Chapter 3
1482 Words
The summon came two days later. Aria was in the library, trying so hard to understand macro economics theory. Her phone vibrated on the desk,it was an unknown number, her throat tightened as she answered “Hello?”
“Is this Aria Vance?” The woman’s voice was crisp, cold and sharp.
“Yes?”
“This is Elara, Mr Damian King's executive assistant. Mr King requires your presence in his office at 3pm today. Please be punctual.”
The line went dead. Aria sat frozen . Requires your presence, it wasn’t a request, it was a command. This was it. After the coffee incident , she has been waiting for the bad news. Brenda’s frantic panic has been a constant background noise in her mind for the past forty eight hours.She was being fired , probably not just from the cafe , but probably blacklisted from every company connected to the King's large empire. At exactly 2:40 pm Aria packed her text book into her backpack and started heading for Damian King's office. The walk across campus and toward the soaring skyscraper where the King Global Tech Ltd was located, felt like a funeral march. Each step echoed her mother’s words:”I won't let this be the thing that defines you.” But it was. A clumsy accident was about to destroy her future.
The elevator to the top floor was silent, it felt like a giant capsule that shot her into the sky. The view from the elevator was immaculate, and she always appreciates immaculate views, but this time she didn't appreciate the view. Her stomach tightened with the motion. The doors opened in silence to a perfect lobby. The air smelled of money and lemon-scent polish.
Elara sat behind a desk there. It wasn’t hard to notice that she was Damian King’s executive assistant. Her hair was pulled into a hard bun, her eyes cold as ice. She didn't even look up from her monitor. “Ms. Vance.. Mr King is waiting, Go in.”
Aria pushed the heavy wooden door.
Damian King’s office looked to be all power and control.The floor-to-ceiling windows showed the whole city like it belongs to him. The room was large, merely furnished with just a massive black desk and a single uncomfortable-looking chair facing it. There were no photos, no decoration , no warmth. It was just a room designed for business, for winning.
He was standing by the window, his back to her, a tall silhouette against the large skyline. He didn’t turn. He simply let her stand there, letting the silence make her nervous. She could feel the weight of his presence, the same intimidating force from the cafe, now concentrated and contained in this wide environment.
“Sit,” he said at last. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried authority that left no room for refusal.
She walked forward with shaky legs and sat, barely touching the edge of the chair, ready to flee.
Finally, he turned. He was wearing another impeccable suit, this one was deep navy. It made his blue eyes look colder than ever. He gives off a powerful, ease and controlling feeling, which was the opposite of how she felt. He looked at her dressing, her simple jeans and sweater as if she was something small, something beneath him.
“I assume you know why you’re here,” he said, moving around the desk to sit on his own throne-like chair.
“To be fired” Aria said, her voice smaller than she intended,
A thin smile touched his lips, but it wasn’t friendly. “Fired? Miss Vance, if I wanted you fired, a phone call would have done that. I won't waste my time on that.”
His words stung her. She straightened her back, her cheeks hot,”Then why am I here?”
He leaned back, fingers pressed together. “I have a problem. You, by accident , may be my solution.”
She stared at him shocked. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple. I am in a battle for control of my company. My late father’s will contains a condition. To secure my position permanently against certain..claiments.” He said the word with distaste, “The board wishes to see a CEO who projects an image of stability. Maturity. A settled personal life.”
Aria’s confusion deepened. “What does that have to do with me?”
“They want me married.” He said it like he was reading stock prices. “A wife, even just for show, would calm things and give me what I need.”
Her stomach turned. “And you.. Want to marry me?” The word felt ridiculous coming out of her mouth.
“Don’t be dramatic,” he said sharply. “I need a wife in name only. A one year marriage contract. A business arrangement."
He leaned forward. His piercing eyes locked on hers. “You will live in my residence, accompany me to necessary social functions, and play the part of a devoted partner. In return, I will solve your… Financial inconveniences.”
He picked up a sleek tablet and tapped on the screen . A file popped up. Her name was written at the top.
“Your unpaid tuition at Northwood University: twelve thousand, four hundred and seventy five dollars.” he read in a flat voice “past due, your rent for the apartment on elm street: eight hundred and fifty dollars due in 3 days.”
Aria froze. Her blood ran cold, how could he know that?
He continued, his finger scrolling down the screen, each word felt like a hammer blow to Aria. “The medical bills for Elena Vance at Saint jude’s hospital. Insurance has denied her surgery, calling it ‘not medically necessary.’ An ignorant decision , if you ask me.”
Her chest tightened. She felt exposed, she felt like he had peeled her open and was reading her pain out loud. He hadn’t just looked up her name, he had dug into every detail of her life. Her poverty, her depression, her mother’s suffering, it was all just data on a screen to him. The shame burned through her, followed by a surge of anger.
At last, Damian looked up from the tablet, his icy eyes pinning her to the seat. “I will solve your.. Financial inconveniences, Your tuition will be paid in full. Your mother will be transferred to the Sterling Wing of Mount Sinai Hospital. Her surgery, all of it, with the best surgeons, will be covered.And, you’ll also get a monthly allowance and when our contract ends, you will be given one million naira.”
The numbers filled the room, unreal and crushing, a number that could erase her sleepless nights. Numbers that could save her mother's life. But the price.. The cost…the cost was her agreeing to this, to him, knowing he had reduced her worst nightmares to a list of “inconveniences.”
“You’re serious.” Aria said to him with anger on her face.
“I am always serious, Miss Vance.”
“You think you can just buy a person?” Her voice trembles with rising anger. “Like you’re purchasing a new suit to replace the one I ruined?”
“I am offering you a solution to all your problems,” he stated, as if it was the most logical thing in the world. “A solution more than you could ever achieve on your own. You sign a contract. You get paid. That’s it.”
“It’s disgusting," she shouted, standing up. Her legs felt weak, but her rage held her upright.”I’;s inhuman. You are the most arrogant, coldhearted man I have ever met.”
For a split second, something flickered in his eyes, not anger, but surprise. As if it had never crossed his mind that someone would refuse him. Then it vanished. His face was ice again. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I suggest you consider it carefully.”
“I don’t need to consider it,” she said, abruptly. She backed away from the desk, from him, as if from something toxic. “The answer is no. I am not for sale. You can’t buy my life for a year. You can’t buy me.”
She turned away and walked towards the door, her heart pounding.
“Aria.” He said her name, and it stopped her in her tracks. It was the first time he’d said her name without contempt. She turned. His stare was sharp, hungry and dangerous.
“That’s brave of you, but desperation changes everything. You’ll come back.”
The certainty in his voice was the most terrifying thing of all.
“Go to hell,” she spat, and yanked the door open and stormed out of the office.
- Writer
