The Arsonist's Wager

"I was bleeding on the marble floor of the conservatory, and Jago Ferran was laughing." That was how our fake relationship started. To win a wager against his vile friends, the city’s most notorious playboy needed to date his greatest rival - me. I agreed, planning to use his proximity to destroy his inner circle from the inside. It was a simple, ruthless transaction. But the lines between hatred and pretense quickly blurred. The careless heir I despised turned out to be a man who spent hours patiently simmering complex meals to soothe my melancholic days. At the Sunfire Charity Ball, our staged tango erupted into undeniable heat, and Jago's mask slipped, revealing a terrifying, possessive fury when another man dared to touch me. I thought I was in control of our little game. Then, he handed me the deed to a seaside estate, built exactly to the specifications of a private Pinterest board I made years ago. I thought his friends bet him he couldn't make me fall in love... but what if I misunderstood the rules of the wager all along?