Billionaire; The obsessed Man

Celeste POV I gripped the edge of the boardroom table, my nails digging into the polished wood. The air in the thin room was suffocating and unbearable, thick with tensions as nt father trembling hands shuffled through a pile of rejection letters. “This is the last one,” he murmured, his voice was barely above a whisper. My heart pounded as he unfolded the letter. A part of me already knew the answer. We've begged, negotiated and pleaded with every investor we could find, but the results was always the same. The ink on the paper seem like a death sentence to my father. *“ We regret to inform you that Monroe industries does not meet our current investment criteria.”* My father exhaled shakily and leaned back in his chair, dressing a hand over his chest. The sight made something sharp lodge in my throat. My father had always been a man of power, a business man who commanded respect. But now he looked small. Defeated. “We're ruined,” he said, his voice hollow. I clenched my fists, breaking my long silence.“No we're not.” My father gave a bitter laugh. “You don't understand, Celeste. We're out of time. The board is pushing for liquidation. We have debts. We can't pay, if we don't find a solution within the week….” He trailed off, his eyes distant. The reality of our company situation crashed over me like a total tidal wave. Monroe industries. My family legacy, was on the brink of collapse. And once it fell, we wouldn't just lose our business. We'd lose everything. “No.” I straightened my shoulders. “There has to be another way.” My father hesitated. Then let out a slow breath. “There is…..but you won't like it.” A chill ran down my spine. “What do you mean?” I asked My father eyes met mine, filled with guilt. “An offer came in today. A private investor willing to save us. But there's a condition” My stomach twisted. “What condition.” My father swallowed hard. “Marriage.” The word hung in the air like a death sentence. I recoiled. “You can't be serious.” “I wouldn't ask if we had another chance.” My father voice cracked. “This investor has the power to erase our debts and save the company overnight. But he wants you.” Disgust crawled over my skin. I wasn't some bargain chip to be traded off like a business deal. “Who is he?” I demanded. My father hesitated before shaking his head. “I don't know him in person, his lawyer contacted me today. He said he'll reveal himself soon, but the offer expires in forty eight hours.” My breath came faster. A unknown man was offering me in exchange for saving my family, my family legacy. It was sick. Twisted. And worse, I was out of options. My vision blurred as I stumbled away from the table. I needed air, space. An escape. Without another word, I turned on my heel and rushed out of the, boardroom. I needed to forget, even if just for one night. I needed to feel alive before my world crashed completely. And I knew exactly where to go. —--------------------------------------------- The bar was dimly lit, the soft hum of music and low voices creating a world far removed from the chaos of my life. I slid onto a stood ordering the strongest drink on the menu. I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't the kind of woman who drowned her problem in alcohol. But tonight, I didn't care. “Rough day?” The voice was deep, smooth laced with amusement. I glanced to my right and meet a pair of dark, piercing eyes. The man beside me exuded confidence, power. He leaned against the bar like he owned it, his tailored black suit fitting him perfectly. He was dangerous, and I knew it. But at this moment, danger felt like an escape to me. “What gave it away?” I muttered, taking a sip of my drink. His lip curved into a smirk. “The way you're gripping that glass like it personally offended you.” I huffed out a laugh. “Maybe it did.” He tilted his head, studying me. “ What's your name?” I hesitated. Tonight, I didn't want to be Celeste Monroe, the billionaire daughter who lost everything. I just wanted to be someone else. Someone who wasn't about to be sold off to a stranger. “No names,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Just drinks” His smirk widened. “No names, huh? Alright” He lifted his own glass in a silent toast, and for the first time in weeks, i felt alive. One drink turned into two. Then three. The world blurred at the edges, but I didn't care. And when the man reached out, tucking a stray lock of hair begin my ear, I didn't pull away. “ Come with me.” I murmured. I knew this was reckless. I knew I'd regret it in the morning. But right now, I wanted to forget. I nodded. And just like that, I let myself fall into the arms of a stranger.