Mabel's head was spinning. His words still echoed in her ears: Marry me.
She wanted to laugh, to scream, to throw her glass of wine in his face and storm out. But when she looked up at Adrian Black, she knew he wasn't joking.
He never joked.
"Adrian, this is madness," she whispered, forcing herself to stay composed even though her chest was tight. "Why would I ever marry you of all people?"
Adrian leaned lazily against the table, his posture elegant but commanding. "Because you have no other choice. Do you think the world will forgive what happened tonight? Your perfect image has been shattered. By tomorrow morning, every tabloid will call you the bride who got dumped."
Her stomach twisted. She could already imagine the headlines. Her family's name dragged through mud. Their rivals celebrating their downfall. And herself—reduced to nothing more than gossip.
Adrian's eyes sharpened as if he had read her thoughts. "But if you accept my proposal, everything changes. You won't be the abandoned bride. You'll be the woman who captured my name. That alone will silence them."
Mabel clenched her fists. "And what do you get out of this?"
For the first time, a shadow flickered in his gaze. "Let's just say I need a wife. The board of directors is pressing me for stability. A man with power, they say, must have someone by his side. And right now, I don't trust anyone else to play the role better than you."
She laughed bitterly. "Oh, so I should be honored? That my enemy thinks I'd make a perfect puppet wife?"
Adrian's lips curved slightly. "Not a puppet. A partner. But don't mistake this for love, Mabel. I'll never give you that. What I'm offering is a deal—my protection, my wealth, and my name—in exchange for your obedience."
Her chest ached, but she forced herself to remain strong. "And if I refuse?"
He stepped closer, lowering his voice until it was a whisper only she could hear. "Then prepare to be destroyed. Because I won't stop the wolves from tearing you apart."
Her throat tightened. She hated him—God, she hated him. But as she stared into his cold, unyielding eyes, she realized he was right. This man was dangerous, but he was also her only way out.
"What's the catch?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"No feelings. No messy attachments. Just a contract marriage. Six months." He paused, his gaze never leaving hers. "At the end, we go our separate ways."
Six months. Six months of being chained to the man she loathed most. It was unbearable. And yet… the alternative was worse.
Her hands trembled as she reached for the pen he slid across the table. A marriage contract—already drawn up, as if he had planned this all along.
"You're a monster," she whispered.
Adrian's smirk deepened. "And now I'll be your monster, Mrs. Black."
With a shaky breath, Mabel signed her name.
And in that single stroke of ink, her fate was sealed.