THE CEO'S MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

The silence inside Ethan Maverick sedan was the kind that could suffocate. It pressed down on Jessica Robert chest until every shallow breath felt like a betrayal, as though even the sound of her lungs working might provoke him further. The leather seats were buttery soft, the ambient lights muted and elegant-yet she felt as though she were locked inside a prison carriage headed straight for her execution.

Her reflection in the tinted window looked pale, fragile. Streetlights streaked past, stretching her image into warped lines, like some cruel caricature of herself. Her heart hadn't slowed since dinner. Every thud in her chest replayed the scene in the chairman's dining hall: Ethan's voice, calm and deliberate, declaring her as his future wife; the chairman's delighted laughter; her own desperate, fake smile that had felt glued onto her face.

She wanted to laugh now, hysterically, at the absurdity of it all. She was an ordinary employee at a food company-barely managing rent, dodging blind date setups, sneaking through life with little lies here and there. How had she ended up seated next to Ethan Maverick, the notorious workaholic CEO, as he treated her like a criminal awaiting judgment?

Ethan's posture was perfect, almost regal. His suit hadn't creased despite the hours he'd spent in it. His hands rested lightly on his knees, not clenched, not fidgeting-controlled, like everything about him. But the set of his jaw, the slight twitch of muscle near his temple, betrayed the storm simmering beneath the calm.

Finally, his voice cut through the suffocating quiet. Low, even-but sharpened to a knife's edge.

"Do you enjoy lying this much?"

The words hit Jessica like a slap. Her head whipped toward him, eyes wide, her mouth opening before her mind had caught up. "Lying? I-no, I don't-" She faltered, scrambling. "I wasn't trying to-"

"Don't insult me with excuses." His gaze slid to her like a scalpel, cold and precise. "From the moment you opened your mouth at the restaurant, I knew something was wrong. Your words were rehearsed, your expressions forced. But to drag me in front of my grandfather and carry this charade into my family's home..." He exhaled slowly, deliberately. "Do you know how dangerous that was?"

Jessica's stomach sank. Dangerous? As if I wanted this!

"I didn't mean for it to go that far," she whispered, her voice shaking. "It was supposed to be just one date. Just dinner. That's all! I was helping a friend-"

The moment she said it, she knew it was a mistake.

His eyes sharpened like a hawk locking onto prey. "Helping a friend," he repeated. His tone was velvet over steel. "So you weren't even supposed to be there."

Her shoulders curled inward, the weight of his disdain pressing her down. "I... I thought you'd just reject me. That it would end there."

Ethan gave a mirthless smile, thin and cutting. "And instead, you've entangled yourself with me and my grandfather. Brilliant strategy."

She wanted to defend herself, to shout that none of this was her fault, that Sophia had begged her, that she'd only gone along to protect her friend from another suffocating marriage arrangement. But her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. If she betrayed Sophia now, the fallout would be catastrophic.

So she sat in silence, clenching her fists in her lap until her nails dug crescents into her palms.

---

The car turned into quieter streets, leaving behind the glitter of Gangnam's neon. Convenience stores gave way to shuttered shops, and the noise of the city softened to the hush of late-night residential life. Jessica's neighborhood was close, familiar-yet she had never felt farther from safety.

The sedan rolled to a stop in front of her block. Relief surged in her chest, only to die instantly when Ethan finally spoke again.

"You're not getting away from this."

Her hand froze on the door handle. Slowly, she turned toward him, wide-eyed. "W-what?"

He stepped out of the car first, movements graceful, deliberate. The cool night air rushed in as he leaned back, one hand resting on the roof. His shadow loomed against the dim streetlamp.

"You'll stay in this role until I say otherwise."

Her heartbeat faltered. "Role?"

His expression was unreadable, but his voice was sharp with certainty. "My girlfriend." Then, with the faintest pause that made her blood run cold: "And soon, my fiancée."

The words landed like a thunderclap.

---

Jessica stumbled out of the car, nearly tripping over the curb. "You can't be serious!" Her voice cracked, too high-pitched, tinged with panic. "I-I have a job, a life! I can't just-just pretend to be-"

"Think of it as a contract." Ethan's interruption was smooth, final, a gavel slamming down. He adjusted his cufflinks, his every gesture meticulous. "You'll play the role I assign. You don't have a choice."

Her laugh came out hollow, incredulous. "No choice?!" She gestured wildly, frustration spilling over. "I didn't ask for this! You're the one who-"

"You lied," he cut in, voice sharp as glass. For the first time, real anger flickered across his face, raw and unfiltered. "You deceived me, deceived my grandfather, wasted my time. You don't get to walk away clean."

Jessica froze. The words sank into her like stones.

"I..." She faltered. The truth clawed at her throat. She could tell him it was Jessica's fault, that she was just the stand-in. One confession, and maybe she'd be free.

But then she saw the chairman's delighted smile again, his eyes shining with approval. If she destroyed that illusion, if she confessed, Chairman Maverick's fury would crash down not only on her but on Ethan as well.

No. She couldn't.

So she bit her lip until it stung, tasted iron, and stayed silent.

---

Ethan studied her silence, his eyes narrowing slightly. Inside, he was already calculating. He hated blind dates, hated his grandfather's nagging, hated this entire circus. But this woman-this liar who had stumbled into his life-had created an opportunity. If she played the role, his grandfather would be satisfied, and he could focus entirely on work again. No more wasted evenings, no more setups, no more meddling.

Yes. He would use her.

His phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. He glanced at the screen, then tucked it back into his pocket.

When he looked at her again, his expression was composed, calm. Only the faint curve of his lips hinted at something cruel. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll discuss the details."

"Details?" she echoed weakly, as though the word itself was poisonous.

"The terms of our relationship," he said simply. "You'll find I'm very thorough."

Her mouth opened in disbelief, but before she could muster another protest, he slipped back into the car. The door shut with quiet finality, and moments later, the sedan's taillights glowed red as it pulled away into the night.

---

Jessica remained on the sidewalk, frozen. The stillness of her neighborhood pressed in. A stray cat darted across the street. Somewhere nearby, a television murmured faintly from an open window. Ordinary sounds of ordinary life. Yet she felt like she had stepped into another universe.

Her legs buckled, and she sank onto the curb, clutching her bag like a shield. The streetlamp above her flickered, throwing her shadow in broken fragments across the asphalt.

"Fake boyfriend... fake fiancée?!" she whispered, her voice wobbling between laughter and tears. "what should I do ....how did I end up in this mess?"

The night offered no answer. Only the rustle of leaves in the breeze, as though mocking her.

For the first time in years, Jessica Robert felt her carefully balanced, ordinary life tip completely out of her control. And deep down, she knew there was no turning back.