The elevator doors closed softly as they rose to the top floor of the glass tower. Inside stood Daniel Cross, a self-made millionaire known for his sharp instincts, calm demeanor, and a reputation that made most employees nervous just being near him. He rarely rode the employee elevator, but that evening, his private lift was under maintenance. So there he was, standing quietly among a few staff members who had no idea their boss was listening far more closely than they realized.
In the corner stood Emma Lewis, a junior marketing assistant. She was exhausted. Her heels were in her hand, her hair slightly messy, and her voice carried the weight of a very long day.
“I swear,” she said, half-laughing, half-panicking, “I need a boyfriend by tomorrow.”
One of her coworkers chuckled. “By tomorrow? What happened, Emma?”
Emma sighed. “My sister’s engagement party. My entire family will be there. Again. And again, I’ll be the only one showing up alone while they ask me what’s wrong with me.”
Daniel’s ears perked up. He didn’t turn. He didn’t react. But he listened.
“I just need someone,” Emma continued, rubbing her forehead. “Just for one night. Someone respectable. Someone normal. Someone who won’t embarrass me.”
The elevator dinged. People stepped out. Emma and her coworkers exited, still laughing, unaware that the man who owned the building, the company, and half the city’s skyline had just heard every word.
Daniel stayed behind for a moment.
He wasn’t amused.
He wasn’t judging.
He was thinking.
Emma Lewis was one of his best employees. Quiet. Brilliant. Always early. Always prepared. She never complained, never asked for favors, and never used personal problems as excuses. He had noticed her dedication long ago, though she had no idea.
And now, for the first time, he saw something else.
Loneliness.
The next morning, Emma arrived at work flustered. She’d barely slept. Her phone was full of unanswered family messages, and the engagement party loomed like a storm cloud.
She sat at her desk, opened her laptop—and froze.
There was an email.
From Daniel Cross.
Subject: A Proposal (Temporary)
Her heart nearly stopped.
Hands shaking, she opened it.
Emma,
I overheard your conversation yesterday.
You mentioned needing a boyfriend by tomorrow.
I may have a solution.
If you’re open to it, meet me in my office at noon.
—Daniel
Or a misunderstanding so massive it could end her career.
She considered deleting the email and pretending it never happened. But curiosity—and desperation—won.
At noon sharp, she stood outside his office, smoothing her dress, rehearsing apologies in her head.
“Come in,” his voice said calmly.
Daniel Cross sat behind his desk, composed as ever. No smirk. No arrogance. Just steady eyes and an unreadable expression.
“I want to be very clear,” Daniel said. “What I’m about to suggest is optional. If you say no, this conversation never happened. Your job is safe.”
Emma swallowed. “Okay…”
“You said you need a boyfriend for an engagement party,” he continued. “Someone respectable. Someone who won’t embarrass you.”
She nodded, mortified.
“I need a date this weekend as well,” Daniel said.
Her eyes widened. “You do?”
“Yes,” he said simply. “A charity gala. Press will be there. Investors. Media. My presence without a partner has become… a distraction.”
Emma’s mind raced.
“You want me to…?” she whispered.
“I’m proposing a deal,” Daniel said. “We attend each other’s events. Publicly. Respectfully. No pretending beyond what’s necessary. Afterward, we go our separate ways.”
Silence filled the room.
Emma let out a nervous laugh. “You’re serious.”
“I am.”
“Why me?” she asked.
Daniel didn’t answer immediately.
“Because I trust you,” he said finally. “And because I don’t want a transaction. I want honesty.”
She searched his face for arrogance. For mockery. There was none.
“Okay,” she said slowly. “I’ll do it.”
The engagement party was that evening.
When Emma walked in on Daniel’s arm, the room went silent.
Daniel was charming, polite, attentive. He listened. He laughed at the right moments. He complimented Emma sincerely but never possessively. He treated her like an equal.
Her mother pulled her aside. “Where did you find him?”
Emma smiled. “Work.”
Meanwhile, Daniel observed something he hadn’t expected.
Emma was different here. Relaxed. Warm. Confident. She shone.
And he realized—this wasn’t an act for her.
This was who she really was.
Two days later, at the charity gala, Emma stood beside Daniel in a stunning dress she’d almost returned out of insecurity.
