Chapter Four: The Hundred Million Dollars
530 Words
"How much?" The words left my mouth with the will of their own.
He straightened to his full height, the distance between us was suddenly charged, tensed.
Or maybe it's just me.
"One hundred million dollars," he said evenly. "Tax-free. Paid in full the day our contract ends."
I blinked blankly at him, the number hitting me temporarily numb like a physical blow. My knees wobbled, and I actually took a step back, gripping the book tighter subconsciously.
"One... hundred..." I whispered, my tongue thick. "Million?"
My heart was thudding fast. Really fast.
Not one million, but a hundred million dollars, Jenna! Just to marry him for three hundred and sixty-six days?!
No amount of scrubbing toilets, no double shifts as a nanny, no life of hustling in Miami could bring me anywhere near that kind of money.
His lips curved faintly. “One hundred million bucks to act as a wife. Other incentives, depending on how well you perform.”
My pulse continued to thunder my ears. This couldn't be real. No one threw around numbers like that. Not even for... marriage. A fake and about to be contracted one at that.
Except if he runs a billion dollars empire.
"You're insane," I breathed, though my voice lacked conviction.
“No,” he scoffed softly. “I’m a businessman who pays for what he wants. Not that I expect someone ordinary like you to understand.”
Ordinary?! That rude punk.
Yet my mind raced.
One hundred million. That would buy back my life. Clear my name. And most importantly, fund my revenge... at least to some extent.
"What's the catch?" I asked finally, though my voice cracked.
His blue eyes flickered under the chandelier little twinkling light. "You do everything I ask. You play the perfect wife in public. And most importantly, you make sure to convince my family that we're married - most especially, my father."
I froze. "I'm gonna meet your...?"
He tilted his head slightly, for a second, a flash of irritation darkened his gaze. “You think I’m paying you a hundred million dollars to satisfy public opinion?”
The book in my hands felt heavier now. The Ocean tides outside kept roaring, like it was laughing at me. At my hesitation.
One hundred million dollars. Three hundred and sixty-six days. My soul for a year.
I bit my lip, my brain raking over my four rules. This deal would shatter number two. The most important of them all. Public appearances. His family. Exposure.
And yet... One hundred million dollars. That's a lot of money.
I swallowed hard. "And if I say no?"
His smirk vanished, his tone dropping a degree colder. "Then this meeting never happened. I'll have you walk out that door making sure to remain the pauper you are."
Was that a threat? Is he threatening me?
My head snapped up. "Are you threatening me?!"
He stared at me stonily. "You need clarification on that too?"
The nerve. The f*****g nerve!
My pride flared, hot and sharp. “Then you can go f**k yourself. I’m not interested.”
I spun on my heel, storming toward the door, fuming.
'That self-consumed, arrogant asshole.'
- Writer
