Chapter 1
**Love Contract at Starlight Apartments**
**Chapter 1: The Keycard Romance— Between a Bouncer and a Billionaire**
Los Angeles didn’t rise with the sun—it *came for you*.
Hot. Brutal. Like liquid gold poured straight onto the golden gates of Starlight Apartments. I leaned against the shade of the security booth， licking a drip-falling popsicle， scrolling my phone like it was the last oxygen left in the room.
Lily Cole. 22. Community college grad. Turned down a Silicon Valley internship because why drown in startup chaos when you could sit in AC and get paid?
Mom called it self-sabotage.
I call it *strategic laziness*.
Nine-to-five. Health insurance. No overtime. Just cashing checks while everyone else burns out before thirty. I’m already forty years ahead of the corporate rat race.
My job? Easy. Log visitors. Handle packages. Open doors. And—bonus—watch the hot tenants.
Starlight’s full of CEOs， directors， A-listers… but none like *him*.
Ethan Walker.
25. Self-made billionaire. Tech prodigy. Face so perfect it should be framed on a movie poster: platinum hair， ice-blue eyes， jawline carved by gods. Always in tailored suits—even his white shirt looked like a seduction tactic. The way his pecs pressed under the fabric? I swallowed hard every damn time.
I met him Day One.
A black Maybach rolled up. He rolled down the window just as sunlight caught his lashes—golden dust.“Mind opening the gate?”
His voice? Low. Smooth. Polite as a knife to the ribs.
I dropped my clipboard.
Picked it up like an idiot.
My face? Could’ve fried an egg on it.
“Y-yes， Mr. Walker!”
Watched that car glide in. Heart still hammering.
Since then? Watching him became my favorite part of the job.
He left at 8 a.m. Came back by 7 p.m. Sometimes not until midnight.
I“checked camera logs.” Really? I just stared at his back till my eyes watered.
But lately…
He kept forgetting his keycard.
Again.
Another late night. Navy suit clinging to broad shoulders， narrow waist. Tie loose. Hair messy. Looking… dangerously relaxed.
I whistled. Smirked.“Working late again? Coffee running through those veins?”
He smirked back—sharp， sarcastic.“You’re still here too. Must be a peaceful gig.”
My smile froze.
Peaceful? Yeah. And dead-end.
I flashed my customer-service grin—the one that hurts your cheeks.
“Hey， gotta live somewhere between a cubicle and a mental breakdown.”
Hit the button. Watched him walk in.
*Damn. Hot and cruel. What a combo.*
Dave Miller， my ten-year veteran partner， sipped his iced coffee. Raised an eyebrow.
“You’re staring at Walker again.”
“I’m monitoring tenant activity. Professional duty.”
He snorted.“You’re glued to him with your eyeballs. That man? Ethan Walker. Billionaire. Youngest in this building. Smells like money even when he’s wearing sweatpants.”
I rubbed my chin.
“Then his name should be Ethan *Hot*. Not Walker.”
Dave choked on his coffee.
“You，” he wheezed，“are Lily *Slacker*. Been here two months. Never stood straight once. Just snacking and doom-scrolling.”
I shut up.
True enough.
Thought this was my life forever: snack. Stare. Repeat.
Until Saturday.
I’d just shoved a handful of cheesy corn chips into my mouth when I saw him.
Ethan Walker.
Outside the parking lot.
A woman—bikini top， micro-short skirt—curled her fingers around his arm. Laughing too loud. Too sweet. Like honey laced with poison.
My phone was out before my brain caught up.
*Reality TV gold.*
Then—
He looked at me.
Directly.
At the security booth.
And waved.
*Oh hell yes.* This is my moment.
I dumped the chips. Wiped my hands. Ran over like a loyal dog.
“Mr. Walker! How can I help?”
Before I could blink—he slid his arm around my shoulders.
Cold cedar cologne hit me. Breath vanished.
He pulled me close.
Turned to her—smirking.
