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The rain had eased into a light drizzle by the time Liora stepped off the bus.
She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and looked up at the familiar apartment building. It was old, the paint peeling in places, but it was home. The balcony railings were lined with flowerpots, and someone on the third floor always hung colorful laundry outside, even when rain was in the forecast.
She climbed the stairs instead of taking the unreliable elevator.
By the second floor, the smell of garlic and onions drifted into the hallway.
Liora smiled to herself.
Mom's making soup.
For the first time that day, the tightness in her chest eased.
She unlocked the apartment door.
"I'm home."
"In the kitchen," her mother called cheerfully.
Liora slipped off her shoes and followed the familiar scent.
The small kitchen glowed under warm yellow lights. A pot simmered gently on the stove while Eleanor Hale stood humming an old love song as she stirred the soup.
She turned with a bright smile.
"There's my hardworking daughter."
Liora crossed the room and hugged her.
"You smell like tomatoes."
"And you smell like rain."
They both laughed.
Eleanor stepped back, studying her daughter's face.
"You look exhausted."
"It was a long day."
"The meeting?"
Liora nodded as she sat at the small dining table.
"It was... unexpected."
"Oh?"
"The CEO was different than I imagined."
"Worse?"
She thought about it.
"No."
"Better?"
"...Also no."
Her mother laughed.
"So what does that mean?"
Liora rested her chin in her hand.
"It means I still can't figure him out."
Eleanor placed two bowls of soup on the table.
"Well, start from the beginning."
Liora hesitated.
She had promised herself she wouldn't mention the marriage proposal.
Not yet.
Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out the employment contract.
"He offered me a position."
Eleanor's eyes widened.
"Liora!"
She quickly wiped her hands on a towel before taking the folder.
She skimmed through the first few pages.
Her expression slowly changed from excitement...
...to disbelief.
"This salary..."
"I know."
"They're offering all of this?"
"I know."
Eleanor looked up.
"You accepted?"
"No."
"You said no?"
"I said I needed time."
Her mother smiled proudly.
"Good."
Liora blinked.
"You think I should refuse?"
"I think you should never make life-changing decisions when you're overwhelmed."
She reached across the table and squeezed Liora's hand.
"You've always trusted your instincts."
"Trust them now."
Liora smiled softly.
Sometimes her mother made everything sound simple.
Dinner passed with ordinary conversation.
They talked about grocery prices.
The neighbor's noisy dog.
A television drama they both secretly enjoyed.
For a little while...
The strange meeting at Solstice Group faded into the background.
Later that evening, Eleanor fell asleep in front of the television.
Liora quietly covered her with a blanket before retreating to her bedroom.
Rain tapped softly against the window.
She sat at her desk and opened the employment contract again.
Everything was exactly as she remembered.
Competitive salary.
Flexible hours.
Leadership over restoration projects.
Funding for historical preservation.
It was, without question, the biggest opportunity of her career.
She smiled.
Then reached for the second folder.
The marriage contract.
Her smile disappeared.
She read it from beginning to end.
Then read it again.
The terms were surprisingly... reasonable.
Three years.
Separate finances.
Complete freedom to continue her career.
No obligation beyond appearing together at certain public events.
No clause restricting where she could go.
No demand that she change who she was.
It was less controlling than some employment contracts she'd signed.
That only made it stranger.
She leaned back in her chair.
"Why me?"
She whispered the question into the empty room.
No answer came.
As she gathered the papers, something slipped from the folder.
A small cream-colored card.
She frowned.
She hadn't noticed it before.
On the front, in neat handwriting, were only a few words.
**Miss Hale,**
**Please don't feel pressured to make a decision quickly.**
**If your answer is no, the position at the Ashford Heritage Foundation will remain yours, should you still wish to accept it.**
**Whatever you decide, I wish you success in your career.**
**— Caelan Ashford**
Liora stared at the note.
It wasn't printed.
It had been written by hand.
She traced the ink lightly with her fingertip.
No billionaire CEO needed to write a personal note to someone he had met only once.
Yet he had.
She wasn't sure why...
But somehow, that simple gesture unsettled her more than the proposal itself.
She folded the note carefully and placed it back inside the folder.
Walking to the window, she looked out over the city.
Thousands of lights sparkled beneath the cloudy sky.
In the distance, Solstice Tower rose above every other building.
One office near the top floor was still illuminated.
She checked the time.
11:48 p.m.
"You're still working..."
she murmured.
For a brief moment, she imagined him alone in that enormous office, surrounded by silence.
The thought surprised her.
She barely knew the man.
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that, despite all his wealth and power...
He looked lonely.
She closed the curtains.
Tomorrow, she would return to work.
Tomorrow, she would pretend today had never happened.
But as she climbed into bed, one question refused to leave her mind.
**Why would a man who seemed to have everything ask a complete stranger to become his wife?**
Outside, the rain continued to fall.
Somewhere across the city...
The light in Caelan Ashford's office finally went out.
- Writer
