Chapter 3: The Ruthless Heir's Proposal (Part 1)
1053 Words
The black invitation rested in Elara Quinn's trembling hands as she stood across the street from the tallest building in the city.
BLACKWOOD TOWER.
The silver letters gleamed against the glass skyscraper, reflecting the morning sun like a monument built for kings rather than businessmen.
She looked down at the invitation once more.
10:00 A.M.
She was five minutes early.
Elara took a deep breath before crossing the street.
The revolving glass doors slid open, revealing a lobby unlike anything she had ever seen.
The polished white marble floor shone like a mirror beneath crystal chandeliers that hung from the impossibly high ceiling. Men in tailored suits and women in elegant dresses moved with purpose, their designer shoes clicking softly against the floor.
Every employee seemed perfectly composed.
Every movement was disciplined.
Every conversation was quiet.
Power lingered in the air.
As Elara stepped inside wearing her simple cream blouse and black skirt, she couldn't help feeling out of place.
The receptionist looked up.
"Good morning, miss. How may I help you?"
Elara handed over the invitation.
"I... I was asked to come here."
The receptionist glanced at the card, and her professional smile immediately straightened into something more respectful.
"One moment, please."
She picked up the phone.
"Mr. Cole, Miss Elara Quinn has arrived."
After listening briefly, she nodded.
"Yes, sir."
She placed the receiver down and smiled again.
"Mr. Cole will escort you personally."
Before Elara could respond, the elevator doors opened.
A tall man in a charcoal-gray suit stepped out.
He looked to be in his early thirties, with neatly combed brown hair and calm blue eyes.
Unlike everyone else in the lobby, he walked directly toward her.
"Miss Quinn?"
"Yes."
He extended his hand.
"My name is Nathan Cole."
She shook it politely.
"I'm Mr. Blackwood's executive assistant."
The name made her stomach tighten.
"So... he really wants to see me?"
Nathan gave a small nod.
"Mr. Blackwood dislikes waiting."
Without another word, he turned toward the private elevators.
Elara hurried after him.
The elevator required a fingerprint scan before the doors opened.
Nathan placed his thumb against the sensor.
The doors slid apart silently.
Inside, the elevator was lined with dark polished wood and brushed steel, giving it the feel of a private executive suite rather than ordinary transportation.
As the doors closed, silence settled between them.
Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Elara spoke.
"Can I ask you something?"
Nathan kept his eyes forward.
"Of course."
"Why does Mr. Blackwood want to see me?"
"I'm afraid I can't answer that."
"You don't know?"
"I do."
"Then..."
"He prefers explaining important matters himself."
The answer was polite.
But final.
The elevator continued climbing.
Twenty floors.
Thirty.
Forty.
Fifty.
By the time they reached the seventy-second floor, Elara's heartbeat had become painfully loud.
The doors opened onto a private hallway covered in soft black carpeting.
Modern paintings decorated the walls, while floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire city.
Nathan stopped before two towering ebony doors.
He turned toward her.
"I should warn you."
Elara looked up.
"Mr. Blackwood appreciates honesty."
She nodded.
"He also dislikes excuses."
Nathan opened the doors.
"Please."
Elara stepped inside.
The office was breathtaking.
Dark oak bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling, filled with hundreds of leather-bound books.
A grand piano stood near the windows.
Behind an enormous black desk sat a man reading several documents.
He didn't look up.
He simply turned another page.
The silence felt endless.
Nathan bowed slightly.
"Mr. Blackwood."
Only then did the man raise his head.
For a brief moment...
Time itself seemed to stop.
Elara had seen handsome men before.
None compared to him.
Sebastian Blackwood looked as though he had stepped out of an artist's masterpiece.
His sharp chiseled jawline gave his face a striking definition, while his perfectly straight nose complemented features so flawless they almost seemed unreal.
His jet-black hair was neatly styled, and his tailored black suit fit his broad shoulders with effortless perfection.
But it wasn't his appearance that held her breath captive.
It was his eyes.
Cold.
Dark.
Piercing.
They were the kind of eyes that seemed capable of stripping away every lie a person had ever told.
Eyes that carried no warmth.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
Rumors had described Sebastian Blackwood as the most feared businessman in the country.
Looking at him now...
Elara realized the rumors hadn't been enough.
He wasn't merely intimidating.
He was dangerous.
Even seated, he possessed a commanding presence that filled every corner of the room.
His expression remained unreadable.
He neither smiled nor frowned.
He simply observed her.
Nathan quietly placed a black folder on the desk.
"Miss Quinn has arrived."
Sebastian's gaze never left Elara.
"You may leave."
"Yes, sir."
The doors closed behind Nathan.
Now they were alone.
Elara suddenly became painfully aware of how loudly her own heart was beating.
Sebastian leaned back slightly in his chair.
His deep voice was calm.
Controlled.
Almost frighteningly emotionless.
"Sit."
It wasn't a request.
It was an order.
Elara quietly sat in the chair opposite him.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Sebastian opened the black folder.
Without looking down, he began speaking.
"Elara Quinn."
Her fingers tightened around her handbag.
"Twenty-three years old."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"You graduated with honors from Westbridge University with a degree in Business Administration."
She blinked.
"You worked at the Blackstone Grand Hotel for exactly three years, four months, and eleven days."
How...
"You were dismissed yesterday at 10:17 a.m. after Adrian Hawthorne falsely accused you of disrespect."
Elara stared at him in complete disbelief.
He continued as though reading the weather.
"Your father died when you were twelve."
She swallowed.
"Your mother, Margaret Quinn, is currently admitted to St. Anne's Medical Center."
His voice never changed.
"She requires emergency heart surgery."
A heavy silence followed.
Sebastian slowly closed the folder.
"I dislike wasting time, Miss Quinn."
His piercing obsidian eyes met hers once again.
"I already know everything there is to know about you."
Elara could barely find her voice.
"Who... are you?"
For the first time...
The corner of Sebastian's lips moved ever so slightly.
Not into a smile.
Into something colder.
"I," he said, "am the man who's about to offer you a choice that will change the rest of your life.”
- Writer
