WARM MY BED FOR TWO WEEKS

CALI

The second I stepped out of his office, I stopped.

My hand went straight to my chest, fingers pressing hard against it like I could somehow calm the way my heart was racing. It was beating too fast, too loud, like it wanted out.

I sucked in a breath.

Then another.

Still nothing.

What is wrong with this man?

The thought came sharp and fast. It didn’t even feel like a question anymore. It felt like something I already knew but didn’t want to admit.

How does he always know?

I had barely stepped into the building and somehow he already knew I was late. Not just late, but exactly how late. It didn’t make sense. I wasn’t important enough to be monitored like that. I wasn’t his personal assistant. I wasn’t anything special here.

Just a secretary who was still trying to understand where everything was.

I leaned back slightly against the wall, my head spinning with questions I couldn’t answer.

Then it clicked.

His PA.

Of course.

Who else would it be?

She must have told him the moment I walked in.

The realization settled, but instead of calming me, it only made the irritation creep in. The way she had looked at me earlier, like I didn’t belong here. Like I was already a problem she needed to deal with.

And the way she spoke.

Like she owned everything.

Boss like PA, I muttered under my breath, a small, frustrated breath escaping me.

But I didn’t have time to dwell on that.

Not when something much bigger was sitting right in front of me.

The money.

My chest tightened again, this time for a completely different reason.

I hadn’t told him.

All this time, I had been moving around, worrying about everything else, and I hadn’t even said the one thing that actually mattered.

My palms went damp instantly.

I clasped my hands together, trying to steady them, but it only made me more aware of how nervous I was.

I had to go back in.

I didn’t have a choice.

I pushed myself off the wall and turned back toward his office. Each step felt heavier than the last, like my body already knew what was waiting for me inside and didn’t want to go through with it.

When I got to the door, I paused.

Just for a second.

Staring at it.

If I walk in there… everything changes.

The thought came quietly, but it stayed.

I swallowed and knocked.

“Any problem, Miss Rillion?”

His voice came through the door, calm, steady, but there was something in it that made my chest tighten again.

“Yes… um… no, sir,” I said, hating how unsure I sounded.

I forced myself to continue.

“I just wanted to discuss something with you.”

“Okay. I’m listening.”

I pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside.

He was exactly where I left him, seated behind his desk, flipping through some documents like nothing in the world could disturb him.

For a second, I almost envied that kind of control.

Then I saw her.

The PA.

Still there.

Still watching.

That same look on her face hadn’t changed. It made something uncomfortable twist in my stomach. I didn’t know why she looked at me like that, but it made me feel like I had already done something wrong.

I hesitated.

My words got stuck somewhere between my chest and my throat.

Before I could speak, she turned to leave, but not before throwing me one last look.

It wasn’t just a glare.

It felt like a warning.

Like she already knew this wasn’t going to end well for me.

The door closed behind her, and the room went quiet.

Too quiet.

“Take your seat,” he said.

His voice had changed slightly. It wasn’t as cold as before, but it still wasn’t warm.

“Don’t worry, sir. I’d prefer to stand,” I replied quickly.

Sitting felt like giving in.

Like staying longer than I should.

“Alright. Go on.”

I felt his eyes on me fully now.

Not distracted.

Not casual.

Focused.

Waiting.

I swallowed hard.

“Sir…” I started, but my voice came out softer than I wanted.

He didn’t interrupt.

He just watched.

That somehow made it worse.

“I… I need your help,” I said finally.

For a brief second, something in his expression shifted. It was small, almost unnoticeable, but it was there.

Still, he said nothing.

So I kept going.

“My younger brother… he’s sixteen,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “He was diagnosed with cancer.”

The word alone felt heavy.

Like it didn’t belong in my mouth.

“The doctor said I need to deposit two hundred thousand dollars within twenty four hours.”

My throat tightened immediately after I said it.

I tried to hold myself together, but the tears came anyway. Quiet at first, then impossible to ignore. I wiped them quickly, embarrassed, wishing I could take them back.

But when I looked up, he was still watching me.

Calm.

Waiting.

“The doctor said we might lose him if I don’t get the money in time,” I added, my voice barely holding.

Silence filled the room.

For a moment, I thought maybe he would say something.

Anything.

Then he did.

“So?”

Just one word.

But it hit harder than anything else.

My chest tightened painfully.

I took a slow breath, forcing myself to continue.

“Sir, I was hoping… maybe you could lend me the money,” I said carefully. “You can deduct it from my salary. I’ll work for it. However long it takes.”

My hands twisted together as I spoke.

I hated how desperate I sounded.

But I didn’t have the luxury of pride anymore.

He leaned back in his chair, studying me like he was trying to figure something out.

“How do you expect me to give that amount to someone who just started working here?” he asked.

His tone wasn’t loud, but it cut deep.

The small hope I had been holding onto cracked.

Still, I didn’t speak.

“I can help you,” he said suddenly.

My head lifted immediately.

Hope came back too quickly.

But the way he said it…

It didn’t feel right.

“If you agree to something.”

There it was.

My stomach dropped.

I knew it wasn’t going to be simple.

“I’m ready to do anything, sir,” I said quickly.

The words came out before I could stop them.

And the moment they left my mouth, I wished I could take them back.

Because of the way he smiled.

Slow.

Knowing.

Like he had been waiting for that exact sentence.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on the table.

“I want you to act as my fiancée.”

My heart skipped.

Then

“And warm my bed for two weeks.”

Everything inside me went still.

The air felt heavier.

Thicker.

I stared at him, my mind struggling to catch up with what I had just heard.

I thought I was prepared.

I wasn’t.

Not for this.

Not for something like this.

My chest tightened, my fingers going cold.

I couldn’t even find my voice.

“You have five minutes,” he said calmly.

Five minutes.

That was all he gave me.

Like he hadn’t just a

sked me to trade something I could never take back.

I lowered myself into the chair slowly, my legs no longer steady enough to hold me.

My thoughts were everywhere.

My brother.

The hospital.

The money.

And then…

Me.

What this would cost me.

What it would take from me.

I couldn’t breathe properly.

I couldn’t think straight.

This is wrong.

The thought came loud and clear.

But right behind it came another one.

What if he dies?

My hands trembled in my lap.

“Your time is almost up,” he said.

I looked up at him, something sharp flashing through my eyes.

Anger.

Fear.

Disbelief.

But he didn’t react.

He just watched me.

Waiting.

Like this was just another business decision.

“Time’s up,” he said finally.

The words settled heavily between us.

I closed my eyes for a brief second, my chest rising and falling unevenly.

When I opened them again, everything felt different.

Not better.

Just… clearer.

Because no matter what I chose, something was going to break.

And as I opened my mouth to answer, one question echoed louder than everything else in my head

If saving my brother meant losing myself…

would I still recognize who I become after this?