The rain fell gently outside the small bakery where Lily James worked. It made a soft tapping sound on the glass windows, like tiny fingers knocking for attention. The morning rush had ended, and Lily stood behind the counter, wiping a tray with slow, tired hands.

She had barely slept last night.

Her mother was still in the hospital.

The bills were growing.

The rent was due.

And Lily felt like she was drowning in problems she could not control.

She took a deep breath and tried to smile. She always tried to smile, even when life felt too heavy. She believed that if she smiled enough, maybe things would get better.

But today, the smile would not come.

She looked at the clock on the wall. Only two hours until her shift ended. After that, she would go straight to the hospital to see her mother.

The bakery door opened with a soft bell sound.

Lily looked up—and froze.

A tall man stepped inside.

He wore a black suit that fit him perfectly. His shoes were shiny. His hair was neat. And his face looked serious, like someone who never joked or laughed.

He did not look like a person who belonged in a small, quiet bakery. He looked like someone from a different world entirely.

His eyes landed on Lily.

He walked straight toward her, not looking at anything else.

“You are Lily James,” he said. His voice was deep and calm.

Lily blinked. “Yes… that’s me. How can I help you?”

“My name is Jay Carter,” he said.

Lily almost dropped the tray.

Jay Carter.

The CEO of Carter Group.

The young billionaire everyone talked about on the news.

The man whose face was always online or in magazines.

People said he was smart, cold, and strict.

People said he didn’t trust anyone.

People said he didn’t believe in love.

So why was he here?

“Sir… I think you may be in the wrong place,” Lily said softly.

Jay shook his head once. “No. I came here for you.”

Lily’s heart started beating fast. “For me? Why?”

Jay slipped a white folder onto the counter between them.

“I need a wife,” he said simply. “A temporary one.”

Lily stared at him, confused. “A… a wife?”

“A six-month marriage,” Jay explained. “Nothing more. Nothing less.”

Lily’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She felt like she had stepped into a movie.

“I know this sounds strange,” Jay continued, “but I need a wife before my thirtieth birthday. It is a condition in my father’s will. If I am not married, I lose my company.”

Lily tried to calm her breathing. “But… why me?”

Jay looked at her with steady eyes. “Because you’re quiet. You’re honest. You’re not the type to chase after money or fame. And you need help.”

Lily felt her chest tighten.

He knew.

He knew about her mother.

He knew about the hospital bills.

He knew she was struggling.

“How do you know all this?” she whispered.

“I did a background check,” Jay said. “Only basic things. Enough to know you are a good person.”

A good person.

It had been a long time since anyone called her that.

Jay opened the folder. Inside was a formal marriage contract.

Lily stared at the papers. Her hands began to shake.

“If you agree,” Jay said, “you will move into my home for six months. You will attend events with me. You will pretend to be my wife. After six months, we will end the marriage quietly.”

“And… what do I get?” Lily asked softly.

Jay’s eyes softened a little. “Enough money to pay all your mother’s medical bills. Enough to start your life again.”

Lily closed her eyes for a moment.

Her mother’s tired face flashed in her mind.

The doctor’s worried voice.

The unpaid bills.

The fear of losing everything.

She opened her eyes again. “Why can’t you marry someone rich like you? Someone from your world?”

Jay looked away for a second. His jaw tightened.

“Everyone in my world wants something from me,” he said. “Power. Money. Status. I need someone who wants none of that.”

“And you think that’s me?” Lily asked.

“Yes,” Jay said. “You want to save your mother. Nothing more.”

Lily felt her throat close. He was right. She did not care about anything else. She only wanted her mother to get better.

“Will… will I have to love you?” Lily asked quietly.

“No,” Jay said quickly. “This is not about love. It is a business deal. I don’t want emotions involved.”

Lily nodded slowly.

“And after six months?” she asked.

“You will leave,” Jay said. “You will return to your normal life. You will be free.”

Free.

The word sounded nice.

But nothing about this felt free.

It felt scary and strange and unreal.

Jay placed a pen on the counter.

“I won’t force you,” he said. “You can say no. I will walk out of this bakery, and you will never see me again. But if you say yes… your life will change today.”

Lily’s heart beat hard under her ribs.

She looked at the pen.

She looked at the contract.

She looked at Jay Carter—the cold billionaire who came into her small world with a problem only she could solve.

Her hands were shaking, but she picked up the pen.

“Give me one reason,” Lily whispered, “why I should trust you.”

Jay met her eyes. His voice was steady, almost gentle.

“Because I keep my word,” he said. “Always.”

Lily swallowed hard.

She thought of her mother lying in the hospital bed.

She thought of the bills waiting for her.

She thought of the empty refrigerator at home.

She thought of the landlord knocking on her door.

With a quiet breath, she whispered, “I’ll do it.”

Jay nodded once, like he expected her answer.

He reached out his hand. “Then our agreement begins today, Lily James.”

Lily took his hand. His grip was firm and warm. When she let go, her old life felt far away.

Jay closed the folder and said, “The wedding is in three days.”

“Three days?” Lily gasped.

“Yes,” he said calmly. “My birthday is in four.”

Lily’s mouth fell open. “But I don’t have a dress. I don’t have anything. I don’t—”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Jay said. “From now on, I will take care of everything.”

Lily stared at him, feeling like she had stepped into a dream she did not understand.

Jay turned to leave, then paused at the door.

“Pack your things,” he said. “My driver will pick you up tomorrow morning.”

And then he walked out of the bakery, leaving Lily standing behind the counter, holding the pen that had just changed her life.

Her legs felt weak. She sat down slowly on a small chair in the corner.

She had just agreed to marry a billionaire.

She had just signed her life away for six months.

She had just stepped into a world she did not know.

She looked at her shaking hands and whispered to herself:

“What have I done?”

The rain outside grew heavier, beating harder against the windows, as if the sky itself knew Lily’s world had shifted forever.