Page 48 of Fake for 7 days

That was pretty easy money, wasn't it? I had already felt like Carter's fiancée yesterday, even though it had just been a game. A very pleasant game. If I continued the same game for another week, I would get $50,000. That was the offer.

The money will save you, Isabella!

$50,000 was probably nothing for a man like Carter. For me, however, it was an incredible amount of money. I had never possessed so much money at once. With it, I could pay off a pretty large part of the loan. Not everything yet, but a lot. The next payments would be secured. I would have room to breathe, keep the bank off my back, and could look for a new job in peace.

In a nice little hotel that would hire me even without Emmett Kershaw's letter of recommendation. A boutique hotel, that would be something just right for me. Only a few rooms, very personal service, and a pleasant atmosphere. An island of tranquility in bustling New York.

Secretly, I dreamed of opening such a hotel myself one day.

Isabella! You need a lot more than $50,000 for that.

I would have to take on new debts for that.

The first step is to pay off the loan for the apartment. And Carter's money will help you with that. It will get you out of the jam you've been in since yesterday morning. Since Emmett Kershaw fired you.

Carter's offer was exactly what I needed. A lot of money. And fast.

Why was I hesitating then?

Why had I asked Carter for time to think?

Because I didn't know what he was thinking.

And that was driving me crazy.

Was this just business for him? Or more?

And how could I find out what was going on in Carter's head?

By now, I had reached the foot of the older skyscraper where the apartment that Owen and I had bought together was located, and which was now my apartment. Even if Owen saw it differently.

I shrugged.

Owen was really old news now.

As I opened the door, two large men in dark clothing pushed past me. I paid them no further attention. There was a lot of coming and going here, and I had no overview of who lived here. Impatiently, I pressed the button on the elevator and waited for the doors to open. This was really no comparison to the elevator that led to Carter's penthouse. Directly from the street! I had never seen anything like it! Yes, there were elevators that led directly from the street to the waiting rooms of various doctors' offices. Or to individual companies. But to a private apartment? And one with such a stunning view at that.

I shook my head in disbelief.

Finally, the doors opened.

"Isabella! Wait!" At that very moment, my neighbor Hayley rushed breathlessly into the building.

"Hayley! How nice to see you." I was genuinely happy. Hayley had become much more than just a neighbor in the meantime. She was my friend.

"Whew, I'm so exhausted from my shift," Hayley groaned. She worked as a waitress in a small but exclusive café. The kind of café I would send my hotel guests to once I had opened the small but exclusive boutique hotel. I shook my head vigorously.

Don't dream so much, Isabella.

I pressed the button for Hayley's and my floor. The elevator doors closed, and we started moving.

"It must be really exhausting to work in a café like that," I said sympathetically. "I have to stand behind the reception desk all day too, but at least I don't walk around as much or carry heavy trays everywhere."

"Usually it's manageable," Hayley explained. "I'm used to it and I actually enjoy it. It's nice to see guests smile when you bring them their long-awaited food or drink. But today a colleague was unexpectedly sick and I had to take over half of her tables. That was truly hell."

"Oh dear, that sounds awful. You've more than earned a relaxing evening." I smiled at Hayley.

"Definitely." Now Hayley nudged me. "But what about you? How was yesterday? You haven't told me anything yet. Did you have fun?"

---