He laced his fingers together. "A wife. A legal marriage. One year and three months ."
While trying to process what he just said, laughter bubbled up before I could stop it. "Is this a joke?"
"Do I look like a man who jokes?"
No. He didn't.
That I know too well and could tell, the look on his face alone says it all.
I folded my arms. "And why, exactly, do you need a wife?"
His expression didn't change. "I need to secure a business deal with a traditional investor. He values stability and family. Without a wife, I risk losing a multi-billion dollar partnership."
I stared at him. He couldn't be serious.
"I'll pay you, of course." His voice was casual like we were discussing a business transaction, not marriage.
My stomach twisted. "You think I'm that desperate?"
His eyes flickered, just for a second. "Aren't you?"
Silence stretched between us. He knew. Somehow, he knew about my struggles.
"How much?" I asked quietly.
He slid a folder across the desk. A contract.
I flipped through it, my hands trembling. Fifteen months. No intimacy is required. Eight hundred thousand dollars.
Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars.
It wasn't just money, to me it was freedom. It was a way out.
But at what cost?
I swallowed hard. "One year and three months ?"
"Yes," he confirmed. "We play the part in public. No strings attached. At the end of the contract, we go our separate ways."
I should have said no.
But saying no meant walking away from the one chance I had to save my dad.
Briefly remembering the fact that I have to do this to keep my dad alive broke my heart.
I exhaled sharply. "I need time to think."
Alex nodded. " Well, you have twenty-four hours."
And just like that, I walked out of his office with my entire world tilted on its axis.
I couldn't sleep.
I tossed and turned all through the night, my brain thinking through every possible consequence of the contract I signed. Marrying a man I barely knew? Living with him for a year and three months? Pretending to be his devoted loving wife?
A part of me screamed NO.
But the other desperate part of me, the part that had been struggling to survive ever since my mom walked out leaving my disabled dad and I, the part that spent every spare penny on hospital bills knew there wasn't a choice.
Eight hundred thousand dollars.
It was not just any money to me it was more money than I'd ever seen in my life. It would pay off my dad's bills, and other bills I need to sort out. Cover rent for years. Give me the kind of financial stability I'd only ever dreamed of.
So when the sun rose, leaving its reflection on my tiny apartment in a faint gold light, I sat on my bed quietly, staring at the contract in my hands.
Then, before I could talk myself out of it, I already got dressed, took hold of my bag, and walked out the door.
Pierce Enterprises was just as intimidating the second time around.
I stepped out of the elevator heading to the top floor, my heart pounding not from excitement. Not from anticipation. From pain as I made my way to Alexander's office. The receptionist barely looked at me before buzzing me in.
Immediately I stepped inside, Alex looked up from his desk.
He was dressed in another nice properly tailored suit, his dark hair slightly tousled, like he would run his fingers through it one too many times. But his expression? Completely indecipherable.
"You're back," he said, calmly.
I breathed out slowly, stepping forward until I was standing across from his desk. This was it.
Without saying a word, I slid the contract onto the desk.
His gaze flickered to the signed pages before meeting mine again. Something shifted in his eyes that I noticed, but it was something indecipherable.
"You're very sure about this?" he asked, voice lower than before.
I lifted my chin. "No. But I don't have a choice." I said as I felt sadness pierce my heart as I swallowed hard.
Knowing fully well it won't be an easy task.
Silence.
Then, he nodded, reaching for the contract. "We'll go to City Hall tomorrow to make it official. I'll have my assistant prepare everything you need."
That was it. No grand speech, no hesitation.
Just cold, calculated efficiency.
Alexander Pierce was a man who got all that he
wanted. And presently, what he wanted was me.
I sat across from Alexander Pierce in his cool modern office, the contract lying between us like a ticking bomb patiently waiting to explode.
It was just paper and ink, but the weight of it alone pressed against my chest, making it hard to breathe.
"Take your time," Alexander said, leaning back in his chair, his eyes fixed on me, was not looking but I could feel it."Read through everything carefully before you sign."
I wanted to snap at him. As if I had a choice. Like I hadn't spent the entire night weighing my options, knowing damn well that without this, my father's hospital bills would bury me alive.
Instead, I swallowed hard and picked up the contract.
Fifteen months.
No intimacy is required.
Public appearances together.
Confidentiality clause no talking to the press.
Eight hundred thousand dollars, paid in monthly installments.
It was straightforward. A business transaction. Nothing more.
Then I saw the last clause.
"If I'm the process that either party fails to uphold the agreement, the contract will be declared voided, and no payment will be made."
I looked up sharply. "What does this mean?"
Alexander sighed. "It means if you don't hold up your end if you break the agreement, if you expose anything to the media, if you back out before the agreed time is over, you walk away with nothing."
Just hearing this made a chill run down my spine. "And what about you?"
His lips curved slightly, but there was no sign of warmth in his smile. "If I break the contract, you still get the full documented amount you're to receive."
I frowned. "But, Why?"
His expression didn't change. "Because I don't fail, Eleanor."