Chapter 6
More than six months ago, Emma had stumbled across a post on a part-time job website.
At the time, Emma had no idea what that meant.
She stared at the screen.
There are jobs like this?
Being the head of a household?
There must be a line of men fighting over a position like that.
Then she clicked on the post.
And finally understood.
Emma had known for years that there were people with certain... unconventional interests.
She'd just never had anything to do with them.
Back then, she'd thought it was a little weird.
Then she saw the pay.
No sexual contact.
She just had to hit him.
And both sides had to keep their identities completely confidential.
Emma's opinion changed immediately.
Weird?
Where?
This is adorable.
This is a walking, talking ATM.
Hitting people?
She could do that.
She had enough pent-up rage toward the world to punch someone just for breathing too loudly.
Now someone was actually willing to pay her for it?
What a beautiful career opportunity.
She contacted the other party and quickly discovered that the requirements were surprisingly strict.
The first rule:
The second:
If either rule was broken, the arrangement would end immediately.
There were three trial sessions first.
Each one paid $1,500.
Only if both sides were satisfied would they sign a formal contract.
His assistant was the one handling everything.
The assistant told her that plenty of people had applied, but nobody had managed to satisfy his boss.
Emma had only applied because she figured she had nothing to lose.
Worst case, she got rejected.
Best case, she got paid to hit someone.
Honestly, where was the downside?
Somehow, she passed.
From the very beginning, Emma made sure to put her client's experience first.
Technically, this still counted as part of her professional admirer work.
And considering the amount of resentment she had accumulated toward the world, she was surprisingly good at it.
As for breaking the contract?
Not happening.
She didn't care who he was.
She cared about one thing.
Money.
Sure, the man had an impressive physique.
Very impressive.
But the second Emma reminded herself that he was her client—
Nope.
Absolutely not.
Her brain immediately shut down the possibility.
She had long since evolved from someone who appreciated attractive men into someone who appreciated them professionally.
But the moment she clocked in, her personality automatically switched to nun mode.
At work, everyone is spiritually unattractive.
Half an hour later, Emma walked out of the bedroom with beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.
She changed back into her clothes in the guest bathroom.
Then she grabbed her purse and phone and left.
The weather felt heavy and humid.
It looked like rain was coming.
The windows had been shut the entire time, leaving the room stuffy and poorly ventilated.
Emma desperately wanted some fresh air.
Fresh air.
Beautiful.
Free.
About twenty minutes later, the man emerged from the bedroom after taking a quick shower.
His features were sharp and well-defined, his entire presence cold and distant.
He looked nothing like the submissive man who had been kneeling in front of Emma earlier.
His long, elegant fingers moved as he buttoned his white shirt.
Once the last button was fastened, there was nothing left to see.
He slipped on his jacket and was about to leave when something on the living room table caught his attention.
He walked over.
A takeout box.
There was food inside.
Julian Sterling's expression immediately turned cold.
Of course.
It's only been six months, and she's already lost control.
She's no longer satisfied with keeping things purely physical.
Now she wants to enter my real life.
It's time to end this arrangement.
The problem was that she probably wouldn't agree easily.
Julian rubbed his brow.
A headache was already forming.
He took out his phone and messaged his assistant.
He didn't want a real relationship with anyone.
His entire life was already under constant public scrutiny.
Every move he made was watched.
And he held himself to extremely high standards.
He couldn't afford mistakes.
The pressure had eventually become overwhelming.
He had tried countless ways to relieve it, but none had allowed him to truly relax.
Then, by chance, he discovered pain.
And strangely enough, it worked.
It gave him an almost overwhelming sense of release.
But he had no intention of developing an intimate relationship with anyone.
Emma had probably assumed that after more than six months of this arrangement, he had developed feelings for her.
That was why she had started testing the boundaries.
What she didn't understand was that he had simply been acting.
And his acting skills were, after all, widely recognized as exceptional.
Everything he did was part of the role.
It was about making himself feel better.
It had nothing to do with the person standing in front of him.
The moment someone developed feelings that went beyond the arrangement, he would leave.
No hesitation.
He could never allow himself to get caught in a situation where his identity might be exposed.
Nothing was more important than his career.
His assistant, Evan, replied almost immediately.
The reply was perfectly professional.
Unfortunately, Evan's face was anything but professional.
His lips were practically sticking out in frustration.
Finding someone suitable for such a niche arrangement was already difficult enough.
Finding another Emma?
Good luck with that.
After all, his boss wasn't just some ordinary celebrity.
He was the youngest actor in the history of the industry to win nine major Best Actor awards.
He had more than half a billion followers across social media worldwide.
His reputation had spread far beyond the United States.
He was a regular presence in major Hollywood productions and one of the industry's most recognizable young stars.
To his fans and the public, he was practically untouchable.
He had started acting at the age of ten.
Eighteen years later, he had never been involved in a serious scandal.
In an industry notorious for gossip and dirty secrets, he was practically a lotus growing out of the mud.
Which was exactly why this particular private interest could never be exposed.
There were countless competitors waiting for him to slip.
If anyone discovered this secret, it could seriously damage his career.
That was why the selection process was so strict.
The first three trials took place in different luxury villas.
Most women walked into a place like that and immediately started wondering who the mysterious man behind the arrangement could be.
Then their priorities changed.
They became curious.
Greedy.
Distracted.
Instead of focusing on what their client actually wanted, they became obsessed with figuring out who he was.
And that was exactly where Julian had been clever.
He hadn't even appeared during the first two trials.
Someone else had taken his place.
A different person each time.
If the candidate noticed the change and asked about it, she failed.
On the third trial, Julian appeared personally.
If the candidate had somehow managed not to ask during the first two sessions but finally couldn't resist during the third—
She failed.
Out of everyone who had gone through the three trials so far, only Emma had passed all of them.
And that still wasn't the end of it.
If Emma developed any ulterior motives halfway through the arrangement—
For example, if she tried to get his personal contact information—
She was out.
She wasn't even allowed to contact him first.
Emma had never done any of that.
Which left Evan wondering what she could possibly have done today to suddenly make Julian want to replace her.
Of course, although both sides had agreed to keep their identities confidential, neither side was stupid enough to trust a complete stranger blindly.
They had thoroughly investigated Emma.
They knew everything they needed to know.
Emma Carter.
A senior at Nance University.
Born in a remote rural town.
Her father had died in an accident when she was five.
Her mother had passed away from illness while Emma was in high school.
The only family she had left was her grandmother, who still lived back home.
Emma, meanwhile, knew absolutely nothing about them.
And honestly?
She was weird.
It genuinely seemed like she had zero interest in who they were.
Evan finally couldn't resist asking.
Julian replied:
Evan stared at the message.
Then sighed.
Oh, Emma.
Why would you do that?
You were doing so well.
Unfortunately, the decision had already been made.
There was nothing he could do now.
He moved on to the actual business.
Then, after a moment, he added:
Julian looked at the takeout box on the table.
Two bites were missing.
His hand paused.
He stared at the box for a few seconds.
Then he typed: