The Billionaire's Amnesia

Ten | The Decisions

L A Y L A

I hate myself for doing this. For agreeing to this stupid deal with James. Why does he need me to be his fake wife for a year? Is it to get back at his snooty parents or to dump his gorgeous fiancee? It makes no sense. And it makes me feel like a fool.

This is stupid, so stupid. How can I let myself be in this position in the first place?

The taxi ride from my crappy apartment to his fancy mansion takes forever. I wish I could just turn around and go back. But I can't. I need all the solutions he promised me. And I need to face him.

When I get there, Alfred is waiting for me at the door. He looks like he's seen a ghost. He probably thinks I'm some gold-digger or worse.

"Mr. Carter is waiting for you in his study," Alfred tells me as we walk down the icy dark corridor of James's mansion.

He leads me to James's study, where he's already waiting for me. He's leaning on his desk, looking smug and confident. He doesn't even say hello. He just stares at me like I'm his next prey.

He smiled faintly, a glint of amusement in his eyes as if he had expected me to come crawling back to him sooner or later.

"One year," I gasped, stopping in front of him. "I'll marry you for one year. But I have one condition."

He studied me intently, his expression unreadable.

"My aunt and I are behind on our rent, and our landlord is threatening to kick us out. I need you to make him leave us alone for good," I said firmly, feeling my anger rise.

He was silent for a moment, then he took out his phone.

He dialed a number and waited for a few seconds. Then he said in a cold, emotionless voice, "Get Harvey. I want to buy an apartment complex in Palmdale. Have the deal ready by the end of the day." He hung up.

I was stunned. Did he just order his people to buy the whole building where I lived?

"Done. You don't have to worry about rent anymore. Anything else?" He looked at me again, and that annoying smile returned to his lips.

I swallowed hard. Was this real? Was I dreaming? Did that mean that my aunt and I could keep our home?

When I finally find my voice again, I decide to remind him about the deal.

"One year. No, extension, no nothing." I say, my voice firm and serious.

"Anything else." He says, his gaze fixed on me again.

"As for the debts..." I tremble, feeling conflicted. Part of me wants him to settle it, but another part thinks he has already done enough for me. I can easily repay the loan my aunt took from a local lender now that I don't have to worry about our rent anymore.

"Leave it to me. I'll handle it."

"I was gonna say you don't have to. I can pay it my..."

"No, you're going to be my wife soon. As your husband, I'll handle it."

"You don't have to. I'm grown a..."

"Layla!" His voice softens but also sounds deadly; it echoes like a warning.

Breathing shakily, I exhaled. "Fine," I reply as I begin to calm down again. 

"About the scandal, Jake, has nothing to do with this. Even though I know he has no feelings for me no more but can't you just tell the world that we went separate ways because of our differences?"

I knew Jake had been trying to break up with me since that interview he had on Jimmy Colleen's show with Jenna Orten. He had been distant and cold ever since he came back from New York that night. I didn't blame him. I knew how much pressure he was under from his fans and the media. But I loved him too much to let him get attacked online, or worse get death threats by the haters when James's countermoves to clear my name got released. I know better than anyone how emotionally destroyed he already is.

I remember the last time we talk. 

"You don't understand, do you? It's not about them. It's about us. We're not working anymore." that's what he said to me before I packed all this stuff in our room and sent it to his label to mark the ending of my relationship with him. I remember it all too well.

He clenched his jaw, his eyes hardening. "I'll decide how to retract the news. You've done enough damage already."

"It's my life, my problem. I'm not going to sit back and let you..." I tried to argue, but he cut me off with a roar.

"Layla! Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" His voice echoed off the wooden walls of the room, making me flinch. 

He looked furious and frustrated with me, and I felt a surge of fear and guilt. 

He lowered his head, rubbing his temples. He sighed and looked at me again, his expression softening. "I'm sorry." His voice was gentle now, but it didn't erase the terror he had inflicted on me. "I'll take care of it." He continued as if that settled everything.

I swallowed hard, feeling conflicted. Maybe he was right. Maybe I should let him handle it. He knew better than me how to deal with this mess. But I hated giving up control over my own life. I hated feeling helpless and dependent on him. The room felt cold and lonely again, despite the fire crackling in the fireplace.

He reached for my hand, his fingers warm and strong around mine. His eyes locked on mine, refusing to let go. I pulled away, needing some space between us, but he held on tighter. I stiffened, ready to object, but he released me suddenly. That's when I saw it: A diamond ring on my finger. A very sparkly one too.

"As I said, I will help you, and you will marry me," he declares. "It's time that the world sees that ring on your finger and knows that you now belong to me." He smirks.

I'm still stunned by his words, but I don't miss the fact that there's also a ring on his finger. James's ring is just a plain metal ring—but something else catches my eye. Oddly enough, on his wrist, there is a girly bracelet made of wood and cheap leather. I didn't notice it before.

His bracelet looks like a souvenir he got from a vacation spot or something.  It has three tiny temples carved into it and a small blue stone in the center with the letter J on it—his initial.

How weird. The bracelet doesn't suit him at all and clashes with everything else he wears which screams billionaire.

Maybe it's part of a matching set that he shares with his supermodel ex-girlfriend. I just hope he won't wear that silly bracelet on our wedding day because anyone would find it strange.

I look away from it and gaze at my new diamond ring instead. Oh God, am I really going to marry him?

"Do you think that us getting married will fix my reputation?" I ask him. "What if the world thinks that I'm just another gold digger?" My voice is quiet when I say the second question—it's been nagging at me too. 

Surprisingly James laughs softly—his face coming closer to mine—"Don't worry about that Layla," he says looking into my eyes—"The world will only think that I'm madly in love with you."