The Proposal
526 Words
stared at Alexander, certain I had misunderstood him.
"You're serious?" I asked.
"Completely."
The room felt smaller somehow. My heart pounded against my chest as I searched his face for any sign that this was a joke.
There was none.
Alexander Kingsley looked calm, confident, and completely sincere.
"You don't even know me," I said.
"I know enough."
"And you want to marry me?"
"A contract marriage," he clarified. "At least in the beginning."
I laughed nervously.
"This is insane."
"Perhaps."He poured himself a glass of water before continuing.
"But tomorrow, your ex-fiancé is expecting you to disappear in shame. Instead, you can walk into that wedding venue with me."
The image instantly appeared in my mind.
Ethan's smug smile.
Vanessa wearing the wedding dress that should have been mine.
Their shocked faces when they saw me standing beside one of the most powerful men in the country.
A dangerous sense of satisfaction spread through me.
Alexander seemed to notice.
"You're considering it."
"I might be."
He sat across from me.
"Then let me explain everything."
For the next hour, Alexander told me the truth.
His grandfather was seriously ill and wanted to see him married before stepping down as chairman of the company.
The board of directors was pressuring him.
Business rivals were waiting for any sign of weakness.
A wife would silence the rumors and stabilize the company.
"So you need a bride," I said.
"And you need a fresh start."
I folded my arms.
"What happens after we get married?"
"You'll have your own freedom. Your own bank account. Your own career."
"And eventually?"His eyes darkened for a moment.
"When the time comes, we'll decide what happens next."
Something about his answer felt incomplete.
Like there was more he wasn't saying.
But compared to the disaster my life had become, this opportunity felt almost unbelievable.
"What if I say yes?" I asked.
Alexander smiled for the first time.
A real smile.
The sight stole my breath.
"Then we'll get married tomorrow."
My jaw dropped.
"Tomorrow?"
"You were already planning a wedding."
"Not to you!"
"Details."
I couldn't help it.
I laughed.
The sound surprised both of us.
For the first time in days, I felt something other than pain.
Alexander extended his hand.
"So, Miss Carter."
I looked at it.
At the powerful billionaire offering me a chance to rewrite my story.
Maybe this was reckless.
Maybe it was a mistake.
But Ethan and Vanessa had destroyed the life I knew.
There was nothing left to lose.
I placed my hand in his."I'll do it."
Alexander's fingers closed around mine.
The moment our skin touched, an unfamiliar spark rushed through me.
His expression changed too, just for a second.
As if he had felt it.
Then his phone rang.
He answered immediately.
The warmth vanished from his face.
"What happened?" he asked sharply.
A pause.
His jaw tightened.
"I'm on my way."
He ended the call."What is it?" I asked.
Alexander looked toward the window.
For the first time, uncertainty flashed in his eyes.
"My grandfather has collapsed."
And suddenly, our future together became far more complicated than either of us had imagined...
- Writer
