Chapter two: The crazy proposal
1029 Words
Ava stared at Ethan Blackwood.
Then she laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
The billionaire sitting across from her looked completely serious, which somehow made the situation even more absurd.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Ava shook her head.
This had to be some prank.
Maybe she was so stressed that she was hallucinating.
Maybe she’d fallen asleep at her desk.
Maybe the foreclosure notice had finally broken her brain.
Because there was no logical explanation for Ethan Blackwood sitting in her office, asking her to marry him.
“Have you lost your mind?”
Ethan remained perfectly calm.
“No.”
“Then explain this.”
She pointed at the contract.
“Because normal people don’t walk into a stranger’s office and propose marriage.”
“It isn’t a proposal.”
That made her pause.
Ethan leaned back in his chair.
“It’s a business arrangement.”
“A business arrangement?”
“Yes.”
Ava stared at him.
“You want me to become your wife.”
“For one year.”
“And that’s supposed to make it sound better?”
For the first time, something close to amusement flickered across his face.
It disappeared almost immediately.
But Ava caught it.
Interesting.
Mr. Ice King was apparently capable of emotions after all.
“What exactly do you get out of this?” she asked.
“My reasons are my own.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting today.”
Ava folded her arms.
The man was impossible.
She didn’t trust him.
She didn’t like him.
And yet she couldn’t deny she was curious.
Everyone knew who Ethan Blackwood was.
He was one of the youngest billionaires in the country.
His company owned luxury hotels, real estate developments, and enough businesses to make headlines every month.
Women practically threw themselves at him.
So why her?
Why Ava Bennett?
Owner of a failing hotel and a rapidly collapsing life.
It made no sense.
“I think you should leave.”
Ethan nodded once.
Then reached into the folder.
He pulled out a second document and placed it on the desk.
“Before I do, you should look at this.”
Against her better judgment, Ava glanced down.
At first, she didn’t understand what she was looking at.
Then her eyes widened.
A list of numbers.
A very long list.
Her heart skipped.
“No.”
Ethan said nothing.
She looked again.
The amount couldn’t be real.
Nobody offered that kind of money.
Nobody.
The figure was more than enough to pay off the hotel’s debt.
More than enough to settle outstanding bills.
More than enough to renovate the entire property.
For a moment, she couldn’t breathe.
“Is this a joke?”
“No.”
Her fingers tightened around the paper.
“This amount…”
“It’s yours if you agree.”
The room suddenly felt very quiet.
Too quiet.
For months, she’d been fighting impossible odds.
Negotiating with banks.
Pleading with suppliers.
Working eighteen-hour days.
Watching her father’s dream slowly die.
And now one signature could fix everything.
It should have felt exciting.
Instead, it felt dangerous.
Like standing on the edge of a cliff.
“What happens after one year?”
“The marriage ends.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
Ava searched his face.
There had to be a catch.
There was always a catch.
“Why me?”
For the first time, Ethan hesitated.
Only for a second.
But she noticed.
“You meet the requirements.”
“The requirements?”
“Yes.”
“I’m applying for a job now?”
His gaze remained steady.
“Something like that.”
Ava nearly threw the contract at him again.
Instead, she dropped it onto the desk.
“This is insane.”
“Perhaps.”
“Perhaps?”
Ethan stood.
The movement caught her off guard.
The meeting was apparently over.
He adjusted the sleeve of his jacket.
“You don’t need to answer today.”
“Good.”
“I’ll give you forty-eight hours.”
Ava blinked.
“What?”
“Forty-eight hours.”
“That’s your generous deadline?”
“The bank is giving you ninety days.”
The words hit her like a slap.
Her eyes narrowed.
“How do you know about the bank?”
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
The kind she didn’t like.
Then Ethan met her gaze.
“I make it my business to know things.”
A chill ran down her spine.
For some reason, that answer unsettled her more than the proposal itself.
Because it sounded like he’d been paying attention.
Like he’d known about her problems before walking into this office.
Like he hadn’t chosen her randomly.
Ava didn’t know whether that thought was comforting or terrifying.
Probably terrifying.
Ethan moved toward the door.
“Wait.”
He stopped.
For the first time since arriving, he seemed genuinely attentive.
As though what she said next actually mattered.
“What if I say no?”
His expression didn’t change.
“You keep fighting.”
“And if I lose?”
A long pause filled the room.
Then Ethan said quietly:
“Then you lose.”
The honesty stunned her.
No false promises.
No manipulation.
No pretending everything would magically work out.
Just the truth.
Brutal and simple.
A few seconds later, he opened the door.
“Forty-eight hours, Miss Bennett.”
Then he left.
Just like that.
Ava sat alone in the office.
The contract remained on her desk.
The number stared back at her.
Impossible.
Life-changing.
Terrifying.
Outside the window, she could see the hotel parking lot.
The faded sign.
The cracked pavement.
The building her father had loved more than anything.
Her chest tightened.
She thought about the employees.
Lily.
The housekeeping staff.
The maintenance workers.
People who depended on this place.
People who would lose their jobs if the hotel closed.
Slowly, Ava picked up the contract again.
Her eyes drifted back to the figure.
For the first time since Ethan arrived…
She considered saying yes.
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