Bound By Contract

The Appointment

Nadia POV

"You're walking into a lion's den," Sylvia said.

"I know."

"And you're still going.”

"Goodbye, Sylvia."

I hung up before she could finish whatever she was going to say next and pushed through the front doors of the Cole Industries building.

The lobby was quiet when I came in.

Two people sat behind the front desk. I walked up, gave my name, and was told that Mr. Cole's assistant would be down shortly. I found a seat near the window and sat with my bag in my lap and my back straight and told myself I was ready for this.

I had been telling myself that since six in the morning.

The file Mara sent me the night before was still running through my head.

Ethan Cole was… interesting, I had to admit.

But some of the things I found didn’t match the version my father had spent years building in my head. Losing a company at nineteen and recovering that fast didn’t fit the narrative of a reckless opportunist. And then there were his employees, some had stayed with him for over a decade. They wouldn't have been that loyal if he was truly someone who used people and discarded them.

Maybe he wasn’t exactly the monster I’d been told he was.

I was still thinking about it when the elevator doors opened across the lobby.

A man stepped out, flanked by two others in dark suits. Even before he fully turned in my direction, I knew it was him.

Ethan Cole.

He was taller than I expected, broad shoulders filling out a perfectly tailored navy suit. Everything about him was precise without trying too hard. His dark hair was cut sharp, and his face… damn. High cheekbones, a strong jaw, and a cutie blue eyes

For one stupid second, my breath caught.

Not now, Nadia.

I hated how visceral the reaction was — a quick, unwelcome spike of heat low in my stomach, followed immediately by irritation at myself. This was Ethan Cole, the man who had destroyed Halden Group with no mercy. And now he held my family’s future in his hands like it was just another asset to liquidate.

No matter how damn gorgeous he looked, I couldn’t afford to forget who he really was.

The assistant beside me straightened when she saw him.

He ended his call. Our eyes met for a second.

My fingers tightened slightly around the strap of my bag.

Then he looked away and walked toward his office.

"Miss Voss?" The assistant touched my elbow. "We can go up."

I followed her.

It wasn’t my first time walking into an executive office. I had been to a few of my father’s meetings.

This one felt different.

His office was bigger than the ones I’d been to. A wide desk, glass walls, a long table to the side, and a clear view of the city.

“You can leave.”

What?

“All right, sir,” the assistant said, and walked out.

Oh, I thought he was referring to me. I sighed in relief.

“Nadia Voss,” I said, stretching out my hand with a small smile. He stared back with a cold expression.

I pulled my hand back and that shattered the last bit of my confidence.

What the hell. I cursed him repeatedly in my head.

There was a moment of silence between us before he spoke.

“I read the operational reports,” he said. “The last two years…”

“I’m sure you didn’t call this meeting to discuss that,” I said, cutting him short while looking straight into his eyes. “Let's discuss your terms”.

He reached forward and slid a single page across the table.

I picked it up and read it slowly. I went through every line and kept my face still and when I got to the bottom I put it down and looked at him.

"This isn't what I expected," I said.

"I know."

"You're not asking for a standard merger."

"No."

"You're asking for a marriage."

He held my gaze. "One year. Fully contracted. Clean exit at the end."

"That's insane."

"It's practical."

"It's the same thing."

Something shifted at the corner of his mouth. It wasn't quite a smile. It was the ghost of one, barely there, gone before I could be sure I'd seen it at all.

"The investment board I'm working with requires a specific profile," he said. "Your family name provides it and the marriage provides the structure. It's twelve months and then it's over."

"And my father's debt."

"Cleared on signing."

"The company assets."

"Restructured under the merger. Employees retained."

I stared at him. He had answers ready for every question… that's a bit interesting.

Well, I'm not a solution to a business problem," I said.

"I agree. That's why I'm offering a contract instead of issuing a demand." "You can walk out of this room right now. The debt still exists. Your brother's co-signed portion becomes a personal liability against his name by the end of the month. I'm not threatening you with that. I'm making sure you have the complete picture."

I looked at him for a long moment, and he didn’t look away either.

"I need time," I said.

"You have until Friday."

I stood. I picked up my folder and my bag, and I walked to the door. I placed my hand on the handle and stopped.

Something had been sitting at the back of my throat since I walked in, and I still hadn’t figured out what it was.

But I decided to leave it unsaid for now.