Noah's Pov
"I should have slammed the door in his face."
The words slipped out as I shoved the last file into my desk drawer. My office was quiet now, the hum of the lab equipment muffled behind glass walls. Most of the staff had gone home hours ago, but I stayed late, as usual. Work was easier than sleep these days.
I leaned back in my chair, pressing my palms over my eyes. Luca Marquez. Of all the people to walk through my door today, it had to be him.
The man was everything I resented, charming, untouchable, the kind of billionaire who could smile at a camera and make the world forget what kind of empire he ran. His father had nearly destroyed Chen Bioworks, and now Luca thought he could stroll in here, toss around a proposition, and I'd jump like some desperate man drowning for a lifeline.
But he wasn't wrong. That was the worst part.
My company was bleeding out. Payroll was due in two weeks. The cure we'd been working on for years, the one that might actually save lives, the one that might have saved my sister if we'd had it back then, was hanging by a thread. Without new investors, we'd have to shut everything down.
And Luca was right: a fake partnership, staged smiles for the press, would draw eyes and money faster than I could ever manage alone.
I hated him for being right.
A knock on my office door broke the silence.
"Still here?"
Aria stepped inside, heels clicking softly against the tile. My best friend since college, now my lawyer, my anchor. Her dark hair was tied back, her sharp eyes scanning me like I was one of her cases.
"You look like hell," she said flatly, setting a takeout cup of coffee on my desk.
"Thanks," I muttered, taking it.
She sat across from me, folding her legs neatly. "So, I heard Luca Marquez showed up."
"News travels fast."
"Not news," she corrected. "Gossip. Half the staff already thinks you two are dating."
I nearly choked on my coffee. "Dating?"
She smirked. "You have to admit, it's a good cover story. The billionaire tech mogul and the underdog CEO. People eat that up."
I groaned, dragging a hand through my hair. "Don't start. He came here with an offer."
"Let me guess. Partnership?"
"More like performance," I muttered. "He wants me to fake a relationship with him. Cameras, headlines, the works."
Aria's brows shot up. "And you said…?"
"I said yes." The words came out low, almost shameful.
Aria leaned back slowly. "Wow. Didn't think I'd live to see the day you agreed to be someone's PR stunt."
"It's not for him," I snapped. "It's for Chen Bioworks. It's for the research. For my sister."
Her face softened, just slightly. She never mentioned my sister unless I did first. "Noah, I get it. I do. But Luca Marquez? He's dangerous. Maybe not in the way his father was, but power like that doesn't come clean. If you let him close, fake or not, you might lose more than you gain."
I looked away, staring at the glowing skyline through my window. She was right. She usually was. But I didn't have the luxury of choice.
"We need funding," I said quietly. "And this is the only way I see us getting it in time."
Aria exhaled, frustrated but resigned. "Then you'd better be careful. Fake relationships have a way of turning real problems into bigger ones."
*************
The next morning, I was in the lab early, running data with my team. But my phone buzzed non-stop. Headlines, notifications, emails.
"Marquez and Chen: The Power Duo?"
"Is Business Turning Romantic for NYC's Young CEOs?"
Pictures of Luca and me were everywhere, most of them cropped, some clearly edited to make us look closer. My blood boiled.
Then a text popped up. Unknown number.
If you're going to play the part, at least wear a better tie. – L
I clenched my jaw. Of course he had my number now. And of course he couldn't resist mocking me.
I typed back before I could stop myself. If this is how you treat your fake boyfriend, no wonder you're single.
The typing dots appeared almost immediately. Then: Who said I'm single?
I stared at the screen, heat crawling up my neck. He was infuriating. Arrogant. And annoyingly quick with words.
I shoved my phone in my pocket, forcing myself to focus on the work in front of me. But all day, the thought of him lingered like static I couldn't shake.
That evening, I got the call.
"Noah, it's Jordan Vega. COO of Marquez Global."
His voice was calm, professional, but there was an edge to it.
"We'll need to arrange the first appearance," he continued. "Something public. High-profile. Press will be there. Luca wants to announce the partnership, business and personal, at once."
My stomach twisted. "So I just show up, smile for the cameras, and pretend my entire life isn't on fire?"
"Exactly," Jordan said smoothly. "You'll get the investors. We'll get the distraction. Everyone wins."
I wanted to argue, but the truth was, he wasn't wrong either.
"Fine," I muttered. "When?"
"Two nights. A gala at The Plaza. You'll be Luca's guest."
My breath caught. "The Plaza? With every investor in the city watching?"
"That's the point," Jordan said. Then, with a note of warning, he added: "Just remember, Chen. You're stepping into Luca's world now. It doesn't forgive mistakes."
The line clicked dead before I could respond.
Two nights.
Two nights until I'd have to stand beside Luca Marquez, cameras flashing, pretending we were something we weren't.
I stared at the city lights through my apartment window, exhaustion pressing heavy on me. My father's voice echoed in my head, words he'd repeated since I was young: Never trust a Marquez. They'll smile at you while they take everything away.
And yet here I was, about to put my company, and maybe myself, into Luca's hands.
For the cure. For my sister. For survival.
I closed my eyes, gripping the window frame until my knuckles ached.
"This better not destroy me," I whispered into the night.
A voice I wasn't expecting cut through the darkness of my apartment.
"Destroy you?"
I spun around, heart hammering. Luca Marquez stood in my living room like he owned it, tailored suit immaculate, a smirk playing on his lips.
"How the hell did you get in here?" I demanded, heat rising in my chest.
He raised a brow, holding up a key card. "You really should change your building's security system. It was too easy."
My pulse thundered. "You broke into my home."
Luca stepped closer, unbothered. "Relax, Chen. I came to discuss our little arrangement. Face-to-face. Without your lawyer. Without my COO
. Just us."
His voice dropped, smooth and dangerous.
"Because if we're going to sell this story, Noah… you and I need to look real."