A Deal With The Night Stranger

Chapter 3

I stormed into my room, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the walls. My chest heaved, my fingers clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. Fury burned hot in my veins, but beneath it, humiliation lingered like a stubborn bruise.

Two days.

That was all I had before the anniversary banquet celebrating the partnership between ENH Corporation and Fusion.

Two days to find someone—anyone—who could overshadow Drake and wipe that smug look off Hailey’s face.

I let out a ragged breath, my pulse pounding in my ears. Who was I kidding? Finding a man more powerful than Drake, more devastatingly charming, in just forty-eight hours? It was impossible. The thought of him standing beside Hailey, reveling in the attention that should have been mine, made my stomach churn with rage.

I collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling, my mind a whirlwind of fragmented thoughts. There had to be a way to turn the tables. I refused to be the one left broken and discarded. Not again. Not ever.

Then, footsteps.

Heavy. Purposeful. And too many.

I sat up, heart hammering. The voices outside my door were sharp, filled with authority. Orders were being given.

What the hell was going on?

Before I could react, the door burst open.

Hailey.

She waltzed in as if she owned the place, her silk dress clinging to her curves, her honey-brown curls bouncing with each arrogant step. She barely acknowledged me, flicking her wrist in an elegant wave as the men behind her filed into my room.

“Put everything in here,” she instructed coolly.

The workers hesitated, their gazes darting between us. They knew this was my room. But Hailey had a way of making people forget things like rules.

I shot to my feet, my breath catching in my throat. “This is my room,” I snapped. “No one is allowed in.”

Hailey’s smile was syrupy sweet, dripping with mock concern. “Oh, didn’t you hear?” She tilted her head, a gleam of satisfaction flickering in her eyes. “Mother said I can have any space I want in the house. But if you don’t like it, I can always book you a hotel. Outside my home.”

She emphasized the last two words like a blade sliding between my ribs.

I felt my world tilt.

My home.

She was throwing me out of my own home.

A slow, simmering rage coiled in my stomach. “Get out,” I said, my voice eerily calm, laced with venom. “Now.”

But Hailey remained rooted in place, her amusement deepening. “You’re in no position to give orders, dear sister.”

Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw it—a servant handing her something delicate, something familiar.

A small, silver-detailed box.

My mother’s jewelry box.

The last thing I had of her.

My breath hitched. “Don’t touch that.”

Hailey arched a brow, her fingers curling around the box with deceptive gentleness. “This?” She turned it over, examining it with feigned curiosity. “Oh, Layla, you really should let go of the past. Sentimentality is such a weakness.”

Something inside me snapped.

“Give it back,” I demanded, stepping forward.

But she didn’t.

Instead, her lips curled in a slow, deliberate smirk. And then, with an effortless flick of her fingers—

She let go.

The box plummeted to the floor.

Time slowed. The sharp, sickening c***k echoed through the room as the delicate wood splintered, the intricate silver inlays fracturing like glass.

My mother’s last memory.

The lid popped open, and a cascade of sparkling jewelry spilled out, clinking against the floor.

Necklaces snapped. Earrings broke.

My mother’s last gift to me—shattered.

I couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred with rage.

“Oh no,” Hailey gasped, pressing a hand to her lips in mock horror. “I’m so sorry, dear sister. I must not have held it tight enough.”

She wasn’t sorry. Not even a little. The way her eyes gleamed with sadistic pleasure made that very clear.

Before I could think, before I could stop myself—

Slap!

My hand struck her face so hard her head whipped to the side.

The room fell silent.

Hailey’s fingers trembled as she touched her cheek, red and raw from the impact. Then she lifted her gaze to me, and for the first time, her mask slipped.

Shock. Humiliation. Hatred.

I took a step forward, my voice shaking with fury. “How dare you touch something my mother left me?! Haven’t you ruined enough of my life?”

Hailey let out a furious scream. “So what if I touched it? It’s just something from a dead woman!”

My nails dug into my palms. I wanted to hit her again. Harder.

But Hailey wasn’t finished.

“This house?” She gestured around dramatically. “It belongs to me now. Everything in it—including your room.”

She took another step closer, her eyes sharp like a blade pressed against my skin.

“And do you know why, dear sister?” Her voice dropped into a mocking whisper. “Because Father agreed to it.”

My stomach twisted.

No. He wouldn’t—

But Hailey’s cruel smile told me everything I needed to know.

She wasn’t lying.

“Father is giving your room to me,” she continued, her tone sickeningly sweet. “Because I’m the one marrying into the Brooks family now. Not you.”

I inhaled sharply, struggling to hold myself together.

She leaned in, her breath brushing against my ear. “And do you remember Mother’s will?”

A sick feeling settled in my gut.

Hailey let out a delighted laugh. “You have to be married before you turn twenty-five to inherit her fortune.” She pulled back, her eyes glinting with triumph. “And guess what? That’s in just a few days.”

My fingers trembled.

“Let’s see what you can do now, dear sister.” Hailey’s voice was thick with mockery. “No money, no fiancé, no power. You’ll be left with nothing.”

I clenched my jaw, refusing to let her see me break.

But she wasn’t done.

“You will be alone forever.” She smiled, her words a knife straight to my heart. “And I will have won.”

My breath hitched. My fingers clenched into fists at my sides.

"How the hell do you know what's in my mother's will?" My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care.

Hailey froze for a second, the smug look on her face flickering—just for a moment. It was quick, but I caught it.

She hadn’t meant to say that.

Her lips parted like she wanted to take it back, but it was too late.

