fitted her perfectly, hugging her in all the right places, the lace soft against her skin. Her hands trembled as she adjusted the small veil pinned into her hair. She had to look perfect; the day had to he perfect, she reminded herself. It was strange. Everything around her looked like a dream, but she couldn't feel any of it. It felt like a fairytale and a nightmare all at the same time and she kept feeling like any second she would wake up to see that it wasn't real. But deep down, she knew it was more than real; this was her new reality. The makeup artist had said she looked beautiful when they were done glamming her up, and the planner had called her lucky, but Mia felt like a thief standing in a stranger's fairytale. Outside, she could hear the faint murmur of guests arriving and waiting for her to probably show up. There were not many, she knew that already. Max had insisted on something quiet, private, and even secret. Just a handful of witnesses, no reporters, no cameras. The whole event felt more like a transaction than a celebration, that was what it was supposed to be. Knowing the guest was little didn't help a bit with the anxiety she was feeling inside of her. She stared at herself again, Mrs Mia Hult, that was going to be her new name, that was her goal from the very beginning, but the words still didn't sound real. A soft knock came at the door, suddenly breaking through her train of thought. She turned to see one of the wedding staff members peeking into the room. "Miss...uh, Mrs Hult, it's time." The staff member informed, and Mia's heart thudded, but all she could do was nod, her lips pressed into a shaky smile. Mia gave her head a reassuring shake before she finally turned to leave her room. Everyone was waiting, it was too late for her to back out now. She swallowed as soon as she stepped out of the room, her anxiety increasing. Maybe it wasn't too late; she could flee now and put all of this behind her and never look back. This was the only chance she had to back out of everything, but Mia had to remind herself that for someone like her, there was no way out. Anywhere she went, they were going to find her. She had to do this. The hallway outside was lined with white flowers and candles in a beautiful delicate manner. The rain had stopped, leaving drops clinging to the tall windows of the house making everything look even more beautiful. As she walked, her heels clicked softly against the floor, echoing in the silence, which made every step feel heavier than the last. Then, finally, she saw him, and everything stopped. Max Hult stood at the end of the aisle, tall and calm in a black tuxedo. His expression didn't change when she entered. No smile, no warmth, just that same quiet observation, that made her stomach churn each time. His eyes, sharp and grey, followed her every move. Mia's breath caught as she stared at him, even after everything she had been told about him, the money, the isolation, the power, nothing prepared her for how unreadable he was. He looked like a man who had seen everything, lost everything, and decided long ago not to care anymore. This was the man she was going to marry in a few minutes and couldn't back out of. Her eyes remained on his as she walked towards where he was standing, but she could feel the curious gazes on her and tried her best not to look at them because she knew the moment she did, she wouldn't be able to keep her anxiety at bay. She held her breath when she was finally standing in front of him, but he looked unfazed unlike her. And then the wedding finally began.. The officiant's voice was steady and almost too formal, like it was just any other day; she guessed he had probably officiated a lot of weddings. They went through the motions, the vows, the rings, and the signatures. Everything felt like a complete blur to Mia, but she knew she had to get through the day. She had gone through a lot to get to this moment, and she couldn't afford to ruin it. When it was time to say "I do," Mia's throat went dry, but she managed to whisper it out. "I do." The words felt like a harsh slap of her reality and she knew she couldn't take it back. Max's answer came without hesitation after hers. "I do." The words echoed in her chest like a closing door. He didn't even take a moment to hesitate, as if she were standing next to him, as if it were her death sentence. Applause followed, it was polite and controlled. Someone snapped a photo, while someone else clapped too loudly. Then it was over, just like that, she was married. Max turned to her, his eyes scanning her expression, making Mia grip her dress for support. "Congratulations," he said quietly, his tone flat, almost cold. "Thank you," she replied, her voice barely a whisper. They posed for a few photographs, the two of them standing close but never touching. Mia tried to smile, but it felt wrong. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her even when the camera clicked. When the guests were gone, the silence returned. The sound of the rain starting again outside filled the space between them. Now that everyone was gone, her new reality finally set in. Max walked toward her, his movements calm and deliberate, his eyes still scanning her like he was searching for something. Mia hated how anxious his gaze made her feel, like he could see through her every move and read her mind. It didn't help increase the guilt in her chest, "You look pale," he said in that calm manner that she couldn't help but dislike. It made her feel like she was the only one who felt like she was losing her damn mind every second. "I'm fine," she lied and the words sounded so fake because Mia couldn't remember the last time she had been fine. He studied her for a moment longer before he finally spoke again. "This wasn't your idea, was it?" Her heart skipped and her stomach dropped, confusion filling her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked in a low voice. He tilted his head slightly, as he could see through her. "Most women don't look like they're about to faint on their wedding day." Mia almost let out a sigh of relief "I'm just..." tired." She replied, reminding herself that she had to be calm around him. He didn't respond immediately; instead, His eyes lingered on her a moment longer, and then he turned away. "We'll leave for the estate in an hour. My driver will take you there. You can rest after that." She wanted to ask something, anything, but the words wouldn't come. He was already walking away, his hands in his pockets, his posture straight and distant. When he was gone, Mia finally let out the breath she'd been holding. Her hands shook again, the ring on her finger felt heavy, too heavy, like the weight of the guilt that had followed her since the moment she met Max Hult. She looked out the window at the grey sky and the sleek black car waiting outside. Somewhere behind her reflection, she saw her own fear looking back at her. This was it. The beginning of a lie she had to live. The deal she couldn't escape, she had put up with everything for this moment and she could no longer back out. And as the door opened and one of Max's guards gestured for her to follow, she whispered to herself under her breath: "You just have to survive the year." But when she stepped outside and saw Max watching her through the rain, his expression unreadable, a chill ran down her spine. Something in his eyes told her he already knew. "Whatever you came here for, Mrs Hult," he said quietly to himself "you won't find it." The words hung in the air like a promise and a warning.

