A/N: Once again, THIS STORY ISN'T MINE! I can't take credit for writing this masterpiece, I just copied and pasted it from tumblr so it can reach a larger audience! The writer of this story is tumblr user storiesoftheseven . Here's the link to the master post of Falling For the Devil : post/116271170930/fftd-master-post

Annabeth was being turned from camera to camera as reporters shouted questions at them. Some of them noticing the large diamond on her finger and the protective arm Percy had around her waist. It was a bit easier than she thought it would be, pretending.

There weren't that many photographers, just enough to make her feel marginally uncomfortable. Percy smiled for the cameras, kissed her forehead several times and glided them down the carpet while she held her head high- smiling. Everyone knew who they were the moment they stepped out of the car.

No doubt people were branding them New York's newest power couple. Percy led them to a reporter and began answering questions as she stood dutifully by his side. Annabeth had expected the first question to be about their engagement. Instead, it was just meaningless banter until Percy reached over and kissed her lips- causing her to lay her left hand on his chest. The reporter squealed and then fired off a whole new round of questions, excited to get the exclusive first.

She had to admit he was really good at pretending to be in love. They would have New York buzzing tomorrow with the news of their relationship.

When they were finally ushered into the Gala Annabeth grabbed the first champagne flute she could find, drinking most of it in one gulp. Percy raised an eyebrow at her.

"Pace yourself, love." Annabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes and smiled up at him before scanning the room. She wanted to get eyes on her mother and brother before they found her first and surprised her- she needed to be prepared for their questions.

Not that they wouldn't believe she was with Percy, the relationship she had with her family was cordial at best. Her real family were her friends, they would be the hardest to convince her engagement was real.

For the next hour she was shuffled around the room. Percy introducing her to congressmen, businessmen, senators, CEOs- some of which she actually knew. It was the same thing every time, someone would approach him- someone of importance- they would chit chat for a moment. Maybe one of them would remind the other of a meeting they had in the next couple weeks and then Percy would introduce her.

"Allow me to introduce you to my fiance." Percy would say with a doting smile.

Annabeth would smile wide and the flush her cheeks had from all of the champagne she had been drinking added nicely to the effect. Most of them knew she was an Olympian- Annabeth blamed it on the fact that she looked too much like her mother.

When they put the pieces together most of the people would congratulate Percy on snagging a 'good catch.' She still hadn't seen her mother yet but the place was huge.

Percy kept a hand on the small of her back or around her waist the entire time. It was comforting in a weird way. Annabeth had never really enjoyed these events growing up, she was always alone while her mother charmed people. Now, though she wasn't alone- she was engaged to perhaps the most powerful man on the Eastern Seaboard.

"I'm going to the bathroom." She eventually muttered when she needed a break.

Percy glanced at her before looking over his shoulder at his body guards and signaling them to follow her. It was maddening.

When she was exiting the bathroom she finally ran into her mother.

"Annabeth! I had no idea you'd be here." She said with hug and kiss on her cheek.

Annabeth hugged her mother back as the bodyguards watched her warily, "Yeah," She hesitated, "I'm here with my fiance."

"So, the rumors are true." Athena muttered as she pulled back.

Annabeth sighed, "What rumors?"

Athena chuckled, "You know how fast the rumor mill spreads."

Annabeth nodded, "It's been so long since I've been to an event that I've kind of forgotten how it all works."

Athena looked at her then, "Which confuses me, why are you engaged to Percy Jackson then… he is almost more well known than we are."

Annabeth opened her mouth but was saved, ironically, by Percy Jackson himself, "There you are." He said with a kiss to her lips.

Annabeth slipped her arm around his waist, something she hadn't done the entire night. He didn't even falter in the way he held his hand out to her mother.

"Athena Olympia, so nice to meet you."

Athena nodded and took his hand, "Percy Jackson, I'm not sure I can say the same." Annabeth stiffened slightly as her mother scrutinized him. He just looked back at her with a smile.

