Eurydice Santiago had made a lot of impulsive decisions in her life.
Buying expensive paint she couldn’t afford? Regular occurrence.
Calling out rude customers at the bakery? Almost a daily habit.
Spilling wine on a billionaire? A personal favorite.
But agreeing to fake an engagement with said billionaire?
That was a whole new level of reckless.
And yet—
Here she was.
Still thinking about it.
The Final Debate
It had been two days since Conrad Montague strolled into her bakery with the most ridiculous proposal she’d ever heard.
Two days of overthinking, arguing with herself, and dodging her mother’s suspicious looks.
And now?
She was sitting in the gallery, pretending to work, but really just spiraling.
Leo had already mocked her endlessly about it. Amelia had offered moral support (and a little chaos encouragement).
But she still hadn’t made a decision.
And the longer she delayed, the harder it became to ignore one simple fact—
She was actually considering it.
 
Just as she was about to drown herself in more indecision, a familiar presence stepped into the gallery.
The air shifted.
The energy in the room changed.
Eurydice knew before she even turned around.
She sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a second before looking up.
Sure enough—
Conrad Montague.
Dressed in a sleek, perfectly tailored suit, standing in the middle of her tiny art gallery as if he owned it.
(Which, knowing him, was probably an option he had considered at least once.)
Eurydice crossed her arms, unimpressed. “You’re not exactly subtle, are you?”
Conrad’s lips twitched slightly, almost—almost—a smirk. “I wasn’t trying to be.”
She sighed, standing up from her stool. “Let me guess. You’re here to check on your investment?”
He tilted his head slightly. “That depends. Are you accepting the offer?”
Eurydice hated how calm he was.
How patiently amused, like he knew she’d come around.
She refused to let him be right.
So, instead of answering, she leaned against the counter. “You know, normal people just send a text.”
Conrad raised an eyebrow. “I’m not normal.”
Eurydice rolled her eyes. “Oh, trust me. I noticed.”
 
Conrad, as usual, ignored her sarcasm.
Instead, he pulled out a sleek envelope and placed it on the counter.
“Everything is outlined in here,” he said. “The contract. The terms. The expectations.”
Eurydice stared at it, then back at him. “You seriously brought a contract?”
“Of course.” His tone was matter-of-fact. “This is a business arrangement. Everything must be clear.”
Eurydice dragged a hand down her face. “God, you’re exhausting.”
Conrad didn’t deny it.
Instead, he took a step closer. “Take your time reviewing it. But if you accept, I expect full commitment.”
She snorted. “Wow. You make it sound so romantic.”
Conrad didn’t even blink. “Romance isn’t required.”
Eurydice narrowed her eyes. “You say that now, but what happens if you fall madly in love with me?”
For the first time, Conrad actually looked amused.
“I think I’ll survive,” he said dryly.
Eurydice huffed. “No faith at all.”
Conrad glanced at his watch. “I’ll need an answer by tomorrow.”
She crossed her arms. “Or what?”
He looked at her, gaze steady. “Or I’ll assume it’s a no and find someone else.”
For some reason—
That bothered her more than she expected.
She didn’t like that.
At all.
But instead of acknowledging it, she waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll think about it.”
Conrad gave a small nod. “Good.” Then, after a pause, he added, “Don’t take too long.”
And with that—
He turned and walked out.
Leaving her alone with a contract and a decision that could change everything.
The Breaking Point
That night, Eurydice sat on her bed, staring at the contract.
Leo, of course, had zero chill about it.
“So, are you gonna do it?” he asked from her doorway, munching on a cookie like this was reality TV.
Eurydice groaned. “I don’t know!”
Leo smirked. “You’re thinking about it, though.”
She threw a pillow at his face. “GO AWAY.”
Leo dodged easily, laughing. “I’m just saying, it’d be hilarious watching you mess with some billionaire’s life.”
Eurydice flopped back onto her bed, covering her face.
“God, why am I even considering this?”
Leo shrugged. “Because you like chaos.”
She peeked out from behind her pillow. “No, you like chaos.”
“Yeah, but it runs in the family.”
Eurydice sighed. “I hate you.”
Leo grinned. “Love you too.”
 
At midnight, she was still awake, still staring at the contract.
Amelia’s words echoed in her head.
"Make sure it’s your choice."
Her mother’s quiet sacrifices flashed through her mind.
Leo’s teasing, but underlying support lingered.
And Conrad’s face—his infuriating confidence, his unreadable gaze—was impossible to forget.
Eurydice let out a deep, frustrated breath.
Then, grabbing her phone, she typed out a message.
Eurydice: Fine. I’m in.
It took less than a minute for a response.
Conrad: Good choice.
She stared at the screen, half-regretting everything already.
But at the same time…
Something about it felt right.
Like she was about to dive headfirst into something insane—
And she didn’t entirely hate it.