Chapter 1

Billionaire heir Ethan Vance bought out an entire year of my life with a contract worth one hundred thousand dollars a month.

My job description was extremely specific: act as the double for his late first love.

Her name was Clara Price, a woman who had passed away long ago and lived solely in his memories.

On the day of my interview, inside a penthouse office overlooking the New York City skyline, Ethan sat before massive floor-to-ceiling windows. The setting sun cast his figure in a stark, cold silhouette.

He handed me a thick stack of photographs and a thumb drive loaded with video files.

"Learn the way she walks. Learn the curve of her smile. Learn the exact angle she lifts her pinky when holding a teacup. I want you to become her—a living, breathing Clara."

His voice carried not a single trace of warmth.

I quickly flipped through the photos of the gentle, elegant girl with soft, smiling eyes, my mind racing with one single thought.

Damn, this gig takes some serious technical skill.

"Mr. Vance," I said, looking up to meet his scrutinizing gaze, flashing my most professional smile. "As a dedicated body double, I need to clarify my key performance metrics."

"What percentage of resemblance counts as a passing grade? Is there a performance review system?"

Ethan visibly froze. He clearly had never encountered a candidate this business-minded.

Behind him, his personal assistant, Leo, couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from twitching.

Ethan’s eyes turned frosty, sharp with warning. "Know your place. You are just a shadow. Don't go harboring any delusions."

"Understood," I agreed without hesitation. Pulling a pen and a notepad from my purse, I scribbled a few lines and slid the paper across the desk to him with the utmost respect.

It was a clean, crystal-clear rate sheet.

"Mr. Vance, this is my menu for value-added services. Basic imitation is covered under my monthly retainer, but any extra 'emotional interaction' requires additional billing."

I pointed down the list, going through the line items one by one.

"Chit-chat: five hundred dollars an hour. Listening to your daily stress and offering soothing, agreeable nods falls under this tier."

"Smiling: a thousand bucks a pop. Tailored to your requests—gentle, beaming, or quietly melancholy—emotional authenticity guaranteed."

"As for crying on cue, given the high difficulty and prep time needed to work up tears, that's three thousand per session. But seeing as you're my exclusive VIP client, I'll give you a twenty-percent discount on your first booking."

The office went dead silent.

Ethan's expression shifted from icy indifference to pure livid fury, a storm brewing in his dark, hooded eyes.

It was likely the first time in his life anyone had ever dared put a price tag on his feelings.

After a long pause, he squeezed a single word through gritted teeth: "Get out."

My heart sank. I figured the deal was dead.

Just as I began gathering my things to leave, his cold voice cut through the air again.

"Wait outside the door. Leo will handle the paperwork."

A wave of relief and excitement hit me. Wait... did I get the job?

Evidently, a billionaire telling you to "get out" meant something completely different than it did to regular folks.

When I stepped out of the Vance Enterprises building clutching a signed contract and an unlimited black card, I felt like I was walking on air.

The first month’s retainer of one hundred thousand dollars hit my account almost immediately.

I wired the funds straight to my mom, telling her to transfer my dad from the crowded ward into a top-tier private hospital suite and pay off every penny of his overdue medical bills.

Over the phone, Mom broke down in tears, asking how on earth I had come up with that kind of money.

Looking at my reflection in the polished glass walls of the skyscraper, my smile was as measured and precise as if drawn with a ruler.

"Mom, I just landed a massive corporate gig. The client... has way more money than sense."

That was the day Ethan Vance became my biggest client.

And I, Harper Cole, was going to be the most cost-effective contractor he had ever hired.

My career as the billionaire's stand-in sweetheart had officially begun.