Finally, her mother glanced at Annabeth, "Maybe we can all do dinner sometime soon… I need to go find your brother… make sure he isn't ruining the family name by drinking too much."

Annabeth smiled, "Goodbye Mother, tell Malcolm 'hi' for me." Athena nodded before she turned and walked off. Annabeth immediately dropped her arm from his waist and her shoulders slumped slightly.

"You're mother doesn't like me." Percy stated.

Annabeth bit her lip and kept silent.

Percy sighed and looked at her, "Say whatever it is you want to say."

Annabeth looked up at him, "You know my mother always taught me that if I didn't have anything nice to say I shouldn't say it at all."

Percy chuckled, "That sure doesn't stop the colorful insults you seem to love throwing at me."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Isn't there someone else you need to introduce me to?"

Percy held his arm out for her, "Tons more."

The rest of the evening was spent being introduced to more people. It was exhausting, smiling and pretending for show. People asked them how they got engaged, how they met, when they started dating, why it wasn't public, when the wedding was, who her wedding planner was. She went into autopilot while she answered the questions she could.

They were standing talking to the Senator the party was for when Annabeth noticed a girl she positively never wanted to see again. They had gone to boarding school together and Annabeth had loathed her for majority of her high school career.

"Annabeth Olympia."

Annabeth gritted her teeth as everyone turned to see who had joined the conversation, "Rachel Dare, what a surprise to see you here."

Rachel chuckled as everyone else greeted her and then went back to their conversation. Annabeth didn't miss the look Rachel gave Percy either- it was predatory.

Annabeth knew that look, had seen it countless times in high school. It made Annabeth slip her arm around Percy's again and lean into him. He was more than happy to oblige the sudden public display of affection.

"Annabeth, it's been so long! How are you doing? I haven't heard much about you in a while." Rachel asked with fake enthusiasm.

Annabeth smiled back, "That's because I don't go by Annabeth Olympia anymore… I took my Father's last name- Chase."

Rachel looked at her like she was idiot for a moment, "Why on earth would you do that?"

"Because it was easier to get a job based on my skill set and not my name."

Rachel snorted into her champagne flute, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Annabeth sighed and wanted to pinch the bridge of her nose, "Only to you, Rachel… you haven't changed at all." She said dropping the cordial tone.

Rachel smirked, "Oh, but you have… on the arm of the most eligible bachelor in all of New York. Do you know how many women have been trying to nail him?"

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at the implication. Well, if Rachel wanted to play that game then Annabeth was all in.

"Nail him?" Annabeth asked pulling Percy's attention by pinching his side lightly, "Percy, did you hear what Rachel said… I'm on the arm of the most eligible bachelor here."

Percy looked down at Annabeth, "Eligible bachelor? You haven't forgotten our engagement already?"

Annabeth smiled at him, leaning up and kissing his lips briefly, "Of course not." Annabeth turned back to Rachel and held out her left hand- wiggling her fingers for effect.

Rachel's face turned red and she looked back at Percy like he was the worst kind of traitor. It took a second but the pieces finally came together in her mind.

Percy and Rachel were sleeping together.

She was another one of his girls.

The thought made Annabeth want to laugh, of course he was sleeping with Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Her father, the CEO of Dare Industries, was worth billions.

Why hadn't he just married her, instead?

The answer came almost as quickly as the question was thought- Percy didn't mix business with pleasure.

Annebeth dropped her hand back at her side while Rachel stormed away, "You could have warned me she was another one of your… things." Annabeth hissed quietly, "She is the worst kind of girl."

Percy's face hardened but then relaxed slightly, "I didn't realize that you knew her." She narrowed her eyes but then turned away from him as he excused them from the group.

He grabbed a champagne flute and handed it to her, she accepted it and drank as he walked away from her. Leaving her two body guards behind her while he conversed with people alone. Maybe he knew she needed a moment to gather her wits and to calm down.

Annabeth sighed, Rachel always brought out the worst in her.

