HIS BILLION DOLLAR MARRIAGE

The rain had been falling for almost two hours when Amara Williams realized that her life was about to change. She stood beneath the flickering light outside the small hospital, clutching a worn handbag against her chest while watching rainwater race along the pavement. Her phone vibrated again. Unknown Number. She ignored it. It vibrated again. Amara sighed and finally answered. “Hello?” “Miss Williams?” “Yes.” “This is Mr. Sterling's office. We need to speak with you urgently.” Amara frowned. “Which Mr. Sterling?” There was a brief silence. “Damian Sterling.” Her heart skipped. Everyone knew Damian Sterling. At twenty-nine, he was the youngest billionaire in the country and the CEO of Sterling International, an empire built across real estate, technology, finance, and luxury hotels. His face appeared on business magazines almost every month. Cold. Handsome. Untouchable. Men wanted his success. Women wanted his attention. Amara had never imagined that someone from his office would call her. “What does Mr. Sterling want with me?” she asked. “You'll have to ask him yourself. A car is waiting for you outside.” Amara looked toward the road. A black Rolls-Royce sat beneath the rain. Her stomach tightened. “I don't think—” “The car will take you to Sterling Tower. Mr. Sterling is expecting you.” The call ended. Amara stared at her phone. Nothing about this made sense. She should have walked away. Instead, she stepped toward the waiting car. Twenty minutes later, Amara stood inside Sterling Tower. The lobby looked nothing like the world she knew. Polished marble covered the floor. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Employees in expensive suits moved through the building with quiet confidence. Everything screamed money. Amara suddenly became conscious of her simple dress and inexpensive shoes. A receptionist approached her. “Miss Williams?” “Yes.” “This way, please.” They entered a private elevator. As the doors closed, Amara's reflection stared back at her. She looked nervous. She hated looking nervous. The elevator stopped on the forty-second floor. The receptionist led her down a quiet hallway and stopped before enormous black doors. “Mr. Sterling is inside.” She opened the door. Amara stepped in. The first thing she noticed was the view. The second was the man standing beside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Damian Sterling. He turned slowly. For a moment, neither spoke. Amara had seen photographs of him before, but photographs had failed to capture his presence. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his expression was unreadable. His eyes settled on her. “You're late.” Amara blinked. “Excuse me?” “Seven minutes.” She glanced at the expensive watch on his wrist. “You sent a car for me without telling me where we were going.” “That isn't an excuse.” Amara stared at him. “Then perhaps you should have given me better instructions.” Something flickered across his face. Surprise. Perhaps people didn't usually speak to Damian Sterling that way. He walked toward his desk. “Sit.” Amara didn't move. “Why am I here?” Damian picked up a folder. “Your father owes the Sterling Group three hundred thousand dollars.” Amara's face went pale. “How do you know about that?” “Because the debt was purchased by one of my companies.” Her fingers tightened around her handbag. “My father told me he was negotiating an extension.” “He was.” Damian opened the folder. “Unfortunately, the extension expires tomorrow.” Amara swallowed. “And what does that have to do with me?” Damian looked directly into her eyes. “Everything.” He pushed a document across the desk. Amara approached cautiously. She read the first line. Her breath caught. MARRIAGE AGREEMENT She looked up. “What is this?” “My proposal.” “You want me to marry you?” “Yes.” Amara actually laughed. Not because it was funny. Because it was impossible. “You've lost your mind.” Damian's expression remained calm. “I don't make decisions without considering every consequence.” “Then consider this one again.” “I already have.” Amara pushed the document back toward him. “I don't even know you.” “You don't need to.” “That makes absolutely no sense.” “You need money. I need a wife.” She stared at him. “You're serious.” “Completely.” Damian leaned back in his chair. “My father has placed a condition on my inheritance. I must be legally married before my thirtieth birthday if I want complete control of Sterling International.” “And you think I'll marry you for money?” “I know you will.” Anger flashed through her. “You don't know anything about me.” “I know your father's business is failing. I know your family home is being used as collateral. I know your mother's medical bills have increased. And I know you have been working two jobs to keep your family together.” Amara's eyes widened. “How did you—” “I did my research.” Silence filled the office. Damian stood. “Marry me for one year.” “One year?” “I will clear your family's debts, pay your mother's medical expenses, and provide your family with enough money to start over.” Amara's heart pounded. “And what do you get?” “My inheritance.” She stared at him. A billionaire was offering her everything her family desperately needed. But nothing came for free. “What are the rules?” For the first time, something almost resembling a smile appeared on Damian's lips. “Now we're negotiating.” He opened another folder. “Separate bedrooms. No interference in each other's personal lives. No public scandals. No divorce before the contract expires.” “And love?” His eyes met hers. “No love.” Amara looked down at the contract. She knew she should walk away. She knew marrying a stranger was madness. But then she remembered her mother lying in that hospital bed. She remembered the letters from creditors. She remembered the possibility of losing the only home her family had ever known. Slowly, she picked up the pen. Damian watched her carefully. Amara signed her name. Amara Williams. Then she pushed the contract toward him. “Congratulations, Mr. Sterling.” Her voice trembled slightly. “You just bought yourself a wife.” Damian signed beneath her name. But as he closed the folder, neither of them noticed the shadow standing behind the partially opened office door. A woman had been listening. And when she saw Amara's signature on the contract, her expression hardened. Isabella Laurent had just discovered that Damian Sterling was getting married. And she had no intention of letting the marriage happen. Not without a fight.