It All Started With A Bet

Stella POV "State your conditions!" I looked at her, leaned back on the chair, and crossed my legs. "Now we are talking, Stella!........ I love the current situation that you are trapped in. You know that your only hope is me yet you are still trying to act all calm and collected." Eva smirked as she raised the cup of coffee in front of her to her mouth. My face hardened and my hands balled up in a fist. I glared at her. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. Stop wasting my time and tell me how will agree to transfer that land to my name?" I questioned her. I looked around the open cafe. As it was business hours so it was less crowded. The atmosphere was calm and tense at the same time. My gaze observed her every move. I wanted to pretend like I didn't care but she was right. I was panicking inside. Because that land meant a lot to me and the company. That land was the one that my mother had selected for opening a boutique store before her death. My father and I had been eyeing it for a long time. The owner finally decided to sell it to us but we didn't expect Eva to come in between this and purchased the land beforehand at a high price. My father wanted me to purchase it back from Eva. More specifically it was a task that my father set for me in front of the shareholders. If I succeed in this task then I could join the company by proving my worth and talent in the industry. But the purchasing matter was not that simple. Eva was the daughter of our revival company, The jade enterprises. She was older, more experienced than me, and was a total b***h, A spoiled princess who always wanted to win. I abhorred her presence. I didn't know what she was up to this time. My father had repeatedly warned me about her. So I had to be cautious in dealing with her. If I lost this game then not only will I fail to join the company rightfully and proudly but I will also fail my dead mother. "How much can you offer for the land?" Eva eyed me. "Three hundred million!" I placed my arms on the table and looked into her eyes trying to dominate the situation. It was already a very high price but it was worth it. I wished that she would agree and spare me from further meaningless talks. She started laughing out loud. "Here comes the trouble!" my subconsciousness mocked me. "You are so naive, Stella! Do you think that it's about the money? Do I look as if I lack money?" "I knew that it wouldn't be that easy," I mumbled. "Then what do you want?" I questioned firmly. "That's what I asked you before. How much can you offer? What can you do to get this land?" I knew that she was sounding me out and was definitely up to something. And this thing was not a good one. "How about the shares of the company? I can offer three percent of my shares to you" I tempted her with my best card. This was the best that I could do. I tried to read her face but her expressions remained the same. I couldn't judge her intention. She was good at hiding her feelings. She sat straight. Her demeanor was saying that she was about to drop a bomb. "Not interested! How about a bet, Stella? If you win then you can have this land for free and if you lost then...................you will have to give me all your shares. And you will never step into this business, field. So are you in or not?" She suggested. The evil glint in her eye warned me to back off. But I didn't. I was not a loser. I was determined to win this round. "Put it on!" I looked directly into her eyes showing my clear intention of winning. "I like that fire in your eyes and your eagerness to win" She smirked and shuffled through her handbag. "Do you know him?" She put a picture on the table. I took the picture in my hands. My breath hitched at recognization. But I maintained my calm and spoke up "Aaron Blackford! who doesn't know him" I looked at her. "Well, pursue him. Make him fall in love with you. But that's not all. He has to propose to you publicly in the end. Whether to accept or reject the proposal is up to you. This is the bet. The time limit is two months. Can you do it, Stella?" She asked. To be honest, I was shocked by her proposal. Never in my wildest thoughts did I imagine her to be so reckless and so crazy. "Are you nuts?" I exclaimed. I knew her intention in doing this. She was trapping me. It was a dead end for me either way. If I refused her that day then I could never step into the company and if I accepted her terms then it would be worst. "I had stated my conditions, Stella. The choice is yours" She declared. "How about four percent shares? You can earn a lot from them" I tried to bribe her or we could call it making a middle way. "No, Stella! You are not the one with the upper hand here. Either accept it or go home" She got up from her seat. My fist clenched and my heart beat sped up. I closed my eyes tightly and in a moment of spur I spoke up "Wait!!...........................I accept it" The evil smirk on her face told me that I just purchased a ticket to hell and there was no backing off. "Happy collaboration, Stella! See you here after two months. I wish that you lose" She shook her hand with mine. "Same goes for you!" I said flatly. ________________________________________ "What....you accepted her conditions!!! Do you know what it means, girl?" Kyle shouted and threw a pillow at me. "I know, I know. But I was left with no choice. Trust me, I regret it too. But still, it won't solve the problem" I tried to calm her down. She glared at me and walked around the bed anxiously. "Stella, It's Aaron Blackford, we are talking about. He is a playboy with a different girl on his arm every day. How on the earth will you make him fall in love with you?" She tried to knock some sense into me. I got up from the bed and held her arm. Making my best pitiful face I looked at her "Help me in thinking some ideas" I begged her. "That b***h took advantage of the situation. She knew that Blade and Blackford family had been on good terms for decades. Stella, If you will mess with Aaron then your family's business cooperation will be destroyed. Black ford is a strong family and Aaron is a devil himself. He isn't the one who can be fooled easily." She sighed and sat on the nearby couch. "That's the problem! How can I win the bet without hurting anything?" I kneeled beside her. "The only way is to ask Aaron to play a show with you. But that's impossible. He never cooperates with anyone without benefits" Kyle looked at me with hopeless eyes.