A Proposal She Never Expected
1081 Words
For a long moment, Evelyn simply stared at the blue folder lying open before her. She wasn't sure why she suddenly felt nervous. Throughout her time at the Hart Group, she had reviewed countless reports, financial statements, contracts, project proposals, even legal disputes, but something about the way her father had handed her this folder made her hesitate.
Richard Hart remained silent, giving her the time to read.
The first few pages looked familiar. They contained updated financial statements, debt schedules, and letters from the company's creditors. She skimmed through them carefully, though none of the figures surprised her anymore. The Hart Group's financial crisis had become impossible to hide. Their debts had continued to grow while several major projects were delayed, leaving cash flow tighter than ever. What did surprise her, however, was the final notice attached to the reports.
The bank had officially withdrawn its restructuring offer.
She read the letter twice before placing it back on the table. "I thought negotiations were still ongoing."
"They were," Richard answered quietly. "Until this morning."
"What changed?"
"The board lost confidence. The bank believes we're no longer capable of recovering."
Evelyn lowered her eyes to the documents again, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of the paper. She knew things were bad, but she hadn't realized they were this close to collapse. Her father had always shielded her from the worst of the company's financial troubles, insisting she focus on the design division while he handled everything else. Looking back, she wondered if that had been a mistake.
"You should have told me," she said softly.
Richard smiled bitterly. "And burden you with problems you couldn't solve?"
"We're family. That makes them my problems too."
He didn't argue.
Instead, he reached into the folder and removed another document before placing it in front of her. Unlike the financial reports, this one was printed on expensive cream-colored paper, with elegant lettering across the top.
Evelyn frowned.
"What is this?"
"Our last chance."
She looked down again.
At first, she thought it was another business agreement. Then her eyes settled on the title.
Marriage Agreement.
She blinked once.
Then twice.
Certain she had misunderstood, she read it again from the beginning.
The words remained exactly the same.
A strange laugh escaped her lips. "Someone has a terrible sense of humor."
Richard didn't laugh with her.
The amusement disappeared from her face almost immediately.
"Dad..."
"It's genuine."
"No."
"It is."
She pushed the document toward him as though refusing to touch it any longer. "Who would send something like this?"
Richard looked at her for several seconds before answering.
"The Kingston family."
The room fell silent.
Even if someone rarely followed business news, they knew the Kingston name. Their influence stretched across industries, from luxury real estate and finance to technology and hospitality. Newspapers referred to them as one of the country's wealthiest families, while magazines competed to feature every new achievement made by Kingston Holdings.
Evelyn had seen the name countless times.
She had simply never imagined it would appear on a marriage contract addressed to her.
"What does this have to do with us?" she asked carefully.
"They've offered to settle every debt the Hart Group owes."
She felt her heartbeat quicken.
"In exchange for..."
Richard nodded before she could finish the sentence.
"The marriage."
Her gaze drifted back to the contract.
Near the bottom of the page, beneath the space reserved for her signature, another name had already been printed.
Adrian Kingston.
She stared at it for what felt like an eternity.
The man behind the name was practically impossible to avoid. Every financial magazine seemed fascinated by him. Business channels praised his leadership. Investors admired him. The media described him as brilliant, disciplined, and impossibly private.
Yet she had never met him.
Not once.
"Why me?" she finally whispered.
Richard sighed deeply.
"I asked that question myself."
"And?"
"They wouldn't answer."
She frowned. "That doesn't make any sense."
"I know."
"I've never spoken to him."
"I know."
"I've never attended one of his events."
"I know."
"So why would he ask to marry me?"
Richard leaned back in his chair, looking older than she had ever seen him.
"I wish I could tell you."
The sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten.
Her father wasn't hiding the truth.
He genuinely didn't know.
The realization unsettled her even more.
She closed the contract carefully and rested both hands on it, trying to organize the whirlwind of thoughts racing through her mind. Nothing about the proposal felt logical. Billionaires didn't marry strangers to rescue failing companies. They hired lawyers, negotiated acquisitions, or simply bought the businesses outright.
Marriage wasn't part of a business strategy.
Unless...
There was something she didn't know.
"What happens if I refuse?"
The question hung quietly between them.
Richard didn't answer immediately.
Finally, he looked at his daughter with eyes full of regret.
"Then I'll thank them for the offer... and prepare to lose everything."
Evelyn swallowed hard.
"The company?"
He nodded.
"Our home?"
Another nod.
"The employees?"
"I'll have no choice but to begin letting them go."
She lowered her head.
Faces immediately came to mind.
Mr. Benson from accounting, who had worked for the company longer than she had been alive.
Grace from reception, whose husband had recently undergone heart surgery.
The security guard who always insisted on carrying her shopping bags whenever she visited the office after work.
Hundreds of people.
Hundreds of families.
All depending on a company that now stood on the edge of collapse.
Richard reached across the table and gently covered her hand with his.
"I want you to understand something, Evelyn. Whether you accept this proposal or not, you are my daughter first. I will never force you into a marriage you don't want."
She looked up at him.
"I mean that," he continued. "If your answer is no, then it's no. We'll face whatever comes next together."
For the first time since entering the room, Evelyn felt tears sting the corners of her eyes.
Not because she wanted to marry Adrian Kingston.
But because her father, despite everything they stood to lose, still refused to treat her as a bargaining chip.
She took a slow breath before asking the question that mattered most.
"When am I supposed to meet him?"
Richard studied her for a long moment before quietly replying,
"Tomorrow afternoon."
The answer settled between them like the beginning of something neither of them was prepared for.
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