Chapter4 The proposal
548 Words
The following morning, Booming Innovation's offices buzzed with scandal. Whispers of the gala fiasco swept through the city like wildfire. Socialites whispered in corners. Blogs exploded with articles about how Emery Langford had slapped the powerful CEO Jace Callahan in front of hundreds.
The headlines were relentless:
"CEO Slapped at Elysian Gala: Love Turned War?"
"Booming Innovation’s Jace Callahan Humiliated in Public by Ex-Lover"
The public reaction was divided. Some called Emery brave, a woman standing up to corporate cruelty. Others saw her as reckless. Investors were unsettled. Board members demanded an emergency meeting.
But Jace had already shifted his focus.
Later that week, a black luxury car pulled into the parking lot of Westside Medical Clinic. Jace stepped out, flanked by two of his security guards. His expression was unreadable, his every step exuding control. He walked into the clinic like he owned it, and in his mind—he soon would.
Inside, Dr. Kessler looked up from his paperwork, his expression tightening when he saw who entered.
“Mr. Callahan,” he said, standing. “This is… unexpected.”
“I like to settle things directly,” Jace replied coolly. “Can we talk?”
Dr. Kessler gestured to his modest office. The moment the door shut, Jace spoke.
“I’m offering to pay off the clinic’s debt. Entirely.”
Dr. Kessler blinked. “That’s… generous. But why?”
Jace’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “In exchange, Emery will work for me. For six months. Not as a partner. Not in a clinical role. As a servant. Under my direct command.”
The silence in the room was deafening.
Dr. Kessler paled. “Mr. Callahan, that’s…”
“A contract will be signed. I’ll ensure the clinic is funded, expanded even. Your staff will keep their jobs. Your patients will continue receiving care.”
“But to demand that of her—” Dr. Kessler’s voice cracked. “She’s a doctor, Mr. Callahan. A dedicated one. Surely there’s another way—any other way—”
Jace leaned in slowly, voice like ice. “Then I walk out of here. And your clinic shuts down by month’s end.”
Dr. Kessler’s throat tightened. His gaze dropped to the framed photos on his desk—his staff, his patients, the children they’d treated. The weight of years poured into this place, threatened in an instant.
His voice wavered. “Please... she’s been through enough. Is there nothing else you’ll consider?”
But Jace’s expression was unrelenting. “She made her choice the night she humiliated me. This is mine.”
Dr. Kessler’s shoulders slumped, his spirit visibly shaken. He rubbed his face with trembling hands, years of effort crumbling beneath the force of one man’s vengeance. “I’ll... talk to her,” he said hoarsely. “But I can’t promise she’ll agree.”
“She will,” Jace said coldly, standing. “Because if she doesn’t, you lose everything. And she’ll know it was her fault.”
Without another word, Jace turned and exited, his bodyguards following closely behind.
Dr. Kessler remained seated, staring at the floor, the weight of helplessness crushing him. Tears welled in his eyes, not just for himself—but for Emery, and the impossible choi
ce she was about to face.
- Writer
