Chapter 3: The Husband She Never Wanted
545 Words
Maya stared at the man standing before her, unable to look away.
Everything about him was intimidating — the sharp black suit, the calm expression, the cold confidence in his eyes. He looked like someone who was used to getting exactly what he wanted.
And right now…
He wanted her.
“This is Nathaniel Cole,” her father said carefully.
Nathaniel’s gaze remained fixed on Maya.
“Maya,” he repeated smoothly, as if memorizing her name already.
She immediately hated how calm he sounded.
“Well,” she said sharply, crossing her arms, “now that we’ve met, I’ll save everyone some time. I’m not marrying you.”
The room fell silent.
The lawyer shifted awkwardly in his seat.
But Nathaniel looked completely unbothered.
“You don’t have much of a choice,” he said calmly.
Maya felt anger rise inside her.
“You think money gives you the right to control people?”
“No,” Nathaniel replied evenly. “Power does.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
The arrogance.
The confidence.
She already couldn’t stand him.
Her father quickly stepped in. “Maya—”
“No!” she snapped, turning toward him. “You expect me to marry a complete stranger without even asking what I want?”
“This marriage is necessary.”
“For who? You or me?”
Pain flashed across her father’s face before disappearing again.
Nathaniel calmly picked up the contract from the table.
“The agreement is simple,” he said.
“You become my wife for one year. In return, your family keeps their company and clears their debts.”
“One year?” Maya repeated suspiciously.
“At the end of the contract, you’re free to leave.”
She narrowed her eyes. “And what exactly do you gain from this fake marriage?”
For the first time, Nathaniel hesitated.
Only for a second.
“Benefits,” he answered coldly.
That told her absolutely nothing.
Maya stepped closer to him. “You expect me to agree to this without knowing the truth?”
“You don’t need the truth,” Nathaniel said quietly.
“You need a solution.”
She clenched her fists tightly.
God, she wanted to slap him.
Instead, she lifted her chin stubbornly.
“I refuse.”
Suddenly, her father slammed his hand against the table.
“Maya!”
The sound shocked everyone.
Even Maya froze.
Her father rarely raised his voice at her.
His face looked exhausted… desperate.
“If this deal fails,” he said quietly, “we lose everything.”
The room became painfully silent.
Maya’s chest tightened.
Their home.
The company.
Everything her parents had spent years building.
Gone.
Slowly, she turned toward Nathaniel again.
He stood there calmly, watching her like he already knew what her answer would be.
And somehow…
That made her even angrier.
“You planned this perfectly, didn’t you?” she whispered.
Nathaniel said nothing.
That silence was answer enough.
Maya swallowed hard before finally forcing out the words she never thought she would say.
“…Fine.”
Her mother released a relieved breath.
But Maya pointed a finger directly at Nathaniel.
“This is only a contract. Nothing more.”
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
“We’ll see.”
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