Chapter 1The air reeked of vodka and bad decisions.
My boyfriend Fletcher Nash had just lost at Truth or Dare.
For his punishment, Sienna Wells draped herself over his arm and pointed toward the neon booth in the corner.
"Fletcher~You lost." Her voice went breathy. But her eyes stayed on me. "So... marry me. Just for fun. Unless you're scared?"
His buddies into obnoxious laughter:
"Bro, you said you'd do anything!"
"Don't bitch out now!"
"It's a joke. Your girlfriend's cool, right?"
Fletcher hesitated for half a second.
Then Sienna suddenly let go of his arm and stepped back. Her face went pale. She looked at me.
"Wait... never mind. Rowan looks upset.
"Right. I forgot. Fletcher's hers now."
Her voice cracked. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have said anything. Let's drop it. Fletcher, forget I mentioned it."
Her little martyr act flipped the script instantly.
Every pair of eyes turned to me like I was the one ruining everyone's night.
Fletcher's face hardened immediately.
He grabbed Sienna's wrist before she could leave, then locked eyes with me.
"Rowan. What's with the attitude? We're all friends here. It's a joke. You really gonna kill everyone's night?"
Oh, the audacity.
I opened my mouth to respond.
He cut me off like he was teaching me a lesson:
"It's a game. That's it. You play, you pay. Don't be such a buzzkill."
Then he stopped looking at me entirely.
Sienna's tears dried up instantly. She shot me a smug glance as Fletcher pulled her toward the booth.
Ten minutes later, they walked back in waving two booklets.
Fletcher's friends lost it.
"Holy shit, you actually did it!"
"Dude, kiss her!"
"She's officially Mrs. Fletcher Nash now!"
"Bro, the way you're looking at her... you sure this was just a game?"
Sienna laughed and hid behind Fletcher. "Stop it!"
Fletcher grinned and shoved his loudest friend. He didn't correct anyone.
Then someone turned to me.
"Look, Rowan. We're just messing around."
He smirked. "Seriously though—if they were really into each other? You wouldn't be here. So don't overthink it."
At that, everyone watched me.
I swirled my drink. "I know the difference between a joke and the real thing."
Sienna broke away from the group and slapped her certificate on the table. She flipped it open and shoved it in my face.
"I swear I didn't know this was real! I thought it was some club promo!"
Her eyes went wide. "You're so cool about this. You won't mind, right?
"And once the month's up, I'll drag him to the courthouse myself. He's all yours again."
Fletcher stood behind her, arms crossed.
"Happy now? You've been sitting there with that face all night. If you're gonna be like this, maybe don't come."
I looked at the two of them.
That's when I started laughing.
Chapter 2
I traced the rim of my glass. The cold helped me think clearly.
The engagement between our families had been sealed over whiskey and handshakes.
My father needed the Nash family's support for a major deal.
A marriage contract was the easiest insurance policy.
The day the contracts were signed, my father called me into his study.
"Rowan. Fletcher Nash is your fiancé now."
I'd watched my parents' marriage my entire life.
The silent dinners. The separate bedrooms. The polite distance.
So I knew exactly what I was walking into.
But I did it anyway. For the family.
The first time I showed up to one of Fletcher's hangouts as his fiancée, Sienna appeared with a drink in hand.
"Rowan! I heard you studied classical music? You probably don't know how to play our drinking games, huh?"
She tilted her head then. "Want me to get you a juice box instead?"
And after that, she was always there.
Our first dinner alone?
She happened to be at the same restaurant. Pulled out a chair and sat down. "You don't mind if I crash, right? I hate eating alone."
Our first movie date?
She'd already bought the seat next to Fletcher.
"Oh my god, Rowan! What a coincidence~ Fletcher and I were literally just talking about seeing this."
Just like that, every date I planned got interrupted by one of her "emergencies."
And every single time, she'd look at me with those wide, innocent eyes.
"You're not mad, are you? Fletcher and I have been like this since we were kids. If something was really going on, you wouldn't even be here."
Fletcher would just frown. "That's how Sienna is. Try to be more understanding."
...
At that moment, the music cut out.
The DJ's voice boomed through the speakers. "Congrats to tonight's first newlyweds! Let's give them a round of applause!"
The massive screen behind the bar lit up.
Fletcher and Sienna's photo filled the entire wall.
Their heads tilted together. The white background made them look like they belonged together.
The laser lights bounced off the screen and burned into my vision.
I stared at the image of the happy couple and felt nothing but irony.
After moments, the cheering died down.
And the game kept going.
This time, I lost.
Sienna's eyes lit up. She didn't hesitate. Her finger shot toward the corner booth.
A man sat there alone, completely detached from the chaos around us.
"Rowan! You lost!" Sienna's voice went shrill with excitement. "Your dare is—go marry him!"
The booth went silent.
Then everyone lost it.
"Holy shit!"
"Sienna, you're fucking insane!"
"Come on, Rowan! Your turn!"
I looked at Fletcher.
Something flickered across his face. His lips parted like he might say something. Then Sienna hooked her pinky around his. He went still.
He looked away.
"Fletcher." My voice cut through the noise. "What do you think?"
Chapter 3
Sienna jumped in before he could answer.
She waved their marriage certificate in the air.
"Fletcher, it's just a game! You said it yourself—you play, you pay. Just like we did! Thirty days and she divorces. Then you two can make it official~"
At her words, Fletcher took a breath.
He finally looked at me. His voice came out casual.
"I don't have a problem with it."
"Okay." I stood up.
Every pair of eyes followed me as I walked toward the corner.
The man sitting there was Desmond Sterling.
He'd been silent all night. He didn't play games. He didn't join conversations.
He just sat in the shadows nursing his drink like he was only here to observe.
The lights caught his profile sometimes.
Sharp jawline. Long neck. Tailored suit that probably cost more than my rent.
He looked like he belonged in a boardroom, not a nightclub.
Everyone knew about Desmond Sterling.
Brilliant. Ruthless when he needed to be. But never cruel.
Three years ago, when my family's company hit a crisis, he was the only investor who didn't try to lowball us.
My father still talked about it. "Desmond Sterling is a rare breed in this business."
But I'd always wondered—why did he show up to these parties?
Because he never played. He wasn't close with Fletcher's crowd. And he came every time. Just sat in the corner. Drank alone. Left when it was over.
And I knew the truth: the Sterling family's wealth made the Nashes look middle-class.
Now, I stopped in front of his table.
He looked up. Our eyes met.
No surprise. No judgment. Just calm assessment.
I leaned forward and picked up his untouched drink.
Downed it in one go. Set the empty glass back on the table with a sharp clink.
"Want to get married?"
I said it like I was asking if he wanted another round.
Something shifted in his dark eyes.
He studied me for two seconds. Like he was deciding something.
Then he stood. Tall. Imposing.
"Sure."
