CEO's Rental Girlfriend

CHAPTER 1: The App He Never Meant to Tap

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The tapping sound of keyboards echoed in the spacious penthouse office atop ValenTech Tower, accompanied only by the occasional soft clinking of glass from the untouched whiskey sitting beside a thick pile of folders. The golden city skyline glittered through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him, but Aiden Valen didn’t look up. Not once.

He sat like a statue—perfect posture, crisp black suit, icy expression. The image of power.

"Aiden," came a familiar voice, breaking through the silence like a ripple in still water. His childhood friend, Leo, stepped in without knocking, holding two coffees and wearing a mischievous grin. “You know what your office really needs?”

“A door that locks,” Aiden replied, deadpan, still staring at his screen.

Leo chuckled and tossed a paper bag onto the desk. “And love. You need love.”

Aiden blinked.

“No offense,” Leo said, settling in across from him, “but you're almost thirty, have never dated anyone, and you just submitted a report titled 'Romantic Data Clustering in Emotional AI' for fun.”

“I was optimizing algorithm empathy response for virtual assistants,” Aiden corrected him flatly.

“Right,” Leo snorted. “That's what single people say when they watch too many dramas and can't even text a girl.”

Aiden didn’t deny it.

Leo leaned forward, face suddenly serious. “When was the last time you even tried to date?”

Aiden shifted in his seat. “Dating is inefficient.”

“You're the richest man in the city and still think like an algorithm,” Leo muttered, reaching into his pocket. “Good thing I came prepared.”

He unlocked his phone and shoved it toward Aiden. “Here. Try this.”

Aiden glanced at the screen. LoveLink: Rent a Girlfriend Today!

He stared. Then back at Leo.

“…You're joking.”

“Nope. Think of it as research,” Leo said innocently. “You don’t have to fall in love. Just rent someone to help you simulate a relationship. Practice. Get used to emotional intimacy.”

Aiden arched a brow. “That’s absurd.”

“So is analyzing kiss scenes from dramas in your notebook.”

Aiden turned slightly red. “That’s not—”

Leo tapped the screen again and handed it over. “Go ahead. One trial session. I dare you.”

Aiden hesitated. There was no reason to indulge such nonsense. It was a waste of time. Yet… somewhere deep inside, curiosity stirred. A tug he couldn’t quite resist. Maybe he really had read too many romance novels under dim lighting after 2 a.m.

He took the phone.

---

15 minutes later…

Aiden stood in his living room, staring at his own phone now. Against all logic, he had downloaded the app.

The profile choices were surprisingly detailed: select preferences, personality types, time slots, even simulated “relationship goals.”

He scrolled without real intention—until one profile caught his attention.

Lira (22) | Confident ✦ Witty ✦ Not easily impressed

“Fake love is my job, but I won’t fake a smile if you annoy me.”

She had sharp eyes, a smirk that screamed “I don’t play nice,” and a kind of raw confidence that made her stand out from the rest of the overly polished, too-cutesy profiles.

Before he knew it, his thumb hovered over the book now button.

Ding.

Booking confirmed: Lira will arrive tomorrow at 7:00 PM. Location: your preferred residence.

Aiden blinked.

“…What did I just do?”

---

The Next Evening…

Aiden paced.

Not that he was nervous. He didn’t get nervous. It was more like… controlled agitation. Unusual anticipation.

He’d prepared everything with precision: a clean white shirt, matching slacks, and not a hair out of place. His penthouse had been cleaned again, just in case. A candle burned on the table—for aesthetic purposes only, he told himself.

When the doorbell rang at exactly 7:00 PM, he froze for half a second before striding to the door.

He opened it.

And stared.

There she was—Lira. Her long dark hair framed her face in soft waves, her lips curled in a subtle smirk, one hand on her hip as she looked him up and down like she was judging a mannequin.

“You're… him?” she asked, voice low and teasing.

Aiden cleared his throat. “Aiden Valen. Yes.”

“I Googled you,” she said bluntly as she stepped inside. “You own half the city.”

“I don’t—”

“Relax,” she cut him off with a wink. “This is a date, not a business meeting.”

She took off her jacket, revealing a casual but stylish outfit—jeans, boots, and a black crop top with silver hoops in her ears. Effortless confidence. No hesitation.

Aiden found himself watching her a beat too long before snapping back to composure.

“I prepared a dinner,” he said. “It’s catered. Nutritional and balanced.”

Lira raised an eyebrow. “You sound like you’re planning a diet ad.”

He blinked. “Was that wrong?”

She laughed. Not a fake giggle. A genuine laugh that echoed in the high-ceilinged living room.

“You’re stiff. But I like that. Makes this fun.”

“I’m not stiff,” he defended.

“Right,” she said playfully, strolling toward the couch. “So, Mr. Valen. What do you want to know about dating?”

He paused. Then, slowly sat across from her.

“…Everything.”

She tilted her head. “Everything?”

He nodded. “I’ve never had a girlfriend. I want to understand. Intimacy, conversation, emotions… The variables involved in connection.”

Lira stared at him for a long second. Then let out another soft chuckle. “You really are a CEO. You talk like you’re preparing a merger proposal.”

“I—”

“Okay, okay,” she interrupted. “Lesson one: stop overthinking.”

She leaned closer, resting her chin on her hand. “Pretend we’ve been dating for three months. What would you say to me right now?”

Aiden stared at her.

She waited.

He hesitated, then said carefully, “…Would you like to… sync calendars?”

Lira snorted.

“That’s not romantic, huh?” he asked, genuinely confused.

“Not unless you’re dating your assistant.”

She leaned forward, brushing a strand of his hair aside unexpectedly. The sudden contact made him stiffen—again.

Her smile softened.

“You’re kind of cute when you panic.”

“I’m not—panicking,” he said, eyes flicking away.

She sat back with a smirk. “Alright, Mr. CEO. I’ll go easy on you. For tonight.”

---

One Hour Later…

Aiden had learned five things so far:

Compliments shouldn't sound like performance reviews.

“You smell pleasant” is not a romantic line.

Eye contact longer than three seconds makes his heartbeat triple.

Lira likes strawberry soda.

He likes Lira’s laugh more than he expected.

As she leaned back on the couch, sipping her drink with one leg tucked under her, she asked, “Why now?”

Aiden looked at her.

“I mean, why hire someone now? You could’ve had anyone. You’re rich, intimidating, and annoyingly good-looking.”

He blinked. “You think I’m good-looking?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

He paused. Then answered quietly, “I’ve been… busy. I always thought love would just happen eventually. But it didn’t. And the longer I waited… the harder it seemed to start.”

Lira didn’t mock him.

Instead, she nodded thoughtfully. “That’s more honest than most real boyfriends I’ve had.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

Then, Lira smiled. “Well, Aiden Valen. You may be hopeless, but you’re not heartless. You’re trying.”

He looked at her. “Does that matter?”

She looked back. “Yeah. It really does.”

---

Later That Night…

After Lira left—just like she promised, professional and on schedule—Aiden found himself staring at the closed door for too long.

She was loud. Blunt. Unexpected.

But something about her presence stayed behind.

As he walked to the window and looked down at the city lights, he whispered to himself,