Chapter 2: The Proposition
208 Words
The next night, he returned. And the next.
Each time, he sat at the same corner table, sipping his coffee and watching her work. It was both irritating and intriguing.
On the fourth night, he finally introduced himself.
“Adrian Carter,” he said smoothly, extending his hand.
Mira hesitated before shaking it. “Mira.”
“I know,” he said, his lips curving slightly.
She frowned. “How?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. Her painting.
The one she had displayed in an art exhibition a year ago—the same exhibition where her dreams had shattered after no one bought her work.
“You painted this,” Adrian said. “And I want you to work for me.”
Mira’s breath hitched. “Work for you?”
“I own Carter Enterprises. We’re launching a luxury art collection, and I need a talented artist to create exclusive pieces.”
She stared at him in disbelief. He was offering her a dream she had long given up on.
But something about him felt… dangerous.
“What’s the catch?” she asked.
Adrian’s gaze darkened, his voice dropping. “The catch is… you belong to me until the contract is fulfilled.”
- Writer
