an offer not be refused
1880 Words
IZABELLA
I sat on the couch, staring blankly at the eviction notice still crumpled in my hands. Violetta was in the kitchen, humming as she made tea, completely unaware that my entire world had just crumbled around me.
Our entire world if i didnt figure out a solution soon.
Concetta, try as she may seem, just wasn't pulling enough money to cover what we needed. My income from Narducci enterprises was barely enough for paying off my student loans, Violet’s school fees and necessities, groceries and my father’s medicine. I couldn't stretch it out any more than it already was.
The hospital’s words kept replaying in my head.
If the outstanding bill isn’t covered soon, we’ll have no choice but to take him off life support.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and exhaled shakily.
I needed to think.
Being in a long term relationship with Xavier had made me comfortable.
Irresponsible.
Becuase Xavier had given me favors. Many favors.
He was affluent enough, and he always insisted. And along the line, I had gotten so comfortable being with someone who just wanted to be there for me that I let myself relax into it.
That I didnt have a back up plan.
What in God’s name was I going to do?
And then, as if life hadn’t already kicked me hard enough, my phone buzzed with a new message.
An email.
From Xavier.
For a second, I debated ignoring it, but something in my gut told me to look. When I opened the message, my stomach twisted painfully.
XavierThorne@cramail.com:
Since you’ve decided to erase me from your life over a simple mistake, I figured it was time to return the favor. You shouldn’t expect to still benefit from my generosity. I’ve taken your father off my health insurance plan. Consider it a lesson in gratitude.
Oh, and I’ve also removed your name from the exempted list at the apartment. It’s my building, after all. Good luck finding a new place. I want you out by monday.
I couldn’t breathe.
A cold, sharp panic sliced through my chest as I read and reread his words.
Xavier had put my father on his health insurance while we were together, claiming it was “no big deal” because he rarely even noticed the deductions. I never thought he’d hold it over my head.
And now, because I refused to forgive his betrayal, he had pulled the plug on everything he’d been doing that was quite literally keeping me afloat.
I pressed a hand to my mouth, my body shaking as I tried to stop the sob from escaping. My father’s life was in danger. I had nowhere to live. I had nothing.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to stay strong.
But I had never felt so small.
So powerless.
“Iza?”
I flinched at Violetta’s voice and quickly wiped at my face before looking up. She was holding two cups of tea, smiling warmly. “Here, I made your favorite.”
I forced a weak smile, taking the cup from her, “Thanks.”
She plopped down beside me. “Are you okay? You look… tired.”
I hesitated before nodding. “Just a long week.”
Violetta frowned, but thankfully, she didn’t push. Instead, she leaned against my shoulder, sipping her tea. “I missed you.”
I blinked back tears and wrapped an arm around her. “I missed you too.”
I hadn’t ended up telling her about the insemination, but she knew about the accident. She was a freshman in college, and she had her own life to live.
For the rest of the weekend, I focused on her. I let her ramble about school, helped her pick outfits for a friend’s party, and acted like everything was fine.
I couldn’t tell her the truth.
Her worrying wouldn’t do anything. She had her whole future ahead of her. She didn’t need to carry this burden too.
But by Sunday night, after Violetta left for school, I found myself curled up in bed, staring at my phone, hoping for a miracle.
And then, one came.
Ignazio’s name flashed across my screen.
I hesitated, staring at his name on the screen. The last time we spoke, I had stormed out of his office, refusing his offer.
Why was he calling now?
And then I damn near smacked myself on the forehead. Because calls at this hour weren't that abnormal for us. Ignazio worked late hours, and once again since the whole mistake took place, I had to remind myself that I was still his assistant.
“Hello?”
“My car is parked outside your apartment building. Please meet me outside.”
Please?
Did Ignazio just say please?
I frowned. “What?”
“I’m outside your apartment. Come down.”
I sat up. “Why?”
“You may question me as you see fit when you’re inside my car, Izabella.”
I chewed my lip, glancing at the eviction notice still on my nightstand.
Maybe this was fate.
Maybe he was going to be the solution I needed.
Taking a deep breath, I threw on a jacket and made my way downstairs.
Sure enough, Ignazio’s sleek black Audi was parked in front of the building. The tinted window rolled down at the backseat, revealing his profile. “Get in.”