“This is my girlfriend，” he said， calm as a funeral.“Lily. She quit her job just to work here at Starlight.”
I blinked.
*…What?*
My pants slid down.
*Oh god.* The uniform was two sizes too big.
And then I saw *her* face.
Sophia Cohen.
My college nemesis.
The girl who stole my scholarship and called me“a desperate， underhanded whore” in front of the dorm lobby.
Now she’s flirting with Ethan Walker?
She froze. Eyes wide as saucers.“Lily? What are you doing here?”
I yanked up my pants. Forced a smile.
“Small world， huh.”
Ethan leaned down—lips brushing my ear.
“Why does she say‘long time no see’?” His voice? Velvet wrapped in steel.“Do you two… know each other?”
My fingers turned white around my waistband.
“I’m Lily Cole，” I hissed.“Not‘Long Time No See.’”
He paused. Then grinned.
“Good job， Lily.” Patted my shoulder like I’d just defused a bomb.
“Get her out of here. Ten grand.”
My eyes lit up.
*Ten thousand dollars?*
As in…*dollars?*
I could buy a studio in L.A. with that.
Straightened up. Stared down Sophia like a gladiator stepping into the arena.
“Still chasing other people’s men， Soph? Some habits die hard.”
She turned white. Fake lashes fluttered like dying moths.
“I’m just pursuing happiness!”
“Happiness?” I raised my voice loud enough for three tenants to hear.“You’re after his bank account! Me? I love him—even if he had nothing but a hoodie and bad credit， I’d still follow him into the security booth.”
She jabbed her finger at me.
I slapped it away like a fly.
“Take your hand off my uniform. It’s not trash.” Smirked.
“And you? Hands are shaking like you’ve got Parkinson’s. Maybe see a doctor?”
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Sophia’s face turned crimson. One last death glare—and stomped off in heels that sounded like gunshots.
I spun around， rubbing my palms together.
“Mr. Walker! Done! Ten grand? When can I cash it?”
He smiled—fox-like. Tapped my head.
“Nice job. Money… next time.”
*Next time?*
I lunged.“You’re kidding me—you’re *jacking* me?”
He raised one finger.
Pressed it gently against my forehead.
Cold. Firm.
I stopped dead.
“If you charge me，” he murmured，“you owe me fifteen grand.”
His suit? Custom-made. Twenty-five grand.
I froze. Slowly brushed imaginary dust off his shoulder.
*Capitalist bastard.*
“Ten thousand，” he said.“By month’s end. Make sure she never comes near me again.”
I stared.
…So it was a *monthly retainer*?
“And?” I braced for more.
He held up another finger.
“I’ll give you a plaque.‘Best Security Officer.’ Maybe next year， you’ll be head of security.” He smiled.“Fancy， right?”
I rolled my eyes so hard they almost popped out.
*I don’t want a damn plaque.*
*I want the money.*
But his face? His voice? The *ten thousand*?
I nodded.
“Fine. Deal. Half upfront. Rest Friday.”
He raised an eyebrow. Pulled out his phone.
Ten minutes later—*ding!*
$50，000 landed in my account.
My whole body buzzed.
*Motivation: unlocked.*
Dave sidled up.“What’d you say to him? Why the transfer?”
I grinned like a thief.
“Secret.”
“I’m working for capitalism now，” I whispered.
And it was glorious.
Sophia vanished.
But Ethan?
He kept forgetting his keycard.
“Mind opening the gate?”
“My card’s at the office.”
“Sorry… again.”
Every time. Every damn night.
I thought he was just forgetful.
Until I saw him pull it from his pocket.
Slide it back in.
Then wave me over like a loyal hound.
“Oh， Lily? Mind helping?”
*You son of a bitch.*
But hey—I got paid to watch him.
Talk to him.
Watch the way his throat moves when he laughs.
Even when he complains about board meetings or bad coffee.
I didn’t care why he did it.
As long as the cash kept coming…
I just didn’t know yet—
This“keeping the stalker away” gig?
It was only the beginning.
