Tangled in Temptation

CHAPTER2

Amelia sat that night in her apartment looking at the glass of wine she held, but her eyes were blurry and her mind was far from the sharp, red substance. The invitation to enter Sebastian's world—his tough, unrelenting world—reverberated in her head, a steady, incontrovertible presence. Though it was not anything she had expected or even pictured, she now found she could not overlook the proposal presented before her. She had to think of the gravity of the decision in front of her before she left.

Power. Wealth. Influence. She had been given on a silver platter the attraction of every dream she had ever had. She had to just say she would marry the guy who had run her entire professional life for years. The man who saw her constantly as merely a tool, a tool, a component of his sphere to be used and discarded.

But exactly what was it? Amelia couldn't tell whether it was a marriage of convenience or a trap; the two were fragile and vague. Sebastian Hawke had made it very obvious: this agreement—that is, no romantic tie—was void of love. In marriage disguise, this would be a business alliance. Nothing else. Still, his piercing blue eyes had held something more when he had gazed at her previously—something that made her pulse flutter, made her feel like she was standing on the edge of a ledge.

And now she was left standing, not sure if she should jump or turn back.

Though the wine had a sour taste in her mouth, she drank nonetheless; the burn down her throat matched the discomfort whirling in her chest. She had spent the last hour walking, running through every potential result in her head, but no matter how many times she tried, there was no obvious answer. She would have everything she desired were she to say yes. A life of luxury, more money than she ever could have dreamed of, a top company position, and perhaps—just perhaps—the chance to at last show to herself that she wasn't only a lost face in the background. She would have everything she had strived for, everything she had longed for, but the price—oh, the price—was great.

Should she say no, she would stay in the same place—forgotten, dismissed, trapped in the shadows of other people's dreams. And she had no assurance that she would run into any other possibility. Corporate life was harsh. For everyone, it did not wait. It did not matter if you were intelligent or competent. It only cared about results. She also worried she would be passed over if she did not act promptly.

Sebastian, however, came about, and the guy whose frigid exterior never appeared to melt. The fellow who bargained and grabbed whatever he wanted without thought. The man who was now allowing her to rise provided at what price? The more she considered it, the more she came to see that the marriage was not only about her future but also about his.

What did Sebastian seek from her? He already had everything. A billionaire, a tech magnate, a guy who had created an empire from scratch, he was. So what would he gain from linking his life to hers? Why marry someone like her when he could marry anyone in the world?

She shook at the idea. Possibly it had nothing to do with her at all. Perhaps it was just another way to keep her under his orbit, another method of regulation.

Her telephone buzzed, breaking her from her thinking on the coffee table. Half expecting it to be a message from her best friend or sister, she grabbed it. The number of the message was unknown. She opened doubly frowningly.

Sebastian, it's Amelia. Did you already make a decision?

She gasped. She had told him she had to wait. She hadn't known he would contact her so soon, even if he had granted her twenty-four hours to consider his offer. It felt like he was evaluating her, coaxing her into activity. His communication sounded more like an order than an inquiry.

My mind isn't settled yet. I need more time.

Her hands trembling a little, she typed the message fast and hit send. She didn't want to be hurried into such a great decision. This was a choice that would impact every aspect of her life; it was anything but a basic career decision. And Sebastian didn't seem to be aware of it.

A moment went by, then the phone rang once more.

You have all the time in the world. Still, remember, Amelia, opportunities like this don't come often. Consider conscientiously. Rejecting me has repercussions.

His words chilled her to her bones. She could not miss the slight warning there. If she turned down his offer, Sebastian Hawke would make her wonder whether he would cause her to regret it; he wasn't the kind of guy who let anything slip through his fingers.

Her thoughts whirring, she hovered above the telephone screen with her fingers. Repercussions. Was he merely alert to the possible fallout from rejecting a very lucrative offer, or was he threatening her profession, her future? What did it mean?

This time with a fresh message, the phone vibrated once more: I will be in the office early tomorrow. I will be ready for an in-person conversation on this.

She started to have a cold knot in her stomach. Was this an ultimatum? The decision didn't feel like a choice anymore; it felt like a test—one she wasn't sure she was prepared for.

Amelia set the phone down and took a deep breath. Staring at the glass of wine before her, the dark red liquid now swirled inside. The evening was heavy with the heaviness of her thoughts. She needed to make a decision. As much as she could not let this possibility slide through her fingers, she couldn't ignore Sebastian's hazardous game.

What sort of woman will she be if she accepts? What kind of person would she become if she accepted?

Her head spun from the different avenues available to her. She could accept the offer, excel to the best, and reveal to herself and the world that she was capable of much more than just being the secretary. At what cost, then, her independence? Her dignity? Her soul?

Even she began to see there would be no turning back as she considered the question hard. Were she to go this route, she would be linked irrevocably to Sebastian Hawke. It would be a fresh, changed life—one demanding she give up bits of herself in return for power. Still, wasn't that always her goal?

Amelia set the glass down and reached for her phone once more, letting out a deep sigh. She transcribed her answer.

I'll be here tomorrow.

She hit send, and the ruling was issued.