Say yes or lose everything
964 Words
The clock said 11:47PM.
13 minutes.
That’s all I had to decide if I was going to marry Caelen Drayce for real.
The penthouse was too quiet.
He hadn’t come out of his room since 6.
I’d paced. I’d cried. I’d googled "can you go to jail for smashing a phone on live".
Answer: yes.
My cracked phone buzzed again.
Derek: Please don’t do this. Meet me at the diner on 5th. Now.
Derek: I have proof. About him. About your dad.
Proof.
The one word that could ruin me or save me.
11:51.
I grabbed my jacket. My bag.
If I was going to make the biggest mistake of my life, I was gonna do it with all the info.
The elevator dinged.
Caelen was standing there.
In a black suit. No tie. Hair wet like he just showered.
He looked at my bag.
“Going somewhere?”
“To think,” I lied.
He stepped in. Blocked the doors. “Think here.”
“I can’t—”
“You have 9 minutes, Seren.” His voice was low. Tired. “Don’t run from me.”
“I’m not running,” I snapped. “I’m trying to survive you.”
He flinched. Just once.
“Fair,” he said. “But if you walk out that door, the offer’s gone.
Debt comes back. Lawsuit drops tomorrow. Your mom loses the house.”
“I know,” I whispered.
“Then stay.”
The elevator dinged again.
Maya.
With Derek.
And a camera crew.
“Surprise!” she said. “We’re doing a live intervention.
Will Seren Vale choose love or money?
Derek looked wrecked. “Seren, don’t listen to him. I have”
“Shut up, Derek,” Caelen said. Calm. Deadly. “You’re not welcome here.”
“This is a public building,” Maya said. “And we have a tip about
illegal contracts and coercion.”
Caelen didn’t even look at her. His eyes were on me.
“5 minutes,” he said to me. “Choose.”
My heart was pounding.
Maya’s camera light was in my face.
Derek was begging.
And Caelen... Caelen just stood there. Waiting.
Like he knew I’d pick him.
Like he was scared I wouldn’t.
“Turn the camera off,” I said to Maya.
“No,” she said. “The people deserve to see”
“I said TURN IT OFF.”
I yelled it. Loud.
She blinked. Then, slowly, lowered the phone.
The crew looked at each other. Turned their cameras off too.
Silence.
I turned to Derek. “What proof?”
He fumbled with his phone. “Emails. Between Caelen and your dad.
From 10 years ago. Before the company crashed.
They were... partners.”
The floor dropped out from under me.
“What?”
Caelen didn’t deny it.
“Is it true?” I asked him.
“Yes,” he said. No hesitation. “Your dad and I started Drayce Corp together.
When we were 22. Broke. Stupid.”
“You lied,” I whispered.
“You didn’t ask,” he said. “And it doesn’t change anything.
He still stole from me. Still ran. Still left you with the debt.”
Derek stepped forward. “But Caelen set him up, Seren.
He wanted the company for himself. The crash was”
“Enough,” Caelen cut in. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Tell her the truth?” Derek said. “That you’ve been playing her
since day one?”
Caelen looked at me. “2 minutes.”
I felt sick. Betrayed. Again.
By my dad. By Derek. Now by Caelen.
“Why me?” I asked Caelen. “Why the contract? Why the kiss?”
“Because I hated you,” he said honestly. “And because I wanted you.
And because when I saw you that night in red, I realized
I could have both. Revenge and you.”
At least he was honest.
Maya smirked. “And? What’s it gonna be, Seren?
Daddy’s ex-partner or the guy who abandoned you?”
11:59.
One minute.
I looked at Caelen. The devil I knew.
I looked at Derek. The devil I used to love.
I looked at Maya. The devil who hated me.
And I made the choice.
I dropped my bag.
Walked to Caelen.
Took his hand.
“Yes,” I said. Loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Yes to the marriage. Real. Not fake.”
Caelen’s whole body exhaled. Like he’d been holding his breath for days.
Derek made a sound. Hurt.
“Seren, no”
“Yes,” I said again, not looking at him. “Because at least he’s honest
about being a monster.”
Maya threw her hands up. “This is bullshit. You’re all insane.”
She stormed out. Camera crew followed.
Derek was last.
He stopped in front of me. “I loved you,” he whispered.
“I know,” I said. “That’s why it hurt when you left.”
He left.
The door closed.
Just me and Caelen.
He didn’t kiss me. Didn’t touch me.
Just squeezed my hand.
“Thank you,” he said. Quiet.
“For what it’s worth.”
“Don’t,” I said. “Don’t thank me. I didn’t do it for you.
I did it because I’m tired of running.”
He nodded. “Midnight.”
The clock hit 12:00.
“Come on,” he said. “We have a wedding to plan.”
“A fast one,” I said.
“The fastest,” he agreed.
As we walked to his room, my phone buzzed one last time.
Unknown number.
_“Congratulations on the engagement.
See you at the altar.
- A Friend”_
I deleted it.
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