The Billionaire's Revenge Bride

My alarm not going off should have told me that today was going to be bad. There was a biting February wind when I got off the train. I grabbed my folder like it was survival. Being careful of people and coffee cups, my heels slid on the icy path. My lungs hurt from fear. I was not going to be late today. Not right now. Not when I had to make a good impression on Hawke Corporation to get the Valentine Gala job. This pitch was worth enough to pay for half of my grandmother's hospital bills. I could almost feel her weak hands on mine as she asked if the surgery would happen this time. I tried not to cry. I pushed through the doors that turned around and looked around the lobby's shiny marble floor for lifts. It was cold, clean, and dangerous here, and everyone moved like sharks in suits. My thumb hurt from pressing the elevator button so hard. I jumped on my toes and whispered, "Come on, come on." As soon as I walked in, my dad sent me a text message: "I need cash right now." "They're after me." My chest got tight. Dad, not today. Please. The elevator made a noise. My heart was racing like I had just run a race as I hurried down the hall. I stopped outside the glass doors to the office and tried to catch my breath. I told Aria in a whisper, "You can do this." "You have no choice." When I opened the door, I pushed my shoulders back. The room went quiet. Around the shiny black table sat eight business leaders. A man I didn't know was sitting at the head. The black sweater on his broad shoulders was just right. His hair was thick, dark, and shaped just right. But it was his eyes that made me weak in the knees. Blue like ice. As cold as winter weather. They locked on to me with unwavering focus. I forgot why I was there for a second. My lungs wouldn't work. When he looked at me, I felt naked, like he could read all of my fears. His voice was smooth and deep, and he said, "Ms. Monroe." I quickly blinked because I couldn't remember how to breathe. "Yes." Good morning. I... I'm sorry I'm late. Train delays. My fingers were shaking as I moved to connect my laptop to the screen. The man said, "Leave it," and his eyes never left her. I went cold. "Sir?" He said in a soft voice, "Sit." My heart beat fast. His words made me do what he said before I could think. I sat down next to him and held my folder close to my chest like a shield. He said, "My name is Ethan Hawke." My blood froze over. Ethan Hawke. Hugely wealthy investment. Owner of half of the city's biggest homes. Partner in companies that grew quickly but didn't say a word. No one could get in touch with the man directly. He stood there and stared at me like I was prey. He looked at me with slightly curved lips. "You seem tense." "I..." I'm only here to propose at the Valentine's Gala. He leaned back in his chair and put his long fingers together under his chin. "I read it already." It broke my heart. Was I going to lose my job before I even spoke? "And?" I tried to keep my voice steady as I asked. His eyes got smaller. It's okay to say. I should have felt like I had won, but his tone was cold and scientific, like he was reading my soul and deciding it wasn't good enough. I looked around and whispered, "Thank you, sir." No one else in the company dared to speak. They kept their eyes down, as if they were scared of him. He made them feel like he wasn't just a CEO, but a god who could crush them with the flick of a hand. He stood up all of a sudden, and his movement was smooth and dangerous. I told Ms. Monroe, "We need to talk alone." My heart rate went up. By Yourself? Why? What did I do? "I...I don't get it." He gave me a small smirk and looked down at my shaking hands. "Give up your folder." I took a deep breath and put it down as I stood up. My knees were shaking. My stomach turned as he walked by. The smell of his cologne, which was dark and expensive, filled the room. He took me down the hall to a private meeting room. When the door softly clicked shut behind us, my heart was beating so fast I thought I might pass out. He slowly turned around and leaned against the long wall of glass. Behind him, the city spread out and sparkled in the gray sky. He crossed his arms over his chest and flexed the muscles under his turtleneck. His eyes were fixed on mine. "Ms. Monroe, do you know why I called you here?" I shook my head because I couldn't speak. He said in a soft voice, "Look at me." I looked up at him anyway. It was so intense that it made me shiver. He said, "I need a fiancée," as if he were ordering lunch. I blinked in shock. "Excuse me?" "A fake one." For the Valentine's Day gala coming up. My chest quickly went up and down. "Why me?" He smiled with his mouth, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Because you want to agree so badly." My eyes hurt from crying. I felt humiliated all over. I said in a whisper, "I'm not desperate." For a split second, his eyes got softer, and there was a flash of something that looked like sadness before it went away. He said in a low voice, "Yes, you are, Aria." "Your dad's debts." Your grandmother's health is getting worse. You paid your rent late. Should I keep going?" When my knees gave out, I fell into a chair and started shaking. How did he understand this? "What are you?" I choked. He tilted his head and looked at me for a long time without saying anything. He finally said, "Someone who owns everything... and everyone." His voice was as quiet as snow falling on graveyards. I said in a whisper, "I'm not for sale." He climbed over the glass wall and slowly made his way to me. With every step, excitement shot through my body. He stopped right in front of me and looked down at me with those cold eyes. "Ms. Monroe, everyone is for sale." Each one has a different price. I let out a tear. He used his thumb to wipe it off. It hurt my chest that the touch was so soft. His voice was soft, "Don't cry." "My offer hasn't even been heard yet." "I'm not interested in your offer." "You'll." His eyes became harder. "I'll give you five hundred thousand dollars right away." I will marry you before the end of the gala. You are going to live in my home, do what I say, and don't say anything else. In exchange, your grandma will have surgery next week, and your dad will no longer have any bills. It got hard for me to breathe. Five hundred thousand. That would make everything clear. Allow my grandma to live, and please allow me to breathe for a short time. But how much does it cost? Really, I shook my head. "No." I can't. "That's not how I'll sell myself." He sat down and put his face right next to mine. His deep eyes looked into mine, and his warm breath brushed my lips. He said in a whisper, "Think about it." "Because by tomorrow, you'll understand you have no choice." I was shaking in that cold, quiet room after he turned around and left. I shook and stared at the closed door while I was by myself. I could still smell his cold scent, like a disturbing promise. How did his eyes feel like they knew me... And why did the way he touched me make my soul scream in fear and longing?