It wasn't much longer until they left the Gala, both of them silent on the way back home. When they got out of the car she didn't even spare him a second glance. She walked straight to her room, shedding the dress and hopping into the shower.

When she was out she ordered herself something from the kitchen and flipped on the television that was hidden in a compartment at the end of her bed. With one press of a button it appeared from a hidden cupboard.

The only comfort she had right now was knowing that tomorrow she would get a chance to leave this too large of a home for the day while she spent time with her friends- explaining this entire situation.

0-0-0-0-0

Percy wasn't paying a bit of attention to anything Rachel Elizabeth Dare was saying as he kissed her neck. He had sent for her after the Gala, she had looked ridiculously amazing in the dress she'd had on.

Though, making sure Annabeth didn't see her come in was tricky. He was still pissed he hadn't made the connection. Sure, he knew they'd gone to the same boarding school but that they actually hated each other- he didn't know.

And it was his job to know everything about the things he possessed.

He sighed and really wished she would shut the hell up but he should have known that was a hopeless plea.

"I really… don't understand… why you're marrying her." Rachel said as he kissed down her neck and into the valley between her breasts. Percy didn't respond as he unclasped her bra, thankful she was wearing a front clasp bra instead of the one that buttons from the back. These were much easier and more efficient in his opinion.

"I don't really care what you think." Percy eventually responded as he lifted his head from her chest. Rachel was flushed with her eyes closed and her mouth parted in pleasure. Percy smirked and brought his head back down to her chest as his hands slipped her underwear down her legs and over the high heeled shoes she was still wearing.

Rachel wound her fingers into his hair as he moved back up to her lips, "I'm just as qualified to marry you, if not more."

Percy kissed her lips as she pushed his boxers down and over his thighs, "No, you're not." Rachel rolled her eyes but didn't push him off of her as he slipped his own boxers over his ankles and to the floor. When he turned back to her she grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him to her, kissing him in the only way Rachel could.

Rough, there was nothing sweet about their time together.

This is what Percy classified as fucking, what he and Rachel did was rough and no feelings were involved. Which was exactly what he wanted, if he married one of the girls he used for sex then feelings would eventually get involved. He would have to break their heart because Percy Jackson wasn't capable of loving and being loved by another.

"Why not?" Rachel asked once she moved away from his mouth. Percy pushed inside of her, hoping to silence her question but Rachel looked up at him expectantly.

"I really wish you would shut the fuck up, Rachel." Percy said leaning down to kiss her neck.

Rachel scoffed but it turned into a moan as he shifted his hips into hers. Percy smiled because he was pretty sure she wouldn't bring it up again tonight. He didn't want to deal with her questions anymore, sure Rachel was qualified to marry him. She was a Dare after all, her father only one of the richest men in all of New York, but she didn't have any claim to the family business and that was what he needed.

Annabeth Chase was the daughter Athena Olympia, not that Annabeth wanted anyone to know that, who was the CEO of Olympic Industries. This was what he was really after, he needed a way to get to Athena and through her daughter was the perfect way.

It helped that Annabeth was beautiful and knew her way around the social circle, which was another thing he needed. Rachel didn't know how to swoon people, she didn't know how to draw them in with charisma. Rachel was always surly and acted like being at any function her father made her attend was absolutely ridiculous and a waste of her time.

The only reason he kept her around was because she was amazing in bed, and tonight was no different. Percy smiled as she hooked her high heeled clad feet around his waist as he thrusted into her. It was like she was trying to prove she was good enough to be his wife tonight but that only fueled his resolve to marry Annabeth more. The fact that Rachel wanted to marry him threw up several red flags in his mind.

To him it meant she had feelings for him and like he mentioned before, he didn't do feelings.

Percy stopped moving and motioned for her to flip over onto her stomach. He grabbed her waist and lifted her up on all fours before he pushed inside of her again. This way he didn't have to watch her face or look at her as he fucked her.

The less emotional contact they had the better. Percy moved his fingers down her stomach and toward her inner thigh, trying to hurry this along because the quicker he got her out of the house the quicker she'd get the message.