Three Months Earlier The first notice came on a Tuesday. Mia found it pinned to her apartment door, a folded piece of paper, wet from the rain. FINAL WARNING. Her stomach turned before she even opened it. She didn't have to because she knew what it said. For weeks now, men had been showing up at odd hours, leaving messages, calling from strange numbers. At first, she tried ignoring them, then blocking them. But it didn't matter because they always found her no matter where she went. That night, she sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her brother's old photo on the table. He was smiling and carefree, the way he always was before everything fell apart. "Why did you leave me with this?" she whispered, her eyes watering. It was filled with anger, guilt and exhaustion. He had taken out a loan two years ago without telling anyone, trying to keep his small auto shop open. Then came the accident that ruined her entire family, and then the bills that came with everything, leaving her completely drained. Now, all she was left with was the silence every day that reminded her how pathetic she felt. The debt didn't die with him. Now, it was hers. No one cared if she didn't know anything about it or had nothing to do with it. All they cared about was her repaying it. She had tried taking out another loan to repay one of the loans, but everything just seemed to get worse the more she tried to fix things. She had to give up her apartment and move into a smaller place. A soft knock echoed through her apartment suddenly breaking through her thoughts. Mia froze, her heart dropping to her stomach, before she could even try to act like she didn't hear the first knock another knock came again, and it was louder this time and harder to ignore. She stood up slowly, her pulse racing. "Who is it?" she asked in a shaky tone. No answer came, just a third knock. Mia cursed under her breath as she walked towards the day, she wondered if she would ever get a single day of peace. She reached for the door, half-hoping it was a mistake. But when she opened it, three people stood in the hallway staring back at her. A man in a leather jacket, with tall, sharp eyes and a scar cutting across his cheek. Beside him, another man was chewing gum and smirking and in front, a woman with long dark hair and red lipstick was calm as stone. "Mia Lewis?" the woman asked, her eyes scanning Mia from head to toe. "Who is asking?" Mia replied, her eyes scanning them too. She was trying her best to hide her fear, but it was hard to hide her fear in her tone as she spoke. The woman smiled faintly. "Good, you must be her, saves us time." Before Mia could say anything or try to close her door, the woman placed her leg between the door and grabbed it, she pushed it open and stepped inside like she owned the place. The two men immediately followed her in causing Mia to step back in surprise. "I'm Jessa," The woman said, setting a folder on the small table in the room, her eyes scanning the cramped room, a satisfied smile appeared on her face "These are my associates, Rico and Blaine. You know why we're here don't you?" Mia swallowed hard. Of course, she did. Why else would anyone come knocking on her door looking all confident? "Look, I'm trying to..." She started but Jessa held up a hand. "Your brother owed us one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He's gone now sadly, that makes you the next of kin, he put you down as his next of kin before you try to make silly excuses" Mia felt her stomach churn; she wanted to disappear. She was already overwhelmed and was standing at the edge of losing it. This felt like the last straw for her. She wanted to scream out loud in anger and frustration, but she knew that wouldn't do a single thing for her but make her reality press harder on her shoulders. "I don't... I don't have that kind of money," Mia whispered, her face already pale. She could tell these people weren't here to joke around. If they could find her so easily, then anyone could. "We know. You are already knee deep in debts," Jessa's tone didn't change. "But we're not unreasonable, there's another way." Hearing this didn't put Mia at ease one bit, it only made her stomach churn further because her brain immediately started going through ways they could ask her to pay back the loan. Jessa opened the folder on the table and slid a photo across the table toward Mia. Mia looked down and immediately froze. It was a man's face. He had cold grey eyes, his expression