AN UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL
919 Words
CHAPTER FIVE
Elena Carter barely had time to recover from her unsettling encounter with Dominic before her entire day became a blur of tasks.
Emails.
Schedules.
Reports.
Every assignment came fast, precise, and demanding.
And every single one came from him.
She glanced at the office door for what felt like the hundredth time that morning, her fingers hovering over the keyboard.
Why was he watching her like that?
Why did it feel like he knew her?
And more importantly… why did her heart react every time he got close?
“Elena.”
Her thoughts snapped instantly.
“Yes, sir,” she responded, standing up as Dominic stepped out of his office.
“Come in.”
---
Inside his office, the atmosphere felt even heavier than before.
Dominic didn’t sit this time.
Instead, he stood near the window, his back facing her.
“Elena,” he began, his voice calm but firm, “how adaptable are you?”
She blinked, confused by the sudden question.
“I… I learn quickly,” she replied carefully.
“That’s not what I asked.”
He turned.
Slowly.
His gaze locked onto hers.
“I asked how far you’re willing to go.”
Elena felt a strange tension build in her chest.
“I don’t understand, sir.”
Dominic walked toward her, stopping just a step away.
Close enough for her to feel the pressure of his presence again.
“You need this job,” he said.
It wasn’t a question.
It was a statement.
Elena hesitated.
“…Yes.”
“You need stability.”
“Yes.”
“You need money.”
Her fingers tightened slightly.
“Yes.”
Dominic studied her face carefully, as if confirming something.
Then—
“I need a wife.”
The words hit her like a shockwave.
“…What?”
For a moment, Elena thought she had misheard him.
“A contract wife,” Dominic clarified calmly, as if he had just discussed a business deal. “Temporary. Strategic. Beneficial for both of us.”
Elena stared at him, completely stunned.
“I—I don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head. “Why me?”
Dominic’s expression didn’t change.
“Because you’re suitable.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It is.”
Her heart started pounding.
“This isn’t a joke, is it?”
“No.”
Silence fell between them.
Heavy.
Unreal.
“You’re serious…” she whispered.
“Yes.”
Elena took a step back, trying to process everything.
“This doesn’t make any sense. You’re the CEO. You could choose anyone.”
“I don’t want just anyone.”
His answer came immediately.
Without hesitation.
“And I don’t have time for complications.”
Elena frowned.
“And I’m not complicated?”
Dominic’s lips curved slightly.
“You’re simple.”
She didn’t know whether to feel offended or relieved.
“I barely know you,” she said.
“That didn’t stop you before.”
The words slipped out quietly.
But they landed hard.
Elena froze.
“What does that mean?”
Dominic held her gaze.
Long.
Intense.
Then—
“It means,” he said calmly, “you’re capable of making unexpected decisions.”
Her chest tightened.
Again, that strange feeling.
Like he was referring to something she couldn’t remember.
---
“What exactly are you asking from me?” she said, forcing herself to stay calm.
“A contract marriage,” Dominic replied. “Publicly, you’ll be my wife. Privately, we maintain boundaries.”
“And in return?”
“You’ll be compensated.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“So this is just a business deal to you.”
“Yes.”
“And what do you get from it?”
“A solution to a problem.”
“What problem?”
“My grandmother.”
Elena blinked.
“…Your grandmother?”
“She wants me married. Immediately. Preferably to someone she approves of.”
“And she would approve of me?” Elena asked, disbelief clear in her voice.
“That depends on how well you play your role.”
Her mind was spinning.
This was insane.
Completely insane.
“I need time to think,” she said finally.
“You have until tomorrow,” Dominic replied.
“That’s not enough—”
“It is.”
His tone left no room for argument.
Elena stared at him, frustration and confusion battling inside her.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked softly.
Dominic didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he stepped closer again.
Too close.
“You’ll understand soon enough,” he said.
---
Elena left the office in a daze.
Her thoughts were chaotic.
A contract marriage?
With her CEO?
It sounded like something out of a story.
Not real life.
And yet—
It was happening.
---
That night, Elena sat on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Her phone lay beside her.
Silent.
Her mind replayed everything Dominic had said.
“You need this job.”
“You need stability.”
“You need money.”
He wasn’t wrong.
But marriage?
Even a fake one?
She closed her eyes.
And for a brief moment—
That same blurry memory returned.
A dim room.
Warm breath.
A man’s voice.
Close.
Too close.
Her eyes snapped open.
“No…”
She shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
But deep down…
She knew something wasn’t adding up.
---
The next day would change everything.
And whatever decision she made—
There would be no turning back.
- Writer
