The unexpected proposal
1375 Words
“Miss, are you alright?”
Emma barely heard the voice. Her mind was still drowning in pain, betrayal, and humiliation. The world around her felt distant, like she was watching her life from the outside.
She blinked away the tears clouding her vision and turned toward the voice.
That was when she saw him.
A tall man stood just a few feet away from her, his presence commanding, his expression unreadable. His navy-blue suit fit his frame perfectly, giving off an aura of wealth and power. His sunglasses concealed his eyes, but there was something about him that made it impossible to ignore him.
Emma knew who he was.
Aiden Brooks.
The CEO of Darius Entertainment. One of the most powerful men in the industry.
Her breath caught for a moment as she took in the sight of him. She had met him once before, years ago, at a high-profile event when she was still at the peak of her modeling career. Back then, he had barely acknowledged her existence.
And now, here he was, standing in front of her, looking at her as if he was waiting for something.
“Miss?” his assistant, a man standing beside him, repeated the question.
Emma quickly wiped her tears and straightened her posture, forcing herself to push aside the heartbreak, at least for now.
“I am fine,” she said, her voice steadier than she expected.
Aiden did not respond right away. He simply tilted his head slightly, as if studying her.
His assistant, however, was still speaking.
“Sir, Miss Danielle is not here yet,” the assistant said, lowering his voice slightly. “She is already ten minutes late.”
Emma frowned. Danielle? Was he supposed to be meeting someone?
Aiden sighed and pulled out his phone, scrolling through something with an expression of mild annoyance.
“Call her family,” he instructed without looking up. “If they cannot be on time for a wedding, they should not bother coming at all.”
Emma’s breath hitched.
Wedding?
She glanced around and realized that they were standing in front of City Hall, the same place where she was supposed to be getting married.
And now, Aiden Brooks was here, dealing with his own wedding dilemma.
Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. How ironic. She had been left standing at the altar, and this man, one of the most eligible bachelors in town, seemed to have a bride who did not even care enough to show up on time.
His assistant hesitated before speaking again.
“Sir, your father was very clear,” the man said nervously. “He said that you must be married today, no matter what. He does not care who it is.”
Aiden’s jaw tightened slightly, his expression growing colder.
“Then pick someone else from my contact list,” he said flatly. “I will give you half an hour.”
Emma’s heart pounded.
An idea was forming in her mind.
A crazy, ridiculous idea.
Her hands trembled slightly as she took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“Mr. Brooks,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her.
Both Aiden and his assistant turned to look at her.
“My groom has abandoned me,” she continued, lifting her chin slightly. “And your bride has failed to show up. So why don’t we get married instead?”
The assistant’s eyes widened in shock.
Emma could feel her own heart racing, but she refused to back down. This was insane, but what did she have to lose?
Aiden removed his sunglasses slowly, revealing a pair of dark, unreadable eyes. He looked at her, really looked at her, as if trying to figure out if she was serious.
The air between them was thick with tension.
“You are bold,” Aiden finally said, amusement flickering in his voice.
Emma held his gaze. “You need a bride. I need a husband. It is a simple solution.”
His assistant was still staring at her in disbelief, but Aiden seemed unfazed. He studied her for a long moment before turning back to his assistant.
“Get me her details,” he said.
The assistant hesitated, then quickly pulled out his phone. It only took a few seconds before he found what he was looking for.
“Sir, she is Emma Claire,” the assistant reported. “Former top model. She left the industry three years ago.”
Aiden’s lips twitched slightly.
Then, after another pause, he spoke one word.
“Okay.”
Emma exhaled, barely believing what had just happened.
She had just agreed to marry Aiden Brooks.
And he had accepted.
Thirty minutes later, the wedding was done.
Emma held the marriage certificate in her hands, staring at the piece of paper that had officially changed her life.
She was no longer Davis Williams’ fiancée.
She was now Mrs. Emma Brooks.
Her mind was still spinning as she stepped outside City Hall, following Aiden toward his car.
“Mr. Brooks, can we talk?” she asked hesitantly.
“Just get in the car first,” Aiden said, his tone calm but firm.
Emma nodded and climbed into the backseat of the sleek Rolls Royce. The interior was luxurious, with the scent of expensive leather filling the space.
Aiden slid in beside her, putting his sunglasses back on as the car pulled away from the curb.
For a moment, silence filled the car.
Then Emma took a deep breath and turned to him.
“Thank you for marrying me,” she said. “If you need anything from me in return, just let me know.”
Aiden rested his arm on the back of the seat, watching her with an unreadable expression.
“I have two simple requests,” he said. “First, unless you do not have a choice, do not reveal our relationship to anyone just yet.”
Emma nodded. “That is fine.”
“Second,” he continued, “do not interfere in my personal matters.”
Emma hesitated, then nodded again. “I can promise that.”
Aiden smirked slightly. “Good.”
She exhaled, feeling a strange sense of relief.
It was crazy, but marrying Aiden Brooks might have been the luckiest thing that had happened to her.
He had no reason to use her, no need to manipulate her emotions. Their marriage was nothing but a convenient arrangement, which meant there would be no heartbreak.
Unlike Davis, Aiden Brooks was not a man who needed to lie.
Aiden loosened his collar slightly, looking out the window.
“I will publicly announce our marriage after a six-month trial period,” he said casually.
“That is fine with me,” Emma agreed.
“Also,” Aiden added, “I do not believe that a married couple should live apart. Take a few days to pack up your belongings. Then move into my house.”
Emma blinked. “Move in with you?”
“Yes,” he said simply. “My assistant, Bryce, will send you the details.”
Emma had no objections. This was just a contract marriage, after all.
“Alright,” she said. “I agree.”
The conversation ended there.
Aiden leaned back, closing his eyes briefly.
Emma watched him for a moment, taking in his calm, collected demeanor.
He was completely different from Davis.
Where Davis had been reckless, Aiden was composed. Where Davis had been manipulative, Aiden was straightforward.
It was strange.
But for the first time since last night, Emma felt like she was in control again.
Meanwhile, as the car continued moving through the city, Aiden’s assistant sat in the driver’s seat, glancing at his boss through the rearview mirror.
“Mr. Brooks,” the assistant said hesitantly. “Should we return to the office, or to the mansion?”
Aiden did not answer right away.
Instead, he turned his head slightly and gave a simple command.
“Follow Emma. Report everything she does.”
The assistant nodded quickly. “Understood, sir.”
Aiden Brooks closed his eyes again, but this time, a small smirk played at the corner of his lips.
Emma Claire was an interesting woman.
- Writer
