THE TERMS OF US

CHAPTER 3

The envelope was lying right there on the floor just inside the door, stark white and looking entirely too deliberate, as though it had been placed there with very specific intentions.

I froze the second I saw it. Just moments ago, I had been laughing into my phone, still riding the rare, beautiful high of talking to Melody. But the mood in the room shifted instantly, turning heavy and unsettling.

Slowly, carefully, I crouched down and picked it up.

My name was written across the front in neat, precise handwriting.

My fingers trembled as I turned it over and slid my thumb beneath the seal. The paper inside was crisp and perfectly creased, as if it had been prepared long before it ever reached my floor.

The moment my eyes scanned the words, my heart stopped cold.

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE OR WAIT AND SEE.

It was bold, direct, and brutally clear.

The air caught in my throat. Without offering Melody an explanation or even another word, I ended the call. I couldn't bring myself to explain it to her, not yet. Not when I could barely process it myself.

“So this is how we’re playing now?” I muttered into the empty apartment, my voice trembling. “Threats?”

I sank onto the bed, gripping the paper so tightly it crumpled in my fist. Staring blankly at the ceiling, I let my mind race. The faces of every Roman sibling flashed through my thoughts. Martel's icy stare. The others' polished smiles hid their resentment.

Honestly, any one of them could have done it. Every one of them had a motive. The message was painfully clear.

My time was running out.

As I lay there with my heart hammering against my ribs, my phone suddenly rang. The sharp sound made me flinch so hard I nearly jumped.

I glanced at the screen, expecting Melody's name.

Instead, it was an unknown number.

My stomach tightened immediately.

It was him.

The man from the restaurant.

The one date that had actually given me a tiny glimpse of hope.

I hesitated before answering.

“Hello?” I said softly.

“Hi... um, is this Lily? It's Bryan.”

His voice sounded hesitant but sincere.

“I hope I'm not bothering you. I just wanted to call and apologize.”

I sat up straighter, gripping the phone tighter.

“I realized I had made a huge mistake,” he continued. “I thought you were the woman my friend had set me up with. But when I got home and told him how incredible the date had gone, he looked completely confused. The woman he actually sent never made it to the restaurant because she got the address wrong.”

My heart sank.

“I am so sorry about the mix-up,” Bryan said. “But I honestly enjoyed talking to you. You're a remarkable woman. Thank you for your time.”

He sounded ready to end the call.

Something inside me snapped.

“WAIT!” I shouted, much louder than I intended.

The line fell silent.

“I was sent on a date too, by my mom,” I blurted out. “Look, this is going to sound insane, but maybe this isn't a coincidence. Maybe the universe is actually trying to bring us together.”

Bryan released a soft sigh.

“I wish I could see it that way,” he replied gently. “But the only reason I even went tonight was to get my best man off my back. I'm a single father with a little girl, and ever since my divorce, I haven't allowed anyone into our lives. I'm sorry.”

Before I could respond, the call ended.

I stared at my screen in disbelief.

The threat beneath my door.

The rejection.

The crushing deadline.

Everything felt as though it was closing in around me.

Without giving myself time to think, I hit redial.

He answered in the second ring.

“Please,” I said, my voice barely holding together. “Please marry me.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

“Excuse me?” Bryan finally said. “You don't know me. You know nothing about my personality, my past, or my life. And I don't know you. Are you sick? Why are you this desperate?”

Tears burned in my throat, but I pushed through them.

“Please,” I begged again. “Just meet me tomorrow morning. I'll send you the address. Hear me out. If you still want to say no afterward, I'll accept it and leave you alone.”

A long pause followed.

Finally, Bryan agreed, though he sounded incredibly reluctant.

I barely slept that night.

Whenever I drifted off, terrifying nightmares dragged me under. I dreamed of running endlessly through pitch-black streets while heavy footsteps echoed behind me. Gunshots rang through the darkness. Every time I turned around, faceless shadows were closing in.

I woke up gasping, drenched in sweat.

Morning arrived with complete indifference to my misery.

I rose from bed and got ready with deliberate care. I chose an elegant outfit that projected confidence, even though I felt hollow inside. I applied my makeup with precision, treating it like armor for the battle ahead.

A few hours later, we met at a quiet café.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the room with warmth and peace that felt almost cruel compared to the chaos inside me.

Over coffee, I told him everything.

I explained the Roman family, their influence, their expectations, and the threats. My hands trembled as I slid the white envelope across the table.

I told him about the six-month deadline. The danger.

The fact that I was being hunted simply for existing in their world.

“I am not asking you for love,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze. “I don't want romance. This would be a business arrangement. Publicly, we act like a married couple. Privately, we live separate lives. I just need protection. I just want to survive.”

Bryan leaned back in his chair, his expression serious.

“I am the CEO of Wise Construction,” he said slowly. “One of the largest construction companies in the country. If I agree to something like this, do you understand the consequences? What could it do to my reputation, my company, and my personal life?”

His voice softened slightly.

“And my daughter. I would be bringing her into a lie. Introducing her to a woman I don't love just to maintain appearances.”

My eyes widened.

“You're that Bryan Wise?” I whispered.

The realization struck me like a physical blow. Out of all the people in the world, I had accidentally proposed marriage to one of the most influential billionaires in the country.

“Hypothetically,” Bryan said after a moment, “if I agreed to this, what exactly would be in it for me?”

I looked down, I had no money, no power, nothing valuable to offer.

“I'll do whatever you ask,” I said quietly. “Anything. I don't care what it is. I just need to survive.”

The weight of my desperation settled heavily between us.

After a long discussion, terms were established.

Boundaries were agreed upon.

Lawyers drafted contracts.

Signatures were placed on paper.

It wasn't a love story.

It was survival.

The following evening was the Roman family's annual charity gala, an event as extravagant as their reputation. High society filled the ballroom while paparazzi crowded the entrance, desperate for a scandal.

Then I arrived.

My hand rested securely on Bryan's arm as we stepped through the doors together.

He looked every bit the powerful billionaire executive: calm, confident, and completely untouchable.

I stood beside him, elegant and composed, hiding every trace of fear behind a flawless smile.

The cameras erupted instantly.

Flashes exploded from every direction.

Gasps and whispers swept through the ballroom.

Within minutes, the internet was flooded with headlines.

MYSTERY WOMAN SPOTTED WITH BRYAN WISE.

THE NEW POWER COUPLE SENDING SHOCKWAVES THROUGH HIGH SOCIETY.