unreadable. She recognised him immediately, Max Hult. The name alone sent a ripple through her memory. Everyone in the city knew it. He was the Billionaire CEO ghost. The man who avoided the spotlight so completely that people joked he was allergic to it. She had only heard about him because of how much people gossiped about him, and she had seen his picture a few times on the Internet; it was the same pictures each time because he was rarely seen out and about, but she had never fully paid attention to matters regarding him. Her plates were full with her own matters. Mia frowned, confused by the turn things were suddenly taking "What does he have to do with this" Jessa leaned forward. "He has something that belongs to us. Some documents are hidden in his estate. We've tried to get them, but he's... careful. Super private and kind of untouchable." She paused, her lips curling into a cold smile. "That's where you come in." Mia shook her head immediately. She had no idea what they wanted her to try to do, and she didn't even want to know. She wanted absolutely no part in any of this, and if she could turn back time, she would ignore their knock on her door. "No. I don't even know him," she said, hoping they would just leave and leave her alone. "You will," Jessa said in an icy tone. The look in her eyes made Mia's stomach churn. "I'm not doing this..." Mia stood her ground, there was no way she was agreeing to whatever crazy thing they were trying to pull. "Please, I need you to..."Before Mia could finish speaking, Blaine slammed his fist against the wall, making her flinch, her eyes growing wide in shock. Jessa didn't even blink. "You owe us, sweetheart. We're giving you a chance to clear that debt. One year, just a year. All you need to do is get close to Max Hult, find the documents and bring them to us. Then you walk away free. It's so simple." Mia's throat tightened, she wanted to scoff, simple! This was far from simple; they were asking her to do something crazy and a crime. What if she got caught? It would only lead her into more trouble. "And if I don't?" Rico smirked and glanced at Jessa, Then we start collecting piece by piece." Silence stretched in the room between Mia and the three people standing in her house. What did they mean, piece by piece? She didn't want to even imagine the meaning. There was no way she could come up with that amount of money; she could barely pay rent or feed herself because of the high loan interest she had been paying. Finally, Mia whispered, "How am I supposed to get close to a man like that?" Jessa closed the folder, stood up, and adjusted her coat. "He'll be attending a charity event two nights from now. It's going to be a rare occasion and a chance for us. He shows up every year, writes a check, and leaves. That's your opening, you just need to be there. We will give you instructions on everything you need to do from now on" She reached into her bag and handed Mia a small envelope. Inside was a forged invitation and a photo of the event location. "You'll go and make him notice you. Do whatever it takes, I don't care how you do it." Mia stared at her, her heart pounding like crazy in her chest. "And if he doesn't?" Jessa's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Then you'd better start running." _________ Mia didn't sleep for the next two nights. How could she? When she left her house, she could feel someone watching her every move. She knew it was them; they would try to stop her if she tried to run away. She would be lying to herself if she said he hadn't contemplated it, but running away cost money, and she didn't have it. She sat by the window, watching the city lights, her brother's photo beside her. She told herself there had to be another way, that maybe she could find the money or disappear. But deep down, she knew the truth, they'd never let her go. They made sure to call her to remind her that backing out wasn't an option and they would find her everywhere she went, as if following her around all day wasn't enough. By the time Saturday came, she had made up her mind. She found a dress at a thrift shop with the little money Jessa had dropped in an envelope by her door with a note "GET SOMETHING NICE TO WEAR". It was a soft blue satin dress, a little too tight at the waist but still decent. She borrowed a pair of heels from her neighbour and tied her hair back with trembling hands. When she looked in the mirror, she saw someone else staring back. Someone desperate enough to gamble her life.

