Bound to the Cold Hearted CEO

The rain lashed against the windows of the skyscraper in Lagos, but inside Alexander Sterling’s office, it was deathly silent. I sat across from him, my hands trembling as I held the legal document he had just slid across the mahogany desk. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. "Three hundred million Naira," Alexander said, his voice as cold as the air conditioning. "That is the exact amount your father owes the bank. I’ve already bought the debt. I own it. And by extension, I own the family home." I looked up at him. He was strikingly handsome, with sharp features that looked like they were carved from stone, but his eyes were like chips of dark ice. "What do you want from me?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the thunder outside. "I need a fiancée, Bliss. My grandfather won't release the final shares of Sterling Industries until I am settled. I need someone who can play a part perfectly. Someone who doesn't have a life of her own to get in the way." He leaned forward, and for a second, the coldness in his eyes flickered with something else—something intense and magnetic that made my skin tingle. "Six months. You move into my home. You attend every gala, every dinner. You smile, you hold my hand, and you make the world believe I’ve finally fallen in love with you." "And if I say no?" "Then your father is on the street by morning," he replied flatly, showing no mercy. I looked at the pen. I looked at the man who was offering to save my family while holding my future in his hands. I thought of my family's faces, and with a shaking hand, I signed my name. "Good," he said, standing up. He walked around the desk, stopping right in front of me. To my surprise, he didn't bark at another order. Instead, he reached out and gently tilted my chin up with his thumb so I had to look at him. His touch was warm, sending a strange shiver through me. "Don't look so terrified, Bliss," he murmured, his voice softening just a fraction. "I protect what belongs to me. And for the next six months... you belong to me." He didn't pull away immediately. His gaze lingered on my eyes, and for a fleeting moment, the monster in the suit looked like he might actually care. "My driver is waiting downstairs. Go home, pack your things, and say your goodbyes. Your new life starts tomorrow."