What they shared was simply about sex and nothing more.

Percy heard Rachel's sharp intake of breath and her loud pitched moan and knew she was close. He quickened his own pace and felt the familiar rush down his spine as the pleasure rolled over him, he gripped her waist tightly.

Rachel called out his name as he pushed inside of her harder and then out again before pushing inside of her so rough that her arms gave out and she collapsed onto the bed. Percy didn't care as his own release came with that last thrust. After a moment he laid his hands palm down on the bed over Rachel and kissed her one last time before taking the condom off and throwing it away. He slipped his clothes back on before walking to the door.

Rachel was still laying in bed, watching him warily, "Don't stay tonight." He said before he walked out the door and into the hallway.

"Asshole." Percy heard Rachel say from the hallway but it only made him chuckle as he walked to his office.

They always wanted to stay, sometimes he'd let them but he never slept in the bed with them. He would sleep in one of the other ten rooms he had.

He settled in his office chair with a glass of bourbon. Percy had many aspects to his business- he would be the first to admit that his practices weren't exactly legal. But they got the job done. Though he was deceitful and feared by most there were quite a few things he wouldn't dip his hand into. Things that were worse than what he did.

He would never get into drug smuggling, he would never cross into that territory. There were too many people in New York who had tried staking claim to that. Percy mainly dealt in practices related to Real Estate, the stock market and the occasional weapons smuggling and trading. After his father's death he had cleaned up the way they did business. His father had his hand in just about everything- drug selling,smuggling, selling weapons to other countries, prostitution, real estate, the stock market.

Percy despised half of the things his father did, he had spent his teens watching his dad kill people because they hadn't made their quota for the week.

He'd asked his father about it one time, he'd told him that the guys who got into business with him knew what they were getting themselves into. They knew what was expected of them.

After he had taken over completely he'd had a hard time changing the face of the business but he managed to do it successfully.

Now, he had different people running all of the different aspects of his life. All he had to do was sit back and make connections with the people who would benefit him the most.

Annabeth Chase was one of those people.

He just hoped that Athena didn't catch onto him before it was time.

0-0-0-0-0

"Is this going to become a regular thing?" Percy asked as he walked into the home gym. He was in a considerably brighter mood than she had ever seen him in. Which proved her suspicions about about the noise she heard last night. Even over the sound of her TV she could hear someones high pitched moans. Percy had most definitely had a girl over last night.

Annabeth rolled her eyes as she ran on the treadmill, "Probably."

Percy sat on the weight bench, "I like routine."

She nodded, "I can tell." He smiled slightly, just the pull of one side of his mouth, and then started his workout. It would be a lie to say that she didn't watch him the entire time while finishing her ten miles.

When she finished, like yesterday she walked to the door and her body guards handed her a towel to wipe her face and a bottled water. It was nice, in a way- to be cared for.

She looked back at Percy, "Breakfast?"

"At nine." Annabeth nodded and went back to her room to get dressed for the day. Her mood was great because she would get a chance to get out of this place today, a chance at forgetting for an afternoon.

Much like yesterday Percy was waiting at the head of the table with a few of his body guards throughout the room. Annabeth was dressed much more casual today, opting for just a pair of sneakers, faded jeans, t-shirt and jacket to combat the lingering cool air, even though it was spring.

"What are your plans for today?" He asked when she was slowly sipping at her coffee.

She looked up at him, "What? You haven't planned my day for me?"

Percy cracked a small smile, "No."

"I'm going to Thalia's, she needs to hear about this in person and not from the tabloids that are no doubt flaunting our pictures around New York." Annabeth paused as she looked at him, "You're in a good mood."

He took a sip of his own coffee, "Maybe I'm just happy everyone believed our engagement last night." He smiled, "You were outstanding, by the way."

Annabeth nodded, "I couldn't have lied to everyone without someone so convincing, like you, beside me."

"So, you're not upset anymore?" He asked.

Annabeth laughed in a short burst, "What do you think?"