Mia woke up the next morning to a knock on her door. It was Jessa, Rico and Blaine. They were back again, ready to torment her with her reality. A part of her had wished to wake up and realise that everything that happened the previous day was just a nightmare, but now they were standing in front of her and it was more than clear that it wasn't a dream. "Good morning. I hope you slept well, because this is going to be a long day," Jessa said, too cheerfully for Mia's liking. Mia wished she could say all the things burning at the back of her throat, but she swallowed them down. Making them angry was the last thing she needed. They walked into her living room before she could stop them. The next hour felt like she was being forced through a difficult lesson that would definitely show up on an exam she could never pass. She wasn't even sure she'd make it inside the examination hall. "You will be wearing this so we can communicate with you," Rico said and handed her a small comms device. Her stomach twisted. Everything felt more real by the minute. What if she were caught? What if they left her to rot? Who was she kidding? They absolutely would. They would probably act like they had no idea who she was. "You just need to do as we say and everything will go smoothly. It's that simple. Remember, Mia, this is a win-win situation for us. You get to clear your debts and we get what we want. You can't afford to mess things up." Mia wanted to scoff, but she said nothing. They were already pinning everything on her when they were the ones who wanted her to do something absolutely crazy. They were treating this like she wasn't being forced into something insane, something that could destroy her life. She couldn't bear to imagine how crazy the day was going to turn out. All she could hope for was not to get caught and thrown into more trouble. That would really be the last straw for her. --- The charity event was held at one of the city's grandest hotels, all gold lights and glass walls. Fancy cars lined the entrance, cameras flashed, and people laughed, holding glasses of champagne like the world was perfect. Mia swallowed when the car stopped. Her hands were already trembling in her lap. "Time to go," Jessa said, and she nodded, even though she was far from ready. Her trembling hands travelled to the car door handle, but she couldn't bring herself to open it and step out. "Remember, Mia, we aren't always going to be this nice to you. If you mess things up tonight, things are going to get really messy for you, and I'm pretty sure you don't want that," Blaine said in a bone-chilling voice that made an icy shiver run down Mia's spine. She knew his words weren't empty. "Blaine, don't make her nervous. I'm sure she knows what's best for her, am I right, Mia?" Jessa chipped in and smiled warmly at Mia through the rearview mirror, but Mia knew the smile was far from genuine. She just opened the door and stepped out into the cool night air. One hand gripped her purse, the other brushed against her comms, checking it was still in place. She stood across the street, holding the fake invitation. Her heart was pounding so loudly it echoed in her ears. She took multiple deep breaths before she finally started to walk, each step making her feel like she was walking directly to her doom, but she didn't stop until she was standing in front of the hotel. Thankfully, many other people were arriving, causing anyone to barely notice her. She slipped inside unnoticed, blending with the flow of guests. Everything sparkled, the chandeliers, rich people wearing expensive diamond jewellery and bright smiles. Mia felt like an impostor among them. She followed them into the hall where the gala was taking place and stood at a table at the back so no one would pay much attention to her. That was the last thing she wanted, even though that was the reason she was here for someone to notice her. She hated it so much. "Have you sighted him?" she suddenly heard and almost yelled out loud in shock, then remembered she had comms in her ear. Mia let out a deep sigh. "Not yet," she said in a low voice, hoping no one would notice her speaking to herself. "Then search for him. You don't have all night. He will be gone as soon as he writes his damn check!" Jessa yelled into the comms, causing Mia to roll her eyes, even though she did as she was told. Her eyes scanned the room until they stopped on a figure. Max Hult. He stood near the back, tall and still, talking quietly with a man in a suit. No cameras followed him, no one dared interrupt, and his presence alone drew a kind of silence as if the air around him belonged only to him. Mia couldn't move. For a moment, she forgot why she was there. Then Jessa's voice sounded in her ear again, snapping her back. "Make him notice you." The way she said it almost made Mia lose her mind. It was easier said than done. What did they want her to do? Just walk up to him and introduce herself? Introduce herself as what, a woman sent for him to notice? "I'm not joking around," Jessa said again, and Mia felt her chest tighten. She had no idea how to make Max Hult notice her. That would definitely make everyone else notice her, and that was the last thing she wanted. "Must I do this? There has to be another way. If you give me enough time, I promise..." "No, Mia, that isn't what we agreed on. The agreement was that you would do exactly as we said. It's as easy as that. All you need to do is make Max Hult notice you and get us what we want, and then all your debts will be cleared. We know things have been a little rough for you these days, taking on a debt that isn't yours. This will be a weight lifted off your shoulder if you just shut up and do as we say." Security was tight and every move was watched. Mia was completely frozen to the spot until she saw Max Hult starting to walk away. "He is leaving," she said absentmindedly, causing Jessa to groan in anger. "What! It's only been fifteen minutes, go after him!" Mia's legs immediately started to move. He was heading toward the side exit and she did the same, but he was already gone by the time she got there. "He hasn't entered his car yet. A black car will pick him up in a minute, go now!" Panic clawed at Mia's chest as she ran outside into the rain, her heels slipping against the wet pavement. Her eyes immediately fell on a black car, and the car turned onto the road, already leaving but heading toward her. She thought she had a minute! Her heart hammered against her ribcage, confusion setting in. "He is leaving, there is nothing I can do!" she said to Jessa, but Jessa scoffed. "We don't have a choice. Then you have to stop the damn car. We can't get an opportunity like this again. Stop the car!" "What!" Mia said in disbelief, her eyes growing wide. How the hell was she supposed to stop a moving car? "Stop that car right now!" Jessa yelled into the comms. Mia looked up, and the black car was already turning toward the main road. She had seconds. Just seconds. How could she stop the car!