Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Lila’s heart slammed against her ribs as she stood in front of Christian. The words “About making a deal” still hung between them like a challenge she couldn’t take back.

Christian’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, studying her with the same intense focus he probably used on the ice when reading an opponent’s next move.

Up close, he was even more intimidating. Broad shoulders filled out his team hoodie, and the faint scent of clean ice and something expensive lingered around him. He looked like he belonged on magazine covers, not in the middle of her messy breakdown.

“A deal,” he repeated, voice low and smooth, with just a hint of amusement. “Bold move, Stones. Most people don’t approach me after getting publicly shredded.”

Heat rushed back to her face. Of course he’d seen the whole thing. Everyone had. She forced herself to hold his gaze even though every instinct screamed at her to run.

“I’m not most people,” she said, surprised by how steady her voice sounded. “And I’m not going to let Marcus turn me into campus entertainment for the rest of the semester.”

Christian pushed off the wall, unfolding his arms. He was taller than she’d realized, easily over six feet and the way he moved felt deliberate. “So what exactly are you proposing?”

Lila glanced around. A few students were still lingering, whispering and stealing glances in their direction. She couldn’t do this here.

“Not out in the open,” she said. “Can we talk somewhere private?”

He considered her for a long moment, then gave a single nod. “My car. Five minutes. Parking lot behind the arena.”

Without waiting for her reply, he turned and walked away, long strides eating up the distance. Lila stood there for a second, nerves twisting in her stomach, before hurrying after him at a safer distance.

Ten minutes later, she slid into the passenger seat of his sleek black SUV. The interior smelled like leather and faint cologne. Christian sat in the driver’s seat, one hand resting casually on the steering wheel, watching her with that same unreadable expression.

“Talk,” he said simply.

Lila took a deep breath and launched into it before she lost her nerve.

“I need protection, reputation protection. Marcus just humiliated me in front of half the campus, and the videos are probably already going viral. People are going to laugh at me, whisper behind my back, maybe even make my life hell for the rest of the year. I’m tired of being invisible or being a joke.”

She paused, fingers twisting in her lap. “You’re Christian Sterling, the captain of the hockey team. Everyone respects you. If people thought we were… together, they’d stop. The gossip would die. Marcus would look like an idiot for dumping me if I was suddenly dating you.”

Christian eyebrows rose slightly. “You want me to fake date you.”

“Yes.” Lila’s cheeks burned, but she pushed on. “Just until the heat dies down. A few weeks. Maybe a month. Long enough for everyone to move on to the next scandal. I’ll go to your games, sit in the family section, post a couple of pictures if needed. I won’t get in your way or make things weird. I know you’re busy with hockey and… whatever else you do.”

She swallowed hard. “I’m not asking for charity. I’ll do whatever you need in return. Help with your finance projects? Design graphics for the team? I’m good at that. Just name it.”

Kai leaned back in his seat, studying her with new interest. The silence stretched until Lila thought she might explode from the tension.

“You’re serious,” he finally said.

“Dead serious.” She met his eyes, trying to look stronger than she felt. “I’m not weak, Christian. I’m just… done being stepped on. I want to take control of this situation before it controls me.”

Something flickered in his expression; respect, maybe but it was gone too quickly for her to be sure.

He drummed his fingers once on the steering wheel. “Fake dating isn’t as simple as it sounds. There are rules, boundaries and epectations. If we do this, it has to look real. No half-measures.”

Lila’s pulse quickened. This was it. The moment everything changed. “I understand. I’m willing to follow your rules.”

Christian's gaze sharpened. “My rules, not yours.”

She nodded, even as nervous energy buzzed under her skin. Part of her wanted to back out, to tell him never mind and disappear into her art building where it was safe, but the memory of Marcus’s mocking laugh kept her anchored in the seat.

“Fine,” she said. “Your rules.”

Kai reached into the center console and pulled out a small black notebook and pen. He flipped it open with practiced ease.

“First rule,” he said, writing neatly. “This stays between us. No one, not your roommate, not your best friend knows it’s fake not unless I say so.”

“Understood.”

“Second rule: In public, you’re mine. You sit with me at team events. You wear my jersey at games when I ask. You don’t flirt with anyone else, and I don’t flirt with anyone else. We look exclusive.”

Lila’s stomach flipped at the casual possessiveness in his tone, but she nodded again.

“Third rule: No real feelings. This is temporary. When the semester pressure eases or the gossip dies, we end it cleanly. No drama and no messy breakup scenes.”

“That works for me,” she said quickly. Too quickly, maybe.

Christian's lips curved into the barest hint of a smirk. “We’ll see.”

He continued writing, listing more conditions, curfews on certain nights because of his training schedule, mandatory appearances at two team parties per month, and her agreement to help design new graphics and social media visuals for the hockey team as part of the deal.

Lila listened carefully, her mind racing. This was crazy. Insane, actually. She was sitting in Christian's Sterling’s car negotiating a fake relationship like it was a business transaction. But it felt like the only way forward.

When he finally closed the notebook, he turned to face her fully.

“Last chance to back out, Stones. Once we start this, there’s no halfway. People will talk. They’ll watch us and I won't do things halfway.”

Lila thought about Marcus’s cruel laugh, the pitying stares, the videos that would probably follow her for months. She thought about how small she’d felt standing on those steps.

She straightened her shoulders and met Christian's intense gaze.

“I’m not backing out.”

Christian watched her for another long beat, then gave a slow nod.

“Good.”

He pulled out his phone. “Give me your number. I’ll send you the full contract tonight. Read it carefully, possibly starting tomorrow.”

Lila typed her number into his phone with slightly shaky fingers. When she handed it back, their fingers brushed for a brief second. A small spark shot up her arm, but she ignored it.

As she reached for the door handle, Christian's voice stopped her.

“One more thing.”

She turned back.

His expression had shifted into something darker, and more commanding. “If we do this, you follow my lead. In public, I call the shots. Don’t forget that.”

The words sent an unexpected shiver down her spine.

Lila swallowed and nodded. “Understood.”

She stepped out of the car into the cold night air, her mind spinning. She had just made a deal with Christian Sterling. The most powerful, untouchable guy on campus.

As she walked back toward her dorm, her phone buzzed with an incoming message.

Unknown number: Contract incoming, be ready tomorrow morning and don’t be late.

Lila stared at the screen, heart racing with a mixture of fear and strange anticipation.

Tomorrow, everything will begin.

She just hoped she hadn’t just signed away more than her reputation.