The Offer
1855 Words
One year later.
Arlette Rothwell had become very good at pretending.
She smiled when she needed to smile.
She laughed when people expected her to laugh.
She held Idris’s arm whenever they attended events together and stood beside him while cameras flashed in their faces.
To everyone watching, they were perfect.
The Rothwell heiress and the Bellamy heir.
A beautiful couple from two powerful families.
A marriage that had started with a business arrangement had somehow become one of Manhattan’s favorite love stories.
At least, that was what everyone believed.
“Mrs. Bellamy, over here!”
Arlette turned toward the cameras.
She smiled.
Another flash.
“Mr. Bellamy, look this way!”
Idris placed a hand gently around her waist.
She looked up at him.
He smiled.
She smiled back.
“You’re getting better at this,” he whispered.
“At what?”
“Pretending you enjoy these things.”
Arlette almost laughed.
“You know me too well.”
“I’ve had a year to study you.”
She shook her head.
“That’s slightly creepy.”
“I prefer observant.”
She laughed softly.
For a moment, it felt normal.
That was the strange thing about her marriage.
There were moments when Arlette forgot that it had started as a bargain.
Moments when Idris made her laugh.
Moments when he brought her coffee in the morning without asking.
Moments when he knew she was tired before she said anything.
He was still her best friend.
But he was also her husband.
And that was something she still hadn’t completely gotten used to.
The reporters continued taking pictures.
“Mrs. Bellamy, how does it feel being married to Idris for a year?”
Arlette smiled.
“Wonderful.”
Idris looked at her.
There was something in his eyes.
Hope.
She quickly looked away.
Another reporter shouted.
“What’s the secret to your marriage?”
Arlette almost laughed.
If only they knew.
“Understanding,” Idris answered before she could.
He looked at Arlette.
“And patience.”
Her smile faded slightly.
She knew what he meant.
He was still waiting.
Just like he promised.
A year ago, on their wedding night, he had told her he would wait for her.
And he had.
He had never forced her.
Never complained.
Never asked why she couldn’t love him.
He simply waited.
Sometimes that made things harder.
Because Arlette knew she was hurting him even when he didn’t say it.
“Let’s go inside,” Idris whispered.
She nodded.
They entered the ballroom together.
The room was filled with people Arlette had known her entire life.
Powerful families.
Businessmen.
Women wearing expensive jewelry.
Men discussing companies worth billions.
Arlette smiled politely as they passed.
She had grown up around people like this.
She knew how to behave.
She knew what to say.
She knew when to smile.
But she didn’t enjoy it.
Her mother had never cared much about these things either.
Evelyn had always been more interested in helping people than attending parties.
That was one of the reasons Arlette loved the foundation so much.
It reminded her of her.
“You’re thinking about the foundation again.”
Arlette looked at Idris.
“How did you know?”
“You always get that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where you’re here, but your mind is somewhere else.”
She smiled.
“I want to go there tomorrow.”
“You should.”
“I haven’t checked on the new program in a few days.”
“Then go.”
Arlette nodded.
“Thank you.”
Idris smiled.
“You don’t need to thank me for everything.”
“I know.”
He looked at her for a moment.
“Do you know what tomorrow is?”
She thought about it.
“No.”
“The anniversary of our wedding.”
Arlette’s eyes widened.
“Already?”
He laughed.
“Already.”
She looked down.
A whole year.
It felt like yesterday.
She remembered standing beside him at the altar.
She remembered what they had promised each other.
She remembered telling him she didn’t love him.
And she remembered him saying he would wait.
“I can’t believe it’s been a year,” she whispered.
“Neither can I.”
There was no bitterness in his voice.
Just warmth.
Arlette looked at him.
“Idris.”
“Yes?”
“Are you happy?”
He smiled.
“With you?”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
The answer came too quickly.
Arlette looked away.
She didn’t know what to say.
Idris didn’t make her answer.
Instead, he took her hand.
“Come on.”
The next morning, Arlette woke up early.
She didn’t wait for Idris.
She got dressed and left for the Evelyn Rothwell Foundation.
The foundation was the one place where she didn’t have to pretend.
The moment she walked through the doors, she heard children laughing.
A smile immediately appeared on her face.
“Arlette!”
She turned.
One of the children ran toward her.
Arlette bent down and hugged her.
“Good morning.”
“Did you bring something?”
Arlette laughed.
“You don’t even say hello anymore.”
“Hello.”
“Better.”
The girl smiled.
“Now?”
Arlette shook her head.
“You’ll have to wait.”
The girl groaned.
Arlette laughed.
This was where she belonged.
Not in ballrooms.
Not in front of cameras.
Here.
With the children.
With her mother’s memories.
