THE CONTRACT BETWEEN US

Amelia's POV I stared at the papers in front of me, but the numbers refused to make sense. Maybe it was because I had been looking at the same figures for the past twenty minutes. Or maybe I simply didn't want to understand them.Millions in debt. Three investors had already pulled out. Two major contracts were gone. And according to the report in front of me, Carter Holdings had barely three months before everything my father had built could disappear. I slowly placed the report on the table. "How much time do we have?" Nobody answered. I looked around the boardroom. Ten people sat around the long glass table, all of them avoiding my eyes. Some looked worried. Others looked tired. A few looked like they had already accepted the company's fate. My fingers tightened around the folder. "Mr. Collins?" The older man sitting across from me cleared his throat. "Three months." My stomach dropped. "Three months to do what?" "Find new investors," he said carefully. "Or restructure the company." "And if we don't?" He hesitated. That hesitation told me everything. " Ahem…we may have to consider selling." Selling. The word echoed in my head. I looked toward the empty chair at the end of the table. My father's chair, It had been empty for months, but somehow I still expected him to walk through those doors one day, sit down and tell everyone what to do. My father had spent most of his life building Carter Holdings. I remembered being younger and sitting quietly in this same room while he attended meetings. I never understood the numbers back then. I only understood the way everyone listened whenever he spoke. Sometimes, when the meeting lasted too long, he'd look at me and smile. One day, Amelia, this will all be yours. I never imagined that day would come without him. I lowered my eyes. "We're not selling." Mr. Collins sighed. "Miss Carter—" "No." My voice was quieter than I wanted, but I made myself continue. "We are not selling my father's company." A few directors exchanged glances. Mr. Collins leaned forward. "Amelia, I understand how important this company is to you. But we're talking about a business, not a memory." "I know." "Then you also know sentiment won't save it." His words hurt because they were true. I took a slow breath. "I'm not asking sentiment to save it. I'm asking us to find another solution." "We've tried." "Then try again." Silence filled the room. Before anyone could answer, the boardroom doors suddenly opened. Everyone turned. A man walked inside He wore a perfectly fitted black suit, and there wasn't a single sign of hesitation in the way he entered the room. Another man followed behind him, carrying a folder.I recognized the first Alexander Sterling. Even if I had never met him before, I would have known who he was. Everyone in New York's business world knew Alexander Sterling. Thirty-one years old. CEO of Sterling International. Powerful. Private. And, according to almost everyone who had ever dealt with him, extremely difficult to negotiate with. His eyes moved across the room before stopping on me. For some reason, I felt like he already knew exactly who I was. He walked toward the table. "Good afternoon." Nobody answered immediately. Mr. Collins stood. "Mr. Sterling." Alexander gave him a small nod before looking at me again. "I believe we have a problem." I frowned. "This is a private board meeting." "I know." "Then why are you here?" His expression didn't change. "Because your company is about to collapse." The room became completely silent. My jaw tightened. "I don't remember asking for your opinion." "You didn't." He pulled out a chair and sat down as though he belonged there. "I came to offer you a solution." I almost laughed. Of course. A billionaire doesn't walk into a struggling company without a reason. "What kind of solution?" His assistant placed the folder on the table. Alexander opened it. "Sterling International will assume your outstanding debt." My eyes widened. Around the table, the directors exchanged surprised looks. Mr. Collins leaned forward. "You're offering to clear Carter Holdings' debt?" "Yes." I stared at Alexander. "Why?" His eyes met mine. "Because I want something in return." There it was. I knew there had to be a catch. Nothing this good came for free. "What do you want?" He closed the folder. "I'd prefer to discuss that privately." I shook my head. "No." His eyebrow lifted slightly. "If you're making an offer to my company, you can make it in front of the board." Something almost amused flashed across his face. "You've always been this difficult?" "You've known me for five minutes." "I've known enough." I folded my arms. "Then say it." Alexander opened the folder again. "I want Carter Holdings." My heart sank. "You want to buy my company?" "No." His answer came immediately. "I want control of it." Whispers broke out around the table. I stared at him in disbelief. "You walk into my father's company, offer to clear our debt, and then expect me to hand you control?" "I'm offering you a way to keep it alive." "By taking it from me." "By keeping it from being taken by someone else." I paused. "What does that mean?" Alexander looked around the room. "Your competitors are already preparing bids." I glanced at Mr. Collins. He didn't deny it. A cold feeling settled in my stomach. Alexander stood and pushed the folder toward me. "You have three months, Amelia." I hated how easily he said my name. "Three months to save your company." I looked down at the folder. "And if I refuse?" "Then nothing changes." He paused. "You lose the company." With that, he turned toward the door. I stared after him. There was something about his confidence that irritated me. As if he already knew what decision I would make. "Mr. Sterling." He stopped. I looked at him. "What exactly do you want from me?" He turned slowly. For the first time, his expression changed. Only slightly. But I noticed. His eyes became colder. "That," he said quietly, "is something you and I need to discuss." Then he walked out. The doors closed behind him. Nobody spoke. I looked down at the folder he'd left behind. My heart was beating faster than it should. I reached for it. Maybe there was another business proposal inside. Maybe there was some reasonable explanation for his strange offer. I opened the folder. My eyes moved across the first page. Then stopped. I read it once. Then again. My fingers slowly tightened around the paper. There was only one condition. One condition Alexander Sterling wanted in exchange for saving my father's company. My breath caught. At the top of the page were four words. CONTRACT MARRIAGE AGREEMENT. I stared at them. For several seconds, I couldn't move. Marriage? With Alexander Sterling? I slowly looked toward the closed doors. For the first time that afternoon, I wondered if saving my father's company was going to cost me far more than money. ……………..