It was just another evening on the Upper East Side—glittering skyline, expensive wine, and secrets lurking behind every smile.

Until Chuck Bass decided to ruin your life… in the most charming way possible.

“I have a proposition,” he said, lounging on the velvet couch of the Empire Hotel penthouse. You froze. He never asked, he demanded.

“You will pretend to be my girlfriend,” he continued, eyes gleaming with that signature smirk. “For business. For appearances. And if you refuse…”

You swallowed hard. “Or if I refuse?”

Chuck leaned closer, voice dropping low. “I have ways of making refusal… inconvenient. Very inconvenient.”

You clenched your jaw. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet… irresistible,” he added casually, tossing a champagne flute from hand to hand.

The next day, Blair caught wind of it first.

“You’re seeing Chuck?” she hissed, storming into your apartment with Serena trailing behind. “What?” you asked, panic rising. “Don’t lie,” Blair snapped. “I saw the texts. The late-night meetings. And knowing Chuck, this is not going to be… simple.”

Serena groaned. “I feel like I need to put popcorn in my purse for this.”

You bit your lip. “It’s not what it looks like. He’s… using me. Blackmailing me, actually. For business.”

Blair blinked. “Ah. So you’re playing girlfriend under duress. Classic Chuck.”

Serena raised an eyebrow. “Are we really doing this? Watching you get manipulated by Chuck Bass? Sounds… fun.”

The game began immediately. Dinner parties, charity galas, paparazzi photos—all of it orchestrated to make Chuck look like a devoted boyfriend. And while it was supposed to be fake… it was shockingly convincing.

One evening, Blair cornered you on her terrace. “Y/N… are you actually enjoying this?” she asked, voice low but sharp. You froze. “Enjoying? No. But…” You trailed off, unsure of how much you wanted to admit.

“Don’t tell me,” Blair said, smirking. “Manhattan is full of lies. Some are more fun than others.”

Serena watched silently, leaning against the railing. “You’re playing with fire,” she whispered. “Chuck Bass doesn’t do innocent.”

You sighed. “I know. But I also know… I can survive this.”

Blair smirked, swirling her wine. “Maybe. But remember, Y/N… in this city, the ones who survive are usually the ones who know how to fight back.”