CHAPTER I
1271 Words
(A NOT-SO-ACCIDENTAL PROPOSAL)
“Natalia Millwright, will you marry me?”
The world stopped.
In the center of Aurora Plaza—the most luxurious shopping district in the city—every sound seemed to vanish, replaced by a thousand held breaths. High heels froze mid-step. Champagne flutes paused halfway to lips. Music softened as if even the speakers were afraid to interrupt what was happening.
Then the whispers came.
“Oh my God—”
“Is that Nathan Williams?”
“Is this real?”
Phones shot up like fireworks.
Natalia stood in the middle of it all, her heart slamming against her ribs so violently it felt painful. The man kneeling before her held a velvet box between his fingers, opened to reveal a blue diamond so rare it glimmered like a piece of the sky itself. The stone caught the mall lights and shattered them into a thousand brilliant sparks.
It was obscene. Perfect. Impossible.
And it was meant for her.
Of all men in this city—of all the billionaires, CEOs, heirs, and playboys—why did it have to be him?
Nathan Williams.
The man whose name was printed on skyscrapers and magazines. The man whose face haunted every business channel. The man every woman wanted and every man envied.
And the man who had once broken her.
Now he was on one knee, looking up at her as if she were the only thing in the world that mattered.
“Please,” he said again, his voice so soft it barely reached her.
That single word made her chest tighten.
His Nordic blue eyes—those cursed, familiar eyes—held something that frightened her more than any display of power ever could.
Hope.
“Wouldn’t you regret this?” Natalia asked quietly, forcing her lips into a graceful smile for the cameras. “You know I’m not the right woman for someone like you.”
The words were polite. Controlled.
But beneath them was panic.
This was supposed to be a performance. A public scene. A perfectly staged contract played out for the world.
So why did it feel like her heart was being ripped open?
Nathan shook his head. “I’m not looking for what looks good on paper.” His voice was calm, steady, deadly sincere. “I’m looking for the woman I can spend my life with. No exceptions. No strings attached.”
No strings attached.
Natalia almost laughed.
That was exactly what this was—strings everywhere. A marriage built on a deal, not love. Protection for her. A mother figure for his children. A wife for his image.
A business transaction disguised as romance.
And yet… the way he looked at her made it feel dangerously real.
“I am a man of my word,” Nathan continued. “I want you to believe me.”
His gaze didn’t waver.
Hope stirred inside her, sharp and unwelcome.
“I’m already in love with you, Natalia Millwright,” he murmured, his voice lowering. “I have been for a very long time.”
Her heart stuttered.
Seven years.
Seven years since she had walked away from him. Seven years since betrayal and misunderstandings had turned something beautiful into something ugly.
And now he was saying this?
“Nathan…” she whispered.
Her mind screamed at her to stop listening.
Her best friend’s voice cut through her thoughts like a blade.
If you want revenge, find someone better than your useless ex.
The memory was bitter. Painful.
Reality snapped back into place.
This wasn’t about love. This was about survival.
“I’m not the woman you think I am,” Natalia said carefully. “I’m flawed. I can’t cook. I’m not gentle. I don’t know how to be the kind of wife people expect you to have.”
She let the truth slip out because lies would only weaken her.
“I don’t want perfect,” Nathan replied without hesitation. “I want you.”
A small smile curved his lips. “And I have chefs.”
The crowd chuckled, enchanted.
He reached out and took her hands in his, his touch warm, familiar, dangerous. “If it’s you, I’ll throw every standard away.”
Her fingers trembled in his grasp.
She glanced past him.
Two small figures stood near the velvet ropes—Louise and Louie.
His twins.
The girl clutched her brother’s sleeve, her big eyes shining with hope. The boy stood stiffly, trying to look brave, but his gaze never left Natalia.
They were waiting.
They wanted her to say yes.
Nathan lowered his voice. “Marry me, Talia.”
The nickname struck her straight in the heart.
Only he ever called her that.
The ring slid onto her finger, cold and heavy, as if sealing a fate she wasn’t sure she could escape.
“Yes,” she said.
The plaza exploded.
Applause. Cheers. Flashing cameras. Social media went wild in real time.
The twins rushed forward, hugging her legs, laughing.
Nathan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. His familiar scent—clean, masculine, painfully nostalgic—surrounded her.
This wasn’t just a proposal.
It was a declaration of war.
And Natalia had just walked straight into it.
Behind the Applause
The applause hadn’t even faded when Nathan guided Natalia through a private elevator hidden behind the luxury wing of Aurora Plaza. His hand rested lightly at her back, warm and possessive for the cameras, but the moment the doors slid shut, the world went silent.
The illusion vanished.
Natalia slowly pulled her hand from his.
“So,” she said, her voice cool, controlled. “Congratulations, Mr. Williams. You got your headline.”
The elevator rose smoothly.
Nathan watched her, his expression no longer soft, no longer vulnerable—just sharp, calculating. “And you got your shield.”
She laughed quietly. “Don’t flatter yourself. I could’ve found someone else.”
“No,” he said. “You couldn’t. Not someone powerful enough to keep your ex away from you.”
Her smile faded.
The doors opened to a private lounge overlooking the city. Floor-to-ceiling glass framed a skyline glowing in gold and steel. No paparazzi. No crowd. Just truth.
Nathan walked to the bar and poured two drinks. “We should go over the agreement again. For clarity.”
He handed her a glass.
Natalia didn’t take it. “I know the terms. A public marriage. A united front. I become Natalia Williams, the perfect billionaire wife. You get stability. I get protection.”
“And the twins get a mother.”
The word twisted something inside her.
“And,” Nathan continued, “your ex stays far away from you. Permanently.”
Her jaw tightened. “You promised that part.”
“I never break promises.”
Silence fell between them, thick and dangerous.
“You’ll play the role,” Nathan said. “Smile. Attend galas. Let the world believe we’re madly in love.”
“And in private?” she asked.
“In private, we keep our distance.”
“Until?”
“Until the contract ends… or one of us breaks it.”
Natalia studied him. “And what happens if one of us falls for real?”
A shadow crossed his face.
“That,” he said quietly, “would be a disaster.”
She finally took the glass from him and raised it slightly. “To disasters, then.”
Nathan’s gaze lingered on her far too long as they clinked glasses.
Because deep down, they both knew—
This wasn’t just a contract.
It was a trap.
- Writer
