I ran into my boss at a party, and without warning, she approached me and whispered, “Pretend to be my boyfriend, and I’ll give you the most precious thing I have.” I never imagined that accepting that deal would change my life, my job… and my understanding of love and truth.

Friday night promised to be quiet.
I, Adrián Morales , had planned to watch a movie at home, but my best friend insisted I join him at a company party. Little did I know that decision was about to change everything.

The event was held in an elegant room, filled with golden lights, wine glasses, and conversations that reeked of money and power. The moment I stepped inside, I saw her: Valeria Cortés , my boss.

The company’s CEO. The woman most admired and feared by all.

She wore a black dress that shimmered with every movement and an air of authority that made everyone lower their gaze as she passed.
I had never seen her outside the office, and seeing her like this—relaxed, smiling—was disconcerting.

But the truly surprising thing came later.

The proposal

Not five minutes had passed before Valeria approached. She walked with a confident stride, glass in hand.

“Adrian,” she said, with a strained smile. “What a surprise to see you here.”

“I didn’t know this was a company party,” I stammered, “I came with a friend.”

She looked around nervously. Behind her, a group of older men watched her with obvious interest, especially one: Hernán Lugo , her ex-boyfriend and current business competitor.

It was then that Valeria leaned towards me and, in a low but firm voice, uttered the words I will never forget:

—I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend tonight… and I’ll give you the most precious thing I have.

I didn’t know what to say.
She looked at me with that mixture of authority and pleading that didn’t allow for refusals.

“Why me?” I asked, incredulous.
“Because I trust you, and because I don’t have time to explain any further,” she replied.

Before I could react, he grabbed my arm and led me to the center of the room.

The game begins

Valeria clung to my arm casually and smiled in front of everyone.
“Darling, could you pour me some wine?” she said in a honeyed voice.

The guests began to murmur.
“Is that her boyfriend?” I heard someone say.

Hernán approached, his smile more like a threat.
“What a surprise, Valeria. I didn’t know you’d replaced me so quickly.”

Valeria simply replied:
“Life goes on, Hernán. And some people know how to appreciate it better.”

Trying to play along, I put my arm around her waist.
She tensed for a second, but then looked at me with an expression that mixed gratitude with something I couldn’t quite decipher.

The rest of the night was a perfectly executed charade: dancing, laughter, knowing glances.
To everyone else, we were a couple.
To me, it was madness.

After the party

As I stepped outside, the fresh air brought me back to reality.
“Well, I think we acted appropriately,” I said, half-jokingly.

Valeria sighed wearily.
“Thank you for saving me. I couldn’t let Hernán think he had me under his control.”

—And what was the most precious thing you were going to give me? —I asked, smiling.

She looked at me, serious.
“Come to my office on Monday. You’ll know then.”

I couldn’t tell if he said it as a promise or a warning.

On Monday

I arrived early. The atmosphere was the same as always: phones ringing, employees rushing around, and her office door closed.
When she finally let me in, Valeria looked different. No makeup, dark circles under her eyes, but a more human look in her eyes.

On his desk was a wooden box.
“This is the most precious thing I own,” he said, pushing it toward me.

I opened it. Inside were photographs, letters, and old documents .
“What is all this?” I asked.

“My story,” he replied. “And my secret.”

Valeria’s Secret

For years, we all believed Valeria came from a wealthy family. It was the perfect narrative: the successful, cold, unattainable woman.
But the truth was different.

“I grew up in an orphanage,” he confessed. “I have no family, no inheritance, no real last name. When I was given the opportunity to change my identity, I did. I wanted to leave poverty behind.”

I remained silent.
She continued:
“Hernán knows. He helped me forge some documents in my early years. Now he wants to use that to destroy me. That’s why he needed me to believe he no longer has any power over me.”

“Why would you confide something like that in me?” I asked, still not understanding.

Valeria looked me in the eyes.
“Because you’re the only one in this company who has never treated me with fear or self-interest. Only with respect.”

The deal

He offered me a deal that took my breath away:
“I need you to keep pretending to be my partner for a month. Until I close the deal with the investors. After that, you can keep that box. It contains evidence worth more than money.”

—Why would I want to keep them?

—Because with that you can destroy Hernán if something happens to me.

I accepted without thinking too much.
Not because of the deal, but because of her.

The month of deception

For the next few weeks, we played at being a couple.
Public outings, dinners, photos on social media.
It all seemed like theater… until it wasn’t.

Valeria started laughing more. So did I.
There was something between us that neither of us wanted to name.
One night, after an exhausting meeting, she fell asleep on her office sofa. I put a blanket over her and watched her. She wasn’t the ruthless boss anymore: she was a woman who had survived everything, and she was still standing.

The danger

Everything seemed under control until Hernán discovered our “romance.”
One afternoon he burst into the office with an envelope in his hand.
“Valeria, I have something that could destroy you,” he said, with a cruel smile.

She didn’t flinch.
“Oh, really?”

—Your real name. Your file. What would investors say if they knew their director was born in an orphanage with a different last name?

I stood up.
“So what?” I said, confronting him. “If she achieved everything she has through her own merit, that makes her more worthy than any of us.”

Hernán looked at me with contempt.
“Are you defending her because she pays you… or because you desire her?”

Valeria spoke first.
“Because he loves me,” she replied.

The silence was absolute.

Hernán let out an incredulous laugh and left, promising to return.

The truth of the heart

When the door closed, Valeria looked at me, tears welling in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I replied. “You said it, but I thought it a long time ago.”

She smiled, barely.
“So what now?”

—Now we stop pretending.

Epilogue: The most precious thing

Months passed. The contract was signed, Hernán disappeared from the scene, and the company continued to grow.

One afternoon, Valeria came to my desk with a smile and a new wooden box.
“Another one?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “She has no documents. Just a note.”

I opened it. Inside was a simple sheet of paper that said:

“The most precious thing I own is no longer in a box. It’s right in front of me.”

I looked up. She was there, waiting for me.

From then on, we never pretended again.
Because what began as a desperate pact became something neither of us planned: a truth disguised as a lie, a love that was born in the middle of a game, but ended up being the most real thing either of us had ever experienced.