A slow smirk curved across her lips as she recovered, tilting her chin up in defiance. "Father told me."

My stomach twisted.

Of course.

She took a step closer, dropping her voice to a taunting whisper. "And you might as well give up now. You’re not getting a single thing your mother left for you. Nothing. No money. No home. No future."

My jaw clenched so tight I thought my teeth might c***k.

Hailey leaned back and let out a cruel laugh. "Face it, Layla. You’ll have nothing and no one. You’ll be alone, watching while I take everything that should’ve been yours."

For the first time, I didn’t see the girl who had spent years tormenting me—I saw a snake, coiled and hissing, waiting for me to crumble.

Instead, I laughed.

Hailey's expression faltered.

"Are you sure I can’t find a good man and get married?" I asked, tilting my head.

She scoffed. "Oh, I’m sure."

Her confidence was infuriating. She folded her arms, giving me a slow, knowing once-over before flashing me a smug grin. "No matter what you do, no one will want you. Not when I can turn them all against you. They’ll love me more than they could ever love you."

Her words sliced through me like a blade.

Drake.

She had already taken him from me. What made me think she wouldn’t do it again?

Hailey flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder and turned on her heel, sauntering toward the door. She didn’t even bother looking back.

I stood there, my hands trembling, my nails digging into my palms so hard they left crescent marks on my skin.

The room was a disaster. My things scattered, broken. My mother’s jewelry—a shattered memory on the floor.

My heart ached, but I forced myself to take a breath. Then another.

I wouldn’t let her win.

I wouldn’t.

I had two days. Two days to find a man to attend the banquet with me. Two days to get married before my twenty-fifth birthday.

I didn’t care how I did it.

Even if I had to marry a stranger.

Later That Night – The Bar

The bar was crowded, pulsing with energy, filled with the scent of alcohol and the hum of conversations blending into the low beat of music.

I scanned the room. Someone. I just need someone convincing enough.

But as I took in the men around me—loud, sloppy, unimpressive—my frustration grew.

Then, an image flashed in my mind.

Him.

The man from that night.

Broad shoulders. Sharp jawline. Eyes dark like the ocean at midnight. The kind of presence that made the air in the room feel heavier.

Not just ridiculously good-looking—dangerous. Intense.

If I could find someone like him…

"Who are you looking for?"

The deep, velvety voice sent a chill down my spine.

I turned sharply—only to be met with a familiar pair of piercing dark blue eyes.

My heart stopped.

Him.

My stomach twisted into a thousand knots as I jumped to my feet, my chair scraping against the floor.

He smirked.

Damn it.

I schooled my features into indifference, refusing to let my shock show.

He, on the other hand, looked thoroughly entertained. Like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

Still the same devastatingly handsome, impossible-to-read man from that night.

I forced myself to stay calm. "I haven’t found anyone suitable yet."

I didn’t wait for him to reply. I turned, pretending I wasn’t affected, pretending his presence wasn’t making my pulse go haywire. "I’ll look elsewhere."

Before I could take a step, he leaned in, his breath warm against my ear.

"I left you a note to wait for me."

His voice was deep, smooth—dangerous in a way that made my skin prickle.

"Didn’t you see it?"

I swallowed hard. I saw it.

I just didn’t think he’d actually come back.

I forced myself to shrug. "I saw it."

"Then why didn’t you wait?" He stepped even closer, his scent intoxicating—warm spice and something distinctly him. "Did you just use me and run away?"

His words sent a jolt through me.

I turned to face him fully, raising a brow. "I wasn’t running away."

His gaze darkened, unreadable.

I lifted my chin. "Didn’t I leave you a service fee?"

His expression shifted—slowly, dangerously.

His jaw clenched. I could practically hear the sound of his patience snapping.

"How much do you think I’m worth, Layla?" His voice was softer now, but the intensity in his eyes made my breath hitch.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

I had left him money. Not because I thought he needed it, but because—

Hell, I didn’t even know why I did it. Maybe I panicked. Maybe I just didn’t want to owe him anything.

I exhaled slowly. "What do you want, then?"

His lips curved into a slow, lazy smirk. "You."

My pulse pounded in my ears.

"Be responsible for me," he said, voice dripping with amusement.

I blinked. "Responsible?" I let out a short laugh. "What, you want me to marry you?"

His smirk deepened. "I don’t need you to marry me."

He leaned in so close our noses almost touched. "Didn’t you come here looking for a man?" His voice dropped lower, almost teasing. "Can’t I be that man?"

My breath caught.

Damn it.

Was it that obvious?

I forced myself to regain composure, to ignore the heat rising to my cheeks.

But as I looked at him—his perfectly sculpted features, his effortless confidence, the way he carried himself like he owned the room—I realized something.

He wasn’t just better than Drake.

He was above Drake.

A storm against a flickering candle.

If I walked into the banquet with him—if I introduced him as my man—Hailey wouldn’t just be jealous.

She would seethe.

I smiled. "Fine."

He raised a brow. "That easy?"

"You wanted me to be responsible, didn’t you?" I challenged. "Be my boyfriend. There’s a banquet in a few days. We’ll go together."

He studied me, amusement flickering in his eyes. "So you’re using me again?"

I shrugged. "Do you agree or not?"

Something dark flashed across his gaze.

Then he reached out, fingers gripping my chin, tilting my face up so I had no choice but to look at him.

"Once I start something, Layla, I don’t let go easily."

His voice was quiet, but there was a warning there. A promise.

My throat went dry.

"If you do this, be ready for me."