Married To The Ruthless CEO

the deal

Chapter 6

Aria was still in Adrian’s office, the weight of his words pressing down on her like a physical force. He leaned slightly forward, dark eyes unwavering, voice sharp and controlled.

“Miss Bennett,” Adrian said, adjusting his glasses, “it’s either two hundred million dollars… or you sign the contract. Think about it.” His tone left no room for argument. “You can leave if you want.”

Fear and disbelief gripped her all at once. Her heart swelled painfully in her chest. What sort of overbearing attitude was that? Did the rich really think they could buy anything with money? This man had just offered to buy the children she might one day have — her family, her life. He wanted to buy a family.

Anger flared in her chest, hot and furious. She clenched her fists under the desk, her nails pressing into her palms. What sort of man is he? she thought bitterly. Who dares treat life, love, and family like this?

By the time she left his office and returned home, exhaustion mixed with grief weighed heavily on her. She found Mina sitting on the sofa, tears streaming down her face, clutching a stack of papers.

She had barely gotten home when she found her sister crying

“Aria…” her sister whimpered, looking up with wide, frightened eyes. “The school… they said I have to pay my tuition fee, or I won’t be allowed to write the entrance exams. I… I can’t do it…”

Aria’s chest tightened, grief squeezing her heart. She knelt beside Mina, wrapping her arms around her sister. “Shh… it’s okay. We’ll figure it out,” she whispered, though even she wasn’t sure how.

Her mind raced. After assuring her sister The contract — humiliating, shocking, and almost impossible to consider — was now her only option to save her sister. If she refused, Mina’s future, her education, everything they had worked toward, could crumble in a heartbeat.

Her anger at Adrian still simmered beneath her fear. How could a man like him think he had the right to dictate her life, to put a price on her dignity? And yet… she realized this was life-changing. After this contract, even if she left him in two years, she and Mina would never have to scrape or struggle again. She could give her sister the life she deserved.

Aria’s chest heaved with a mixture of determination, fear, and grief. She swallowed hard, steadying her voice, her hands trembling slightly. “I… I have no other choice,” she admitted to herself, her resolve hardening. “I have to do this for Mina. I have to do this for her future. She's the only family I have left after the incident that claimed their parents life the both have depended on each other for survival she had worked part time jobs just to feed her baby sister and manage to train herself in school even if she didn't finish but she was good enough to be hired by the Cole's group even as an intern.

The next day at Adrian's office

Taking a deep breath, Aria looked up at Adrian, meeting his sharp gaze. The office felt heavier, the air charged with tension, and the hum of the city outside seemed to fade away. She could feel every second stretching between them, every heartbeat echoing in her ears.

Adrian raised an eyebrow, waiting. His expression was unreadable, but the weight of his expectation pressed down on her. She had made her decision. She would sign.

Even as fear and anger burned quietly in her soul, she knew there was no turning back. She would do this — for her sister, for the life they both deserved, for the future that now depended entirely on this impossible choice

Mr Adrian,Aria called out can I at least know why you choosed me she asked with determination in her voice this was Adrian cole which woman would not fall for his charm why does it have to be her she wondered

Well because I need someone I can control Adrian answered but if you are not interested miss Bennett you can leave he uttered.

“I… I will sign,” Aria said, her voice trembling with disbelief. The words felt foreign on her tongue. She couldn’t believe it — the reality of what she was agreeing to was sinking in. Selling her freedom, binding herself to a contract for two long years, handing over a part of her life in exchange for security.

What would life be like after signing this contract? she thought, her mind swirling with fear and uncertainty. Two years… two years of her life dictated by someone else, every choice The thought made her chest tighten, her stomach knot with anxiety.

Then, summoning a spark of courage, she looked up at Adrian. Her voice shook slightly, but she tried to steady it. “Can I… get half of the money now, then receive the remaining after the contract is done?”

Adrian’s gaze swept over her, calculating and sharp. She’s just a gold digger after all, he thought coldly. She only wants money. I wasn’t wrong.

He leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable, though his mind churned with frustration and disbelief at the audacity of her request.

“Don’t worry, Miss Aria,” he said finally, his tone smooth but firm. “I will pay you two million dollar allowance every month.”

Aria’s jaw dropped. Every month? Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Oh my God… she thought, her pulse quickening. This is a jackpot! Her mind raced with the possibilities, the luxury, the freedom from worry — even if it came at a price she wasn’t sure she could ever truly pay.

For a brief moment, all fear and hesitation seemed to vanish under the weight of the money she was about to receive. She imagined the life she could provide for Mina, the debts she could pay, the security she could finally give her sister. At that moment, for the money, for the life she could secure, she decided.

Adrian, however, saw the flicker of joy, the shimmer of greed — the gleam of opportunity in her eyes. And it made him hate her. , his jaw tightening I can't believe I almost fell for her innocent act .

He watched silently as she absorbed the reality of the arrangement, her mind already calculating, planning, dreaming. The stark contrast between her elation and the moral weight of the contract made his chest tighten.

she had signed herself into this arrangement.

Adrian’s mind raced with thoughts, frustration and fascination colliding. How could someone so naive, so innocent-seeming, be so calculating when it came to money? How could she treat this — the contract itself — with such careless joy?

Aria’s eyes shone with excitement and relief. She had secured her sister’s future. She had ensured her own. She was about to step into a life she had only ever dreamed of — luxury.