Chapter 1
“Marcus, what time is it?”
“10:09.”
David Prescott barely looked up.
“Here we go. Bring someone.”
Every night, David asked Marcus for the same thing. A different woman. Dinner. No promises. A morning exit.
The arrangement had become routine because the last woman David had loved had taught him 1 expensive lesson.
Never again.
Long before Maya Carter entered his life, David had already decided that no woman would be allowed close enough to matter.
Marcus knew why.
“You know, 1 bad woman doesn’t mean they’re all bad.”
David did not look at him.
“I didn’t say they were.”
“What did you say?”
“I said none of them get the chance to matter.”
Marcus gave him a look.
“Healthy.”
“Shut up.”
David returned to the evening’s instructions.
“Tonight.”
“Yes?”
“Same instructions.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
“Have I suddenly become mysterious?”
“Different woman. Dinner. No promises. Morning exit.”
Marcus nodded.
“See? You do listen.”
That same night, Maya Carter needed $80,000.
Her mother needed surgery, and Maya had no idea where she was going to find the money.
When Marcus approached her, she was already carrying the weight of that desperation.
“Are you waiting for someone?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I thought you were following me.”
Marcus hesitated.
“I might be.”
Maya stared at him.
“Well, that’s not creepy at all.”
“My employer would like your company tonight.”
“Oh, wow.”
She looked at him.
“That sounded less terrible in your head, didn’t it?”
“Considerably.”
“What exactly does your employer want?”
“Your company.”
“For what?”
Marcus paused.
Maya noticed.
“Yeah, that pause wasn’t reassuring.”
“I don’t know what he’ll want.”
“Fantastic.”
Marcus handed her the information.
“For when you change your mind.”
Maya looked at the amount.
“$80,000.”
She almost laughed at the absurdity of it.
“Of course. My life couldn’t need, like, $800.”
She thought for a moment.
“Well, this is either brave or unbelievably stupid.”
“Probably both.”
Then she asked the question that mattered most.
“If I say yes, can I still say no later?”
“Yes.”
Maya narrowed her eyes.
“That sounded suspiciously easy.”
“That’s because it is.”
She gave him 1 condition.
“Name it.”
“If I feel uncomfortable, I leave immediately.”
“Fine.”
Marcus nodded.
“I’ll send the car.”
Later, he called David.
“Well, she said yes.”
“Good.”
“She’s nervous.”
“They usually are.”
When Maya arrived, Marcus gave her another opportunity to leave.
“You can still go home.”
“And then what?”
Neither of them needed to say it.
Exactly.
The house was enormous.
Maya looked around as she entered.
“Oh, well, that’s excessive.”
Then she reconsidered.
“Nice. Excessive, but still.”
She glanced at Marcus.
“Does he live here alone?”
“Yes.”
Maya looked back at the size of the house.
“That’s not lonely. That’s suspicious.”
“Keep walking.”
Marcus stopped once more.
“You can still leave. I’ll tell him you declined.”
Maya gave him a faint smile.
“That’s a much prettier word.”
David was waiting.
“You’re late.”
Maya looked at him.
“Hello to you too.”
David studied her.
“You’re not what I expected.”
“Good. I wasn’t trying.”
He noticed her tension.
“Why are you nervous?”
“Because your assistant picked me up for a mysterious billionaire. Apparently, that’s supposed to be relaxing.”
“Do you want a drink?”
“Is it poisoned?”
David stared at her.
“What?”
Maya quickly corrected herself.
“Sorry. Nervous joke. Water.”
“Perfect.”
David handed it to her.
Then he asked,
“Why did you come?”
“Your assistant asked.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I figured.”
She took a breath.
“My mother needs surgery. I need money.”
David watched her carefully.
“So that’s the truth.”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“$80,000.”
Maya gave a tired smile.
“Yeah, I know. To you, that’s probably lunch.”
“I don’t spend $80,000 on lunch.”
“Usually?”
David did not answer.
Maya continued.
“Look, I know what this probably sounds like.”
“Do you?”
“That I’m desperate.”
She did not hide it.
“I am.”
Then she added,
“But I’m not asking you to pity me.”
She started to move.
David stopped her.
“Wait. I didn’t ask you to leave.”
“You also haven’t told me why I’m here.”
“That’s correct.”
“You expected something.”
David looked at her.
Maya met his stare.
“I expected a billionaire with boundaries.”
She paused.
“And I’m still waiting to find those.”
“There’s no script.”
“That’s comforting.”
“I didn’t say it was supposed to be.”
“You’re very bad at making people comfortable.”
“I own a company. It hasn’t complained.”
Maya stared at him.
“Can I ask you something?”
“You’ve been doing that.”
“Why do you need strangers here every night?”
David’s expression shifted.
“That’s a better question.”
“And?”
“Because they’re strangers.”
Maya frowned.
“That’s your answer?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a terrible answer.”
“At least you’re self-aware.”
“Don’t spread that around.”
For reasons David did not entirely understand, he kept talking.
“Her name was Victoria.”
Maya stopped joking.
David continued.
“I gave her everything.”
He listed it plainly.
“Trips. Jewelry. My time. Everything.”
“And she cheated?”
“She lied first.”
Maya understood the distinction.
“And now you’re punishing everybody.”
“I’m not punishing anyone.”
“Sure.”
“They come willingly.”
“That’s not a defense.”
“I don’t lie to them.”
Maya conceded the point.
“Fair.”
Then she added,
“Still emotionally ridiculous.”
David laughed.
Maya looked at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No, that was definitely something.”
David seemed almost surprised by himself.
“I haven’t laughed in a while.”
Maya relaxed slightly.
“You’re less nervous,” he observed.
“Don’t ruin it.”
“That was almost friendly.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
At some point, Maya noticed something in the room.
“Is it broken?”
“No.”
She examined it.
“It seems emotionally unavailable.”
“It’s expensive.”
Maya looked at David.
“So are you.”
He stared at her.
“Same problem.”
Later, she handled another object with unexpected confidence.
“You know how to use that?”
“No.”
David looked concerned.
“How?”
“I guessed.”
Maya smiled.
“Terrifying, isn’t it?”
Hours passed without either of them noticing.
Eventually, David checked the time.
“It’s 2:00 in the morning.”
“I can tell time.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Why are we still talking?”
David returned the question.
“Why are you still here?”
Maya’s answer began with the practical truth.
“Because I need the money.”
Then she hesitated.
“And because you’re not what I thought.”
David’s mouth shifted slightly.
“Disappointing.”
“Not yet.”
“That’s reassuring.”
He asked her about her life.
“What do you do?”
“I work.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It pays badly, though.”
David gave her a look.
“Very honest of me,” Maya said.
“What do you want to do?”
She grew quieter.
May you like
“I wanted to study nursing.”
“Wanted?”
