Chapter 10

"I need you to be my girlfriend."

That word was like thunder in the clear sky for Madeline.

Never in her life had she ever heard something so outrageous coming from a man who had definitely seen her current image on TV.

"Hold on, I don't get it." Madeline shook her head, as she couldn't make sense of the situation. "You want me to be your girlfriend?"

"Contracted one. Don't think too highly of yourself," Lance said. "I will give you a separate contract so you will know I am serious."

"… do you not realize what kind of woman I am?" Madeline said. She put her hand on her hips and swayed her butt vulgarly. She had regained her persona as the skank after she heard Lance's weird request. "I am Madeline Rose. People call me a shameless slut out there, and you are a scion of a rich family. I also heard that your family has strong connections with the aristocrats from the United Kingdom."

"So?"

"So why the hell would you want me to be your contract girlfriend?!" Madeline raised her voice. She was so done with this nonsense. She had something else to think about. "You're going to ruin your reputation if you're dating me. Your family will be angry as well!"

"That's what I want. I need them to be angry at me."

"I still don't understand the point of all this," Madeline said. "And I want an explanation, Sir. Why would it need to be me?"

Lance got up from the sofa. He took a few steps toward Madeline and stood in front of her.. 

He was a head taller than her, and she was already tall enough, sporting about 177 centimeters or 5'8' with her heels on. So he was probably about 195 or 6'4'.

He looked down with his deep, green eyes, staring at her like she was prey ready to get swallowed. 

He pinched her chin, forced her to look at his eyes, and replied, "Because you are Madeline Rose. Pretty, kinky, and infamous. You are perfect for me."

Madeline had to admit that she felt the heat right now. Something about his eyes did something to her.

For a moment, she felt weak all over her body. But she soon regained her reason and brushed his hand off. 

She stepped back to separate themselves, saying, "You still haven't answered my question. Why do you need a contract girlfriend, and why would you pick me? There are plenty of girls who will fit your loose criteria."

"They are not as infamous as you, Madeline. You are hated by everyone right now. You're perfect," Lance insisted. "Don't fret over the details. Naturally, I have my private interest. All you need to do is cooperate, and you'll be an A-list celebrity in no time."

"Just as you said, I am hated by everyone. There's no way I can revitalize my old career," Madeline said. She was still very wary of this man because everything about him was so vague.

He was one of the heirs from the Grant Family. He had his life set for himself, yet he wanted to ruin his reputation by hiring her as her contract girlfriend.

He also wanted her to work for his company. She was like a parasite right now. Once everyone finds out Empress Entertainment was keeping her, they will also get the hate and possibly become the victims of canceled culture.

Did he want to destroy his own company?

She didn't understand…

"I can. I know how talented you are, Madeline," Lance said as he leaned down until his lips were near her ears. He whispered, "Your acting is impeccable, so I want you to continue with that. I will ensure you become the hottest celebrity ever to grace the earth. So, in exchange, be my girlfriend, okay?"

Madeline's body stiffened as she realized this mad man had seen through her act. 

He grabbed her hand, opened her palm, and put his business card in her hand. 

"So give me a call. I am waiting for the good news," Lance said before he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Madeline pushes him away, but Lance is too strong, so he doesn't budge. She took a step back and covered the area around her cheek. "What the fuck did you do just now?!"

"Hey, hey, relax," Lance scoffed. "I'm just giving you a heads up. We will have to do a lot more than that later, as you will be my contract girlfriend for a while."

Lance put his hand in the pocket of his trousers and sauntered to the door. He opened it, but before he left, he turned around and smirked at Madeline, who was still stunned.

"Think about it, Madeline. You know this act of yours won't last long if you do nothing else. Those people will get bored of you soon," he said. "So, if you want to keep your relevance, call me, and I promise you won't regret entangling yourself with me."

Lance finally walked away with the two bodyguards following him, leaving Madeline, who was still trying to understand the situation.

Her heart was hesitant, fearful, and excited because she knew what he said was right.

She wouldn't stay relevant simply by going from one talk show to another. She needed to do more if she wanted a stable income.

Thus, she checked the business card in her hand, which turned out to be more personal than she expected because it was the one with his personal contact number.

—

Lancelot Atlas Grant

CEO of Empress Entertainment Inc. 

+1 xxx xxx xxxx

—