Benefits, Not Friends

"Date me."
Zara doesn't even blink.
"I'd rather quit."
Adrian smirks, slow and dangerous.
"Then quit."
Silence.
The kind that feels like a challenge.
Like a trap.
Her fingers tighten around the contract in her hand.
"Fake relationship," she says finally. "We play the part. We get the promotion. Then we're done."
He leans closer.
Too close.
"You hate me."
"I do."
"Good." His voice drops. "Because I don't do feelings."
Zara slides the paper toward him anyway.
"Perfect. Neither do I."
A lie.
They both feel it.
He signs.
Just like that.
Deal sealed.
Danger started.
"One rule," she adds quietly.
"Don't fall for me."
Adrian's smile is the last warning she gets.
"You should be more worried about yourself."
They're rivals.
Now they're pretending to be in love.
And the more real it looks...
the harder it becomes to fake.