Chapter 2: Terms and Conditions
1217 Words
Lila was seated firmly opposite to Elias Blackwood in the low-lit meeting room. The atmosphere between them was strong and nearly oppressive. She could feel his keen, calculating gaze on her.
"So," Elias finally said, his voice smooth yet sharp. “You expect me to marry you?”
Lila scoffed. "Oh, do not flatter yourself. This was just dumped on me too.”
Elias reclined back in the seat, crossed his arms. "You're eerily relaxed with an individual who just inherited billions."
Lila c****d her head. “And you’re suspiciously irritated by someone who stands to gain a fortune from this arrangement.”
The muscle in his jaw creaked. "I am not interested in your money."
"Good," she said. “Then let’s both walk away from this mess.”
Victor Hayes cleared his throat. "Sadly, that's not a choice."
Elias’s eyes flicked to Victor. “There has to be a way to override the clause.”
Victor shook his head. “It’s airtight. If either of you refuses, the entire estate will be transferred to a third-party beneficiary whose identity remains unknown.”
Elias exhaled sharply. "So I must get married to a woman I am unfamiliar with or risk giving up all to someone I can't see?"
Lila moved uneasily. "It's not quite my ideal wedding either."
Elias's eyes fixed on hers. "What do you want?"
Lila gave a blink. “What?”
He leaned forward slightly. “What do you get out of this? What’s your angle?”
She let out a humorless laugh. “Survival. My apartment is a month away from eviction, my art career is—well, nonexistent—and I was eating instant noodles for dinner last night.”
Elias examined her for a while before responding. "So you'll do it?"
Lila hesitated. “I don’t see another choice.”
He nodded once. “Fine. Then we do it my way.”
Lila narrowed her eyes. “Which is?”
“A contract,” Elias said smoothly. “Strictly business. Terms, conditions, and an expiration date.”
She crossed her arms. “You want to turn marriage into a corporate deal?”
“That’s exactly what it is,” he replied. “We marry, fulfill the terms of the will, and after a set period—say a year—we part ways. No strings, no complications.”
Lila studied him. He was cool and meticulous, yet there was something more hidden behind the surface. A man like him didn’t get this powerful without trust issues.
Victor pushed a folder toward them. “The contract is already drafted. Elias anticipated complications.”
Lila rolled her eyes. “How romantic.”
Elias didn’t even blink. “Sign it.”
Lila flipped through the contract. “You’re dictating every condition here.”
“Yes,” he said simply.
She looked up. “I have conditions too.”
One dark brow arched. “Such as?”
"For starters," Lila leaned in, mirroring his intensity, "I'm not some arm candy that you can show off. If we accomplish this, I get to retain my job."
Elias smirked. “Your career?”
“I’m an artist.”
His smirk faded. “A struggling one.”
She bristled. “I won’t be once I have my inheritance.”
He considered her for a moment before nodding. “Fine. What else?”
"I want a private space," she added. "I'm not going to share bedroom with a stranger."
Elias exhaled. “Done.”
Lila gave a blink. “Wait, really?”
"I need no company to sleep."
Heat rose up her neck from the way he spoke—low, unconcerned, assured.
“Anything else?” Elias asked, clearly amused.
She swallowed. “Yes. I get a say in public appearances. I’m not some accessory for your corporate image.”
“Fair,” he agreed.
Victor cleared his throat. “Now that we’re settled, I need signatures.”
Lila stopped for barely a second before putting the pen to paper. What the heck was she dragging herself into?
Elias signed without hesitation. “We’ll announce the engagement tomorrow.”
She blinked. “Tomorrow?”
He stood, fixing his cufflinks. "There's no use of waiting."
Victor nodded. “We’ll set up a press conference.”
Lila exhaled. “Just like that?”
Elias looked at her, his face unreadable. “Just like that.”
Lila stood in front of the mirror in Elias’s penthouse, adjusting the engagement ring Victor had provided—one she hadn’t chosen, but was apparently worth more than her entire life savings.
The press conference was minutes away. She took a deep breath, psychologically bracing herself.
She turned. Elias leaned nonchalantly against the doorframe, clothed in a nice black suit, his eyes evaluating.
"You look...acceptable," he replied.
Lila rolled her eyes. “Charming as ever.”
He stepped closer, gaze darkening slightly. “You’re nervous.”
She straightened. "No, I'm—"
His fingers gripped her chin, slightly turning her face up. "Your heart is racing."
She swallowed. “Maybe it’s because a room full of reporters is about to pick me apart.”
Elias didn’t move for a second. Then, surprisingly, his thumb brushed over her chin lightly before he stepped back. “Stay close to me.”
Lila exhaled shakily. “Why?”
“Because the moment we walk out there, they’re going to come for you. You’re the outsider. They’ll dig. They’ll speculate.” His voice dropped an octave. "I won't allow them ruin you."
She was briefly unable to breathe.
Then, his frigid mask fell back into position. "Let's move."
Camera flashes went out as soon as they got on stage. Whispers of assumption filled the air, as reporters essentially gushed over the story.
Elias held her hand, linking their fingers together. It startled her. His grasp was tight, protective, and surprisingly...reassuring.
The host cleared his throat. “Mr. Blackwood, can you confirm the engagement is real?”
Elias didn’t hesitate. “It is.”
“And Miss Hart? Were you aware of this arrangement before Mr. Blackwood?”
Lila glanced at Elias, then back at the sea of reporters. She lifted her chin. “No. I found out the same time he did.”
A murmur spread through the crowd.
“Miss Hart, how do you respond to critics saying you’re just after his money?”
Lila’s fingers curled in Elias’s grasp. Before she could answer, Elias spoke, voice razor-sharp. “Anyone making those claims will answer to me.”
More murmurs. Lila's heart raced.
Then, a voice from the backside of the room: "And how about the assassination threats, Mr. Blackwood?"
The room went silent.
Elias’s grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly.
Lila’s stomach dropped. “What?”
The reporter pressed forward. “Are you concerned that the recent threats against Miss Hart could escalate?”
Lila turned to Elias. His expression was transparent, but his grasp on her was highly firm.
Her pulse spiked. “Elias?”
He finally looked at her, his voice dangerously soft. "We'll talk about it later."
The journalists carried on to ask questions, but Lila could only hear the flurry of blood in her ears.
Someone wanted her gone.
And Elias Blackwood wasn’t just aware of it.
He was prepared for it.
- Writer
