Ali Carter never expected her parents' latest blind date setup to lead to Simon Caldwell—her ex-boyfriend’s former boss. He’s everything she’s trying to avoid: sharp, composed, and completely uninterested in love. But when a well-placed lie has her family believing they’re dating, Simon shocks her by going along with the act. For Simon, pretending to be in a relationship with Ali is just another negotiation—a way to get his sister off his back. But the more time he spends with her, the more he realizes that Ali isn’t just challenging his carefully structured world—she’s slipping into it, piece by piece. What starts as a harmless arrangement quickly becomes something neither of them can control. Between forced proximity, lingering glances, and a kiss that was supposed to mean nothing, the lines between pretend and reality blur. But when the truth comes out, will Ali walk away before Simon can prove that this time, it’s not an act?