With the foundation Evelyn had built.
She spent the morning checking on the staff and going through some documents.
Everything seemed normal.
Until one of the staff members walked into her office.
“Mrs. Rothwell?”
Arlette looked up.
“Yes?”
“There is a package for you.”
“A package?”
“Yes.”
The woman placed a large envelope on the desk.
Arlette looked at it.
There was a name printed across the front.
Delacroix Tech.
She frowned.
She opened the envelope.
Her eyes moved across the first page.
Then she stopped.
It was an offer.
A purchase offer.
For the Evelyn Rothwell Foundation.
Arlette’s expression changed.
She continued reading.
The amount they were offering was enormous.
More than enough to solve most of the Rothwell family’s financial problems.
She stared at the number.
Why would anyone offer this much?
The foundation wasn’t some luxury property.
It was an old building.
A charitable organization.
A place for children.
There had to be another reason.
“Who sent this?”
“The documents say Mr. Kairo Delacroix.”
Arlette looked up.
“Kairo Delacroix?”
“Yes.”
She had heard the name.
Everyone had.
Kairo Delacroix was a billionaire.
The CEO of Delacroix Tech.
He was young, powerful and apparently very difficult to deal with.
But Arlette had never met him.
She looked back at the offer.
There was no way she was selling.
Not even for that amount.
She picked up her phone and called the number attached to the documents.
The call was answered quickly.
“Delacroix Tech.”
“This is Arlette Rothwell.”
There was a brief pause.
“How can we help you, Miss Rothwell?”
“I received an offer from Mr. Delacroix.”
“Yes.”
“I want to make something very clear.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’m not selling the foundation.”
Another pause.
“I’ll make sure Mr. Delacroix receives your response.”
“Good.”
Arlette ended the call.
She placed the phone down.
Her eyes went to the photograph sitting on her desk.
Her mother.
Evelyn was smiling in the picture.
Arlette touched the frame.
“I’m not giving it away, Mom.”
She whispered.
“This is yours.”
Kairo Delacroix sat behind his desk, reading through a report.
His assistant stood in front of him.
“She rejected the offer.”
Kairo looked up.
“She rejected it?”
“Yes.”
“How much did we offer?”
His assistant told him.
Kairo stared at him.
“And she still said no?”
“Yes.”
He leaned back in his chair.
That was interesting.
Most people had a price.
He had learned that very early.
Money could open almost any door.
People who claimed otherwise usually changed their minds when enough money was placed in front of them.
But Arlette Rothwell hadn’t.
She had rejected an amount that could have changed her family’s entire financial situation.
Without even negotiating.
“Did she say why?”
“She simply said she wasn’t selling.”
Kairo frowned.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
He looked down at the file on his desk.
Arlette Rothwell.
Twenty-three.
Heiress of the Rothwell family.
She ran the Evelyn Rothwell Foundation.
That was all he needed to know.
There was no reason for him to know anything else.
He had no interest in her personal life.
He certainly didn’t care about who she spent her time with.
He only wanted the property.
But something about her refusal bothered him.
Not because she had rejected him.
Because he couldn’t understand her.
Why would someone reject that much money?
“Send another offer.”
His assistant hesitated.
“How much?”
“More.”
“Sir, if she rejected the first one—”
“Send it.”
“Yes, sir.”
The assistant turned to leave.
“Kairo.”
He stopped.
“I want everything concerning the foundation.”
“Everything?”
“Everything about the property.”
“Understood.”
His assistant left.
Kairo looked back at the file.
Arlette Rothwell.
He repeated the name silently.
There was something about her.
He couldn’t explain it.
Maybe it was the fact that she had refused him.
Maybe it was curiosity.
Whatever it was, he wanted an answer.
Three days later, Arlette was back at the foundation.
She had received another letter.
Another offer.
This one was even higher.
She stared at it for several seconds before shaking her head.
“He’s not giving up.”
One of the staff members smiled.
“Maybe you should consider it.”
Arlette looked at her.
“Never.”
“But the amount…”
“I don’t care.”
She placed the letter aside.
“This foundation belonged to my mother.”
The woman nodded.
“I know.”
“No amount of money can replace that.”
Arlette stood.
“I’ll be in the children’s room.”
She walked away.
She didn’t know that across the city, Kairo Delacroix was already making plans to visit the foundation himself.
He wanted to understand why she kept refusing.
He wanted to know what was so important about that place.
And more than anything, he wanted to meet the woman who had looked at his money and simply said no.
He didn’t know who she was married to.
He didn’t know anything about the Bellamy family connection.
He only knew her as Arlette Rothwell.
The young heiress who refused to sell the one thing she cared about.
And soon, he was going to meet her.
Face to face.
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