Bound by Business

CHAPTER 4: THE OFFER

My penthouse was silent, I mean it’s always silent since technically I’m the only one living here. I sat on the edge of my couch, half-dressed in a silk nightwear dress, my laptop open to a spreadsheet I hadn’t touched in an hour.

The dinner with the Blackwoods was calm, which i didn’t expect but it felt like they were holding something back. I didn’t know what it was but I could feel it.

My phone buzzed beside me, breaking the silence.

Tiana: Babes, get dressed. We’re going out. No excuses.

I smiled faintly. Of course. Tiana.

Me: I have work.

Tiana: Work can wait. Thirty minutes. I’m serious. Love you!

I stared at the message for a moment before sighing. Maybe she was right. A few hours away from crisis mode wouldn’t hurt.

I closed the laptop, stood and walked to my closet. I picked something simple. A cream crop top, black jeans, gold hoops, and a pair of black sandals. The kind of outfit that would make one think I was alright amidst all the chaos.

My phone dinged notifying me that I had gotten a message. Tiana had sent me the location of where she was at.

It was a cafe in a quiet street downtown. Tiana and I had found this place when we were 16, trying to hide away from the chaos that came with being the children of well-known billionaires.

Tiana was already waiting, waving her hand the moment I stepped in. “Finally! The queen has arrived.”

I rolled my eyes but smiled. “You’re so dramatic.”

She grinned. “You love me that way. Sit.”

“You know, you didn’t have to drag me out here,” I said, pulling the chair out for me to sit down.

“I did,” she said, sipping her iced latte. “Because your idea of unwinding is checking your emails faster.”

I laughed. “You’re not wrong there.”

Her smile faded slightly. “You’ve been quiet since the dinner with the Blackwoods. Was it that bad?”

I hesitated. “It wasn’t actually bad and that’s the problem. Everyone was pretending to like the food and acting like we’re not each other’s biggest rivals. It was just quiet.”

Tiana laughed softly. “I hate that they put you in this position, Stace,” she said with worry in her eyes. “You’ve worked to hard for—“

The sound of cameras clicking cut her off.

Flash. Flash. Flash.

My stomach dropped. How did they even find this place.

It started with two photographers at the entrance, then more started coming. In seconds, everywhere was chaos.

“Miss Lawson! Over here!”

“Can you confirm the rumor that Lawson Innovations is collapsing?”

“Are you merging with Blackwood Enterprises to save your company?”

“Are you dating Ethan Blackwood?”

That last question made me so angry. Dating him? That was laughable.

I stood, keeping my face in a calm and professional way like my dad had always thought me. “No comment,” I said, moving towards the door.

But they kept coming closer, cameras flashing so fast my eyes burned.

“Miss Lawson, investors say—“

“Is it true your father’s stepping down—“

“Are the Blackwoods taking over your company?”

Tiana’s voice cut through all the noise. “She said no comment! Back off!”

I pushed through the crowd, heart pounding. I felt like smashing every camera I walked pass but instead, I kept walking. Head high. Eyes forward.

By the time we reached the car I was already out of breath.

Tiana looked at me once we were inside, her voice calm. “You okay?”

I looked down at my shaky hands. “I will be.”

By evening, every business blog had the footage. My name. My face. The word collapse next to Lawson Innovations on every page. One would think collapse was part of our company’s name.

“Lawson CEO Ambushed by Reporters — No Comment on Merger Rumors.”

“Heiress Under Fire: Is This The End of Lawson Innovations?”

My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. I didn’t answer any of them. Not the journalists. Not the investors. Not even my assistant.

But when my father’s name popped up on my screen, I couldn’t ignore it.

“Dad,” I said with a tired voice.

“I saw the news,” he said, the worry in his voice very loud and clear. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Another lie.

He hesitated. “Christian called.”

I exhaled slowly. “Of course he did.”

“They want another meeting. Tomorrow morning. Apparently Ethan has a proposal he wants to present.”

A proposal. That word rarely meant anything good. “What kind of proposal?”

“He didn’t say.”

I sighed. “Alright. I’ll be there.”

The next morning came by so quickly. I dressed up in a Navy suit, gold watch and neutral makeup. One would think I wasn’t going through it.

When I entered the boardroom at Blackwood Enterprises, Ethan was already there, perfectly put together in his black suit, hands in his pockets, and looking dangerously calm.

“Miss Lawson,” he greeted with a half-smile.

“Mr Blackwood.” My tone was sharp. “Let’s get this over with.”

He smirked faintly. “Impatient as always.”

“Only when it comes to you,” I said already irritated.

Christian and my father sat at the head of the table. Christian’s expression was unreadable— as usual, while my father looked uneasy.

“Thank you both for coming,” Christian began. “We’ve reviewed the merger logistics, but there’s still the matter of public perception. After yesterday’s… incident, we need to act swiftly.”

I crossed my arms. “Meaning?”

Christian exchanged a glance with his son before saying, “We need to project unity. Strength. Something the public can believe in.”

Ethan sat up straight, eyes locked with mine. “Which is why I’m proposing something unconventional.”

My stomach tightened. “Define unconventional.”

He leaned closer. “A partnership. Not just corporate— personal.”

It took me a second to realize what he was talking about. Then it hit.

“You’re kidding.”

“A marriage Stacy. Between you and Ethan. A public alliance to reassure shareholders and stabilize both companies’ reputations.” Christian said, trying to sound convincing.

I laughed in disbelief. “This has to be a joke.”

“It’s not,” Ethan said so casually. “Marry me, Stacy. One year. No love. No strings. You’ll wear my ring, play my wife, and when it’s over… we walk away”

I was so lost at what was happening.

“You can’t be serious,” I said finally.

“It’s practical. A temporary arrangement. A contract that symbolizes the merger’s strength,” Christian replied.

I stared at him. “So you’re asking me to marry him to fix a PR problem?”

Ethan met my gaze, his tone so calm it annoyed me. “Think of it as optics. We present a united front, control the narrative. You get stability, I get expansion. It’s mutually beneficial.”

“Mutually beneficial?” I repeated, my voice rising. “You think reducing me to a headline is beneficial?”

“Come on, Lawson,” he said quietly. “You’re smart enough to know the world runs on perception.”

My jaw clenched. “I’d rather lose everything than fake a marriage with you,” I said, standing up.

“Easy there, Tiger. You might not have that luxury soon,” he said mockingly.

“Is that a threat?”

“A reality check,” he said, his gaze still fixed on mine. “Your pride won’t save your company. I might.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. “You really think you can fix everything with a ring and a few staged photos?”

He smiled faintly. “You’d be surprised what people think when the story is good enough.”

“This is manipulative,” I said softly. “Even for you.”

He was taken aback by the statement, but his tone stayed smooth. “It’s business, Lawson. You of all people should understand that.”

“No,” I said firmly. “This meeting is over.”

I turned toward the door.

“Stacy,” Ethan said behind me, his voice lower now. “You’ll come around.”

I froze, hand on the handle. “Don’t bet on it.”

Then I walked out confidently.

But as the doors closed behind me, my chest

hurt. Not from anger but from fear. Fear of the fact that I may have no other option.

Because for the first time since this all began… I wasn’t entirely sure he was wrong.