“I Needed a Fake Girlfriend for the Office Party,” the CEO Muttered—Then She Slid Me a Note That Said “Pick Me”
Chapter 8
The board meeting lasted three hours.
Richard Hale denied everything.
Vanessa claimed she had been manipulated.
The board questioned Ethan’s judgment.
Ethan answered every question.
Calmly.
Precisely.
Then Lena presented the evidence.
She explained the metadata.
The server logs.
The altered timestamps.
The access records.
Her voice never shook.
When she finished, the room was silent.
One board member leaned forward.
“So the documents were fabricated.”
“Yes.”
“And you can prove that?”
Lena nodded.
“I already did.”
Ethan watched her.
He had hired her because she was good with numbers.
Now he realized she was much more than that.
She was brave.
Intelligent.
Loyal.
And completely unwilling to let anyone destroy her without fighting back.
The board voted.
Ethan remained CEO.
Richard was dismissed.
Vanessa faced legal action.
The case against Lena disappeared.
When the meeting ended, Ethan walked with her into the hallway.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“You were incredible.”
She smiled.
“Thank you.”
He looked at her.
“You saved me.”
“No.”
“You did.”
“I protected myself.”
He laughed.
“Fair.”
They stood near the elevator.
Lena looked at him.
“So what happens now?”
Ethan smiled.
“I have an idea.”
“What?”
“Dinner.”
She laughed.
“That’s your big idea?”
“A real dinner.”
“No family?”
“No employees.”
“No cameras?”
“No cameras.”
“No pretending?”
“Definitely no pretending.”
She smiled.
“Okay.”
The elevator doors opened.
Before they stepped inside, Ethan stopped her.
“There is one more thing.”
“What?”
He pulled out the old note.
The one she had given him that night.
Pick me.
“I kept it.”
Lena stared.
“You kept that?”
“Every day.”
“Why?”
“Because that was the moment everything changed.”
Her eyes softened.
“I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t either.”
The elevator doors closed.
They stood alone.
Ethan looked at her.
“I don’t need a fake girlfriend anymore.”
Lena smiled.
“Good.”
“Because I want a real one.”
Her smile grew.
“You’re asking?”
“Yes.”
She pretended to think.
“For how long?”
“Hopefully forever.”
She laughed.
“That’s a long contract.”
“I’ll sign it.”
She leaned closer.
“Then yes.”
Their first real kiss happened in an elevator.
No cameras.
No family.
No employees.
No performance.
Just them.
And for Ethan Carter, it was the first time in his life that winning something had nothing to do with business.