I hesitated. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Would you rather we have this conversation with me talking from the warmth of my car and you shivering outside from the cold?
I swallowed, “What type of conversation are we about to have?”
He c****d a thick, fair eyebrow.
And I was freezing anyway. Not only that, but I had to remind myself.... this was fate.
I exhaled sharply before opening the door and sliding inside.
The car was warm, the scent of leather and expensive cologne filling the space. Ignazio looked effortlessly powerful, dressed in a dark suit, his sharp eyes focused ahead.
He didn’t speak immediately, and the silence made my skin itch.
“What do you want?” I finally asked.
Ignazio turned his head slightly. “I have another offer for you.”
I stiffened.
And despite my drowning debt, I realized I was still to chicken to have a baby for my boss.
It might have been the stupidest thing that ever came out of my mouth, but, “I already... said no.”
“This one is different.”
I crossed my arms, staring at him warily. “What do you mean?”
He exhaled, tilting his head slightly as he studied me. Then, his next words nearly stopped my heart. “Marry me.”
I choked on air. “What?”
“You heard what I said.”
I stared at him, waiting for some sign that this was a joke. But his expression remained serious.
“You’re insane,” I muttered.
Since when did I start calling my boss insane? I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “You want me to marry you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He finally looked at me, his gaze piercing. “Because I need an heir.”
I inhaled sharply.
“I will pay off your student loans,” he continued. “Your sister’s tuition and housing. Your father’s medical bills. I will give you a monthly stipend.”
I gripped the edge of my seat, my head spinning.
“In exchange, you will be my wife. You will give me one heir within the first year of our marriage. After that, we can renegotiate.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“You want me to be your wife and your surrogate?”
“You’ll be carrying my child either way,” he said simply. “The only difference is, as my wife, you’ll be taken care of for life. And you will no longer be my assistant.”
He reached for a file between our seats, “If you have reservations for getting pregnant again as my assistant, then I’m asking you to do it as my wife. A year, and after wards, you can file for a divorce. In which case, the custody of our child if you were to agree to this will be yours, if you wish it. But if you don’t want that, the custody of the child will be with me. Male or female, one child, and then we can terminate our marriage.”
Male or female. He didn’t care what gender.
How badly did Ignazio need this?
“Why?”
His gaze shifted as he said, “It’s important to me.”
I swallowed thickly, “Then why won’t you... actually marry someone... that you love, and have the child then?” My heart pounded. “Why me?”
Ignazio’s gaze flickered, but he answered right away. “Because I trust you.”
I let out a hollow laugh. “You don’t trust anyone.”
“I trust you more than most.”
I pressed my fingers against my temple, my mind a mess.
This was crazy.
Insane.
But...
I had no job security, no home, no way to save my father. If I said no, I would lose everything.
And yet, the idea of marrying Ignazio Narducci terrified me.
He was powerful, and completely unreadable. I’d worked for him for years and I still didn't fully know the man.
He could destroy me.
But he could also save me.
I closed my eyes, exhaling shakily.
“You said you’d pay my father’s medical bills?”
“Yes.”
“And my sister’s tuition? Everything?” He’d obviously done a deep dive into my family before showing up here, and it just solidified how determined he was.
“Everything.”
I opened my eyes and turned to face him. “And if I don’t agree?”
Ignazio’s jaw ticked. “Then you walk away and figure it out on your own.”
A lump formed in my throat.
I couldn’t figure it out on my own.
I knew that.
And maybe Ignazio knew it too.
“I’m hoping you say yes.” He declared, “And if you’re unable to have a child within a year, we can put all of this behind us.” He said. “A marriage isn’t uncommon between people who have known each other as long as we have.”
“I’m human,” I whispered.
“No one would dare question what I do.” His voice took on a tight edge, “You needn’t worry about your safety or what people might say.”
Hearing him speak the words out loud was kind of embarrassing.
Because I did care.
And I didn't want to look like a girl who’d been screwing her boss and ended up with some sort of consequence.
If I was going to do this, marriage gave me security.
And how Ignazio was able to figure that out wasn't lost on me.
I swallowed hard, my hands trembling. “One year?”
“One year.”
I inhaled deeply, my entire body shaking from the weight of my decision.
Then, I whispered the words that changed my life forever.
“Okay.”
- Writer