Percy scrutinized her for a moment, "I think you're just reigning it all in… keeping up a happy charade for the sake of control." She scowled into her coffee, stupid Percy and his ability to read people. She shrugged as the maids brought them their breakfast.

Finally, Annabeth looked up at him, "Isn't that what you do? Keep everything hidden?"

Percy swallowed whatever was in his mouth and chased it with his coffee, "I channel my emotions into my work, I know how to work out my feelings and not let my emotion show. Emotion makes you weak, it gives those who want what you have something to manipulate."

Annabeth opened her mouth to respond back but one of his body guards interrupted by whispering something in his ear. His face turned hard. She guessed his good mood was over as he excused himself and walked out of the dining room.

She finished her breakfast by herself and then bolted from the room. She grabbed her purse and the bodyguards called a car to the front for her. On the ride to her apartment… well, her old apartment- she thought about what she would tell Thalia.

She couldn't tell her best friend the truth, everything had to seem authentic and whirlwind. Annabeth thought she could pull it off because Thalia spent so much time at Nico's and was really only home a few nights out of the week.

When the car stopped in front of her old apartment complex Annabeth took several deep breaths. Just three days ago she lived here, she had a normal, lonely life that she was perfectly happy with. Now, she was flanked by two body guards, getting out of a Mercedes S-Class with a huge diamond ring on her finger.

Things had definitely changed for Annabeth Chase.

The sad thing was… she was still lonely.

All she had ever wished for in life was an epic love, well- not epic but just to love and be loved in return. Now, she wasn't going to get it. The only semblance of love she would ever feel from Percy Jackson would be when they were pretending.

Which was perfectly fine with her, the guy still creeped her out.

She frowned as she got out of the car, her heart ached at the new revelation that had been prickling in the back of her mind since Friday.

Friday seemed like forever ago, she had gotten engaged, evaded her body guards and ran into Luke.

Luke!

Annabeth's eye widened as she remembered her interaction with Luke on Friday at the library. Maybe love wasn't so hopeless for her after all.

Only, if she went about it in a way that Percy wouldn't find out.

But how could she even get around him?

Annabeth shook her head, she was getting way too ahead of herself. Luke had just brought up the idea of meeting for lunch- she was definitely jumping the gun.

She took her keys out of her purse and unlocked the door. Her bodyguards stayed outside as she walked in and smiled. It still smelled the same, everything was still the same. She wanted to lay face first down on the carpet and give it a big hug. Annabeth probably would have if Thalia hadn't come bounding into the living room.

"Annabeth! I thought something bad had happened! You're rooms empty! Why is your room empty!" Thalia said standing at the entrance to the hallway.

She set her purse down, "I moved out."

Thalia gaped, "What do you mean move out? We are under a contract! You can't just move out without telling me."

Annabeth held her hand up, "Let me finish."

Thalia crossed her arms over her chest, confusion and anger laying just under the surface, "Don't worry about the landlord… You'll be able to live here rent free for as long as you want."

"O..kay… but why? I'm really confused." Thalia said rubbing her forehead.

Annabeth sighed, this was the big reveal- she held her left hand out and forced a wide cheek hurting smile, "I'm getting married!"

Thalia looked so surprised it was comical for a moment, "and my fiance owns this building, as a favor to me for putting you in such a bad situation he's letting you live here rent free."

Thalia slowly reached out and grabbed Annabeth's hand, inspecting the ring. Annabeth heard a series of expletives come out of her best friends mouth.

"I'm so confused-"

"You've already said that." Annabeth remarked dryly.

Thalia ignored her, "I didn't even know you were dating anyone."

Annabeth shrugged, "We've been keeping it a secret… because his line of work isn't exactly the safest but recently there were some threats about my safety so we decided to make it official…. he proposed- I said yes… and we're getting married in three months."

Thalia shook her head, "Information overlo-" She let go of Annabeth's hand, "Wait a second… who are you engaged to?"

Annabeth took a deep breath and smiled, what she hoped was a loving smile, "Percy Jackson."