Chapter Three:The Offer
1282 Words
Amelia’s Pov
I almost turned around before I even walked through the doors
Twice, actually
I stood outside Blackstone Group, staring at the huge glass building in front of
me and wondering what I was doing there
The man who called me had only given me an address and a time, ten o'clock.
He hadn't told me much about the meeting, except that someone wanted to
make me an offer.
An offer that could solve my money problems
Normally, I would have ignored something this strange
But Ethan wasn't doing well
That changed everything, I tightened my grip on my bag and walked inside.
The building was even more intimidating from the inside. Everything looked
expensive, from the shiny floors to the huge reception desk then I suddenly
became very aware of my simple clothes.
A woman behind the desk looked up,
“Can I help you?”
“I am here to see Alexander Blackstone”
She checked her computer
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Yes
“Your name?”
“Amelia Hart”
She typed something before looking back at me
“Mr. Blackstone is expecting you. Take the elevator to the top floor. Someone
will meet you there”
“Thank you”
I walked toward the elevator, my stomach was already twisting.
Alexander Blackstone.
I knew who he was. Most people did.
He was the CEO of Blackstone Group, one of the richest men in the country. I
had seen his face in magazines and online, usually beside some headline about
business or another company he had bought, he wasn't exactly known for
being friendly.
So why did he want to meet me?
The elevator doors opened, i stepped inside and pressed the button for the top
floor.
As the doors closed, I caught my reflection in the mirror and I looked
exhausted,
I hadn't been sleeping properly. Between work, the hospital, and worrying
about Ethan, I barely had time to breathe.
I fixed my hair and took a deep breath
Whatever happened in that office, I would deal with it
I had come this far so couldn't turn back now.
When the elevator opened, a man was waiting
“Ms. Hart?”
“Yes”
“Follow me”
I nodded.
We walked down a quiet hallway before stopping in front of a large wooden
door.He knocked three times
Knock,knock,knock
“Come in”
The voice from inside was deep
The man opened the door for me
I stepped inside and then I saw him
Alexander Blackstone stood behind his desk, looking through a few papers.
He was taller than I expected
Dark suit, neat hair,serious expression.
Everything about him screamed money and power
He looked up, his eyes met mine.
For a second, neither of us said anything
“Amelia Hart?”
“Yes”
“Sit”
That was his greeting.
No smile, no handshake,
Nothing.
I sat down across from him, trying not to feel uncomfortable.
He finished reading whatever was in front of him before finally looking at me
again.
“I assume you know why you are here”
“Actually, I don't”
He leaned back in his chair.
“Then I will make this simple”
Something about the way he said it made me nervous.
“I need a wife”
I blinked
Maybe I had heard him wrong.
“A wife?”
“Yes”
I stared at him.
“You called me here because you need a wife?”
“Yes”
He said it like he was asking me to sign a business document, i almost laughed.
But his face remained completely serious
“Why me?”
“I have looked into your background”
My smile disappeared
“You investigated me?”
“It was necessary”
“That doesn't make it okay”
He didn't even react
“I know about your brother”
My stomach tightened
“What about him?”
“His condition. His treatment. The hospital bills.”
I stared at him, he knew
Of course he knew
“You need money,” he said
I swallowed
“I can handle my own problems”
“I didn't say you couldn't”
“Then why are you talking about them?”
“Because I am offering you a solution”
He opened a folder and pushed it across the desk
I looked down
A contract
I didn't touch it
“What is that?”
“A marriage agreement”
I looked at him again
“You are serious?”
“Yes”
“You want me to marry you?”
“For one year”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing
“You don't even know me”
“I know enough”
“No, you don't”
He didn't argue
“I don't want a normal marriage,” he said. “I need someone to play the role of
my wife for one year”
“And what do I get?”
“Money”
That one word made me go quiet
“How much?”
He told me, my heart nearly stopped.
The amount was enough to pay Ethan's hospital bills.
Enough to get him the treatment he needed
For a moment, I couldn't think of anything else
Then I looked back at Alexander
“You have really done your homework”
“I don't like wasting time”
I picked up the contract
The first few pages were filled with rules and conditions
One year
We would live together, we would attend public events when necessary, we
would keep up appearances,
No interfering in each other's personal affairs
And, of course, no real relationship.
I stopped at that part.
No falling in love
I almost smiled
As if feelings could be controlled by a piece of paper
“And after the year?”
“We divorce”
“Just like that?”
“Yes”
I looked at him for a moment
He really had thought this through
“You expect me to agree to this?”
“I expect you to think about it”
“And if I say no?”
“You walk away”
His answer surprised me
He wasn't threatening me
He wasn't trying to convince me
He simply sat there, waiting
Maybe he really didn't care if I accepted
I looked down at the contract again
The money could save Ethan
That was the only thing that mattered
Still, marrying a stranger was not something I could agree to in five minutes.
“I need time”
“You have forty-eight hours”
I looked up
“That's it?”
“Yes”
I shook my head
“You really don't make things easy, do you?”
“I wasn't aware I was supposed to”
For the first time, I almost smiled
Almost
I stood up, holding the contract against my chest
“I will think about it”
“Good”
I turned toward the door
“Amelia”
I stopped the I looked back
His expression hadn't changed, but there was something different in his eyes.
“Think carefully”
I nodded
Then I walked out
The moment the elevator doors closed, I finally let out the breath I'd been
holding
I looked down at the contract in my hands
One year, that's all
One year of pretending to be Alexander Blackstone's wife,
And in return, Ethan could get the treatment he desperately needed.
It should have been an easy decision ,but it wasn't
I stared at my reflection in the elevator
“Amelia,” I whispered
“What are you getting yourself into?”
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