The Billionaire's Fake Girlfriend Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Read chapter 2 of The Billionaire's Fake Girlfriend by tamannaislam on NovelPedia.

Chapter 2: Tunnel Vision and Sandbox Scars (Ethan’s POV) I violently wrestled the steering wheel to stabilize the vehicle inside a low profile utility tunnel beneath the primary corporate sector. The front tires shrieked against the wet asphalt as I forced the mangled command sedan out of the direct trajectory of the secondary sniper path. Steam hissed from the punctured radiator, filling the dark concrete underpass with a ghostly white haze. Beside me, Ava was breathing heavily, her hands clawing at the leather passenger seat as the vehicle violently vibrated against a structural pillar before coming to a grinding halt. "Are you injured?" I demanded, my clinical tone fracturing to reveal a raw, primitive protective instinct I had no business feeling for a contract partner. "I am intact," she choked out, wiping a stray drop of radiator fluid from her cheek. She reached into her clutch, pulling out a small compact mirror to inspect her smudged makeup in the cracked glass. "But your driving skills possess the exact same reckless disregard for human life as your corporate acquisition strategy, Mr. Blackwood." A sharp, involuntary flash of amusement broke through my calculated defenses. I stared at her in the dim dashboard light, completely stunned by her ability to hurl sharp sarcasm while the smell of burning rubber filled the cabin. Most high society socialites would have dissolved into hysterical tears by now, but this ordinary event planner was busy adjusting her hair. "My driving just saved you from a high caliber exit from this world, Miss Carter," I stated flatly, pulling my father's silver Covenant ring back into my pocket. "I suggest you save your reviews for the press line. Adrian Kane and my stepmother Victoria are clearly accelerating their timeline." "They tried to kill us, Ethan," she whispered, her witty armor slipping for a brief second to reveal the raw trauma of her past. "This isn't a corporate game anymore." "They realize your father's missing voting shares are the single variable that can permanently freeze their hostile takeover," I explained, leaning across the console to check the lock status of the armored side doors. "This fake relationship is the only public shield preventing them from executing an immediate terminal liquidation. If they touch you now, the market instantly points the finger at Kane Global." I tapped the central console terminal, attempting to establish a secure link with Daniel Ross at the main office. The screen flickered violently before displaying a low resolution static feed. Daniel’s voice broke through the speaker, thin and heavily distorted by the subterranean concrete block. "Ethan! The tracking telemetry indicates a high velocity impact on your route," Daniel reported, his background noise echoing with the frantic typing of the security team. "We are dispatching a secondary extraction detail to your coordinates right now." "Negative, Daniel," I commanded, my icy baritone cutting through the radio static. "A secondary detail will draw immediate suspicion from the media monitors outside the grand pavilion. We will utilize the tunnel's rear service corridor to execute our entrance on schedule." I cut the feed, turning my focus back to Ava. She was staring at the shattered glass of the windshield, her jaw set with a quiet, unyielding poise that made my pulse quicken with a dangerous, unauthorized admiration. "We have exactly four minutes to step onto that red carpet, Ava," I stated, stepping out of the steaming vehicle and opening her door. "The high society wolves are waiting to see if the corporate scandal has broken my crown. I need you to play the part of a woman completely infatuated with her savior." "I can manage the act, Mr. Blackwood," she replied, placing her hand firmly in mine as she stepped out onto the damp concrete floor. "Just make sure your robotic programming remembers how to mimic human affection for the cameras, or the investors will realize you bought me by the