Chapter 4: THE FIRST LIE*

_Neva’s POV -

I lasted exactly 24 hours.

That’s my new personal record for following rules I didn’t agree to.

The west wing was dark. It smelled like dust and something else. Old cologne. Expensive whiskey. The kind of scent that sticks to money.

Every door was locked. Solid oak. No handles on the outside.

Except one at the very end of the hall.

It wasn’t locked.

It was waiting.

Inside was an office. No windows. Just mahogany shelves, a leather chair, and a desk so clean it looked unused.

And right in the center, a manila file.

With my name on it.

*NEVA WILLIAMS - BACKGROUND CHECK - CONFIDENTIAL*

My hands shook before I even opened it.

Photos of me from high school. Me working two jobs. My bank statements. My $40.12 balance from last week.

A psychological profile. _“Subject displays high resilience. Low self-worth. Unlikely to cause problems.”_

And at the bottom, in red ink:

_“Acceptable replacement. No emotional attachment expected. Use for 6 months. Then discard.”_

Discard.

Like I was trash. Like I was a stand-in.

My parents sold me for damage control. And Austin knew.

The door creaked behind me.

I didn’t turn around. I already knew who it was.

“Austin,” I whispered.

“It’s not what you think.”

His voice was right behind me. Too close. I could feel the heat of him.

I spun, holding up the file. My voice came out sharper than I meant. “Then what is it? A contract? Because that’s exactly what this feels like.”

He looked furious. But not at me. At the fact that I’d found it.

“You think I wanted this?” he snapped. “You think I wanted to marry a stranger at 8AM because my fiancée ran on our wedding day with his best friend?”

For the first time, his mask cracked.

He looked tired. Angry. And underneath it all, hurt.

Like someone had done this to him too.

“I don’t care about you, Neva,” he said quietly. The words cut, but his eyes didn’t match them. “But I also won’t let them use you and throw you away.”

He grabbed my wrist. Not hard. Just enough to stop me from bolting.

“Put the file back. Forget you saw it. Play the part for 6 months and you’ll walk away with enough money to never worry again.”

Then he let go and walked out.

Leaving me alone with the first lie I’d ever caught him in.

Because if he didn’t care...

Why did he look like that when he said it?

And why did his hand shake?

I put the file back. But I took a photo first.

Being the spare meant I knew how to keep receipts.

---

*AUTHOR’S NOTE:*

Episode 3!! The lies are starting 😭 Ohh my goodness things are starting to get interesting 😭😏