The unexpected proposal.
1076 Words
Chapter three.
The next morning at the office, Alexander reached the receptionist to inform Sophia to come to his office immediately she arrives."good morning Sophia,CEO want to discuss something with you reach out to him in his office."
Sophia stood outside Alexander Reid’s office, her fingers tightly holding the files in her hands. She had been called there without any explanation, and it suddenly made her heart beat faster.
She knocked softly.
“Come in,” a deep voice answered.
Sophia pushed the door open and stepped inside with alot of fear. Alexander was standing near the large glass window, looking over the city below. His expression was serious than for other days, the same face that makes everyone in the company scared.
“You called me, Mr. Reid?” Sophia asked.
Alexander turned around slowly. “Yes, Sophia.You can have a seat.”
She sat across from his desk, waiting for him to speak. Alexander walked back to his chair but didn’t sit immediately. For the first time, Sophia noticed something different about him. The powerful CEO who seemed to control everything looked troubled.
“I need your help,” he finally said.
Sophia frowned, her fingers tightening around the edge of her chair, whatever Alexander was about to say,she knew it wasn't going to be a simple office discussion.
“Yes.” Alexander placed his hands on the desk. “You are aware of the stakeholders gala coming up?"
“Yes, everyone in the company has been talking about it.”
He started moving his head up and down. “The gala is important for the future of Reid Enterprises. But there is a problem.”
Sophia waited silently.
“The stakeholders believe I need to settle down before the event. They think a CEO without a family image is not good enough to lead the company.”
Sophia looked surprised. “They want you to get married?”she asked.
Alexander gave a small, serious smile. “Exactly.”
Sophia didn’t know what to say. She had always seen Alexander as a man who was focused and cared only about business. The idea of him being pressured into marriage seemed impossible she couldn't believe.
“And what does this have to do with me?” she asked carefully.
Alexander looked directly into her eyes.
“I want you to pretend to be my fiancee,"Alexander said."And if you refuse,the company's future and everything l have built for years will fall apart."
The room became completely silent.
Sophia blinked, wondering if she had heard him correctly.
“Excuse me?”
“I know this sounds unexpected,” Alexander said calmly, “but I need someone I can trust. Someone who won’t betray me or use my name for personal gain.”
Sophia stood up immediately. “Mr. Reid, I think you called the wrong person. I’m just an employee without anything”
“You’re not just an employee,” Alexander replied.
She looked at him.
“Since you joined this company, you have been honest, hardworking, and different from everyone else. You don’t treat me like a CEO. You treat me like a normal person.”
Sophia’s expression softened, but she was still confused.
“This is only an arrangement, right?” she asked.
Alexander was silent for a moment.
“Yes,” he said. “At least that’s what its supposed to be.”
Sophia looked away. She didn’t understand why his words bothered her. She barely knew him, yet something about the situation felt dangerous.
“What happens after the gala?” she asked.
“After six months, we end the arrangement.”
Sophia was quiet.
Six months pretending to love a man she barely knew is not easy. Six months standing beside Alexander Reid, the most powerful man in the company.
It sounded like a terrible idea.
But then she remembered why she had accepted the job in the first place. She needed stability. She needed a chance to build a better life and help her brother.
“Why me?” she whispered.There are women in the company who could do anything to stand besides you why choose someone like me who has nothing?
Alexander looked at her for a long moment.
“Because I believe you’re the only person who can make this look real.”he answered softly.
Sophia shook her head. “You’re asking me to lie.”
“I’m asking you to help me protect everything I have built from scratch.”
She looked at the contract he placed on the table, her hands were shaking as she was trying to reach it.
Her instincts told her to refuse,but the thought of helping her brother and securing both the job and her future made the word "no"impossible to say.
She knew getting involved with Alexander Reid could change her life in so many ways she couldn’t predict because it's what she wanted the whole of her life. But as she looked at the man
standing in front of her, she said something behind his cold expression.
And somehow, she understood it.
“I’ll think about it,” Sophia finally said.
Alexander nodded. “That’s all I ask.”
As she walked out of his office, neither of them noticed the person standing in the corridor watching them.someone who
had heard everything.
Sophia stood frozen for a moment, staring at the contract rested between them. The noise of the city outside seemed to disappear, leaving only the sound of her heartbeat and the quiet hope shining in his eyes. She had imagined many moments in her life, but never one where she would feel so completely surprised, valued, and loved.
“Are you sure about this?” she whispered, her voice filled with emotions she could barely control.
A tear slipped down Sophia’s cheek as memories rushed through her mind. She remembered the struggles, the doubts, and the times she wondered if true happiness would ever find her.
Alexander's face brightened with joy as he placed the ring on her finger. In that moment, Sophia felt a new beginning opening before her. It was not just a proposal,it was a promise of friendship, trust, and a love that would continue growing through every challenge they faced.
As they were stepping to the down floor,the stranger stepped back into the shadows,a slow smile spreading across their face.
"So this is your weakness, Alexander Reid."she whispered before disappearing down the corridor.
- Writer
