Terms of the Heart

A Silver Lining

Karla and Liam charged towards the sound of the noise, cutting through the amazed crowd. The entire floor was covered with broken glass from a huge chandelier that had fallen apart, resembling a sea of diamonds. People were talking in hushed voices to one another and pointing fingers.

Seemingly composed, despite having gone through such a horrifying experience, an elegant woman stood in the midst of the chaos. Security quickly enclosed the place ensuring people’s safety first.

Karla immediately recognized the woman - Isabella Greer, a high-end socialite and the international business associate they wanted to win over. Karla fully understood the weight of this occurrence in relation to her current dealing. If Isabella got injured or upset as a result of this, it would greatly undermine all other negotiations Karla was conducting in good faith. With her concerns shared by Liam, she turned and looked at him saying, “I need to check on her. This might be disastrous for my company”, she added, Liam nodding his head in agreement.

While approaching Isabella, Karla put on a reassuring face. “Is everything alright with you, Madam Isabella?” she asked looking quite worried.

Visibly disturbed and stunned, Isabella nodded slowly. “I do think so… I mean, it all came about just like that. It was such a shock, one moment everything was alright and the next…”

Karla put a comforting hand on Isabella’s arm. “Thank God you are safe. We have to take you someplace safe”

Liam noticed a suspicious man skulking on the periphery of the crowd as they led Isabella away from the scene. This made him uneasy as he saw how nervously he looked around the room before disappearing through an exit door.

“Did you see that guy?” Liam whispered to Karla. “I believe this guy has got something to do with this.” Karla glanced in the direction pointed by Liam but the man had already disappeared.

“We need to find out his identity and his mission here,” she said. “But first, let's get Isabella to safety.”

They guided Isabella towards a quieter area for a medic to check for any wounds she might have sustained. At once, Karla’s mind split into several levels— dealing with immediate crisis mode, thinking about how it would affect her business and who was that unknown person Liam had seen?

Karla and Liam set an appointment to meet the following day, both convinced that the chandelier episode was far from being just an accident. As they said goodbye for the evening, Karla felt a strange sense of foreboding without quite understanding what it meant about Liam. There was something about him that fascinated her. He was not just an ordinary artist who struggled with finances. She needed his assistance in solving this puzzle and most importantly, fulfilling her grandfather’s instructions.

Liam returned to his small dingy apartment full of thoughts that were laden with uncertainty about his future and concern for Karla, as well as curiosity about her too. The auction had turned out to be more dramatic than he had expected, and he couldn't help but wonder what the next day would bring.

The whole night, Karla investigated all possible security breaches, collected information on those who attended the auction and called her team to ensure Isabella’s safety. She desperately searched for any lead which could explain the presence of this stranger.

The next day, Karla and Liam met in a secluded café where no one could see them because they had not had any sleep the previous night. They ordered coffee and sat down, laden with the events of the previous evening.

Liam broke the silence,” I feel that man was there for a reason.”

Karla nodded affirmatively, indicating that she too had been doing some digging. “My team is working on it though; we are reviewing all footage from the event. But there is something else I want us to talk about."

While taking a sip from his coffee cup, he looked at her out of curiosity by lifting an eyebrow slightly. “What do you mean?”

Karla took a very deep breath. “I need your help Liam. Just try to listen attentively please. I am in quite a fix right now. My grandfather gave me 365 days ultimatum within which if I don’t get married, then he will take control of Randolph Holdings from me. I have realized that what I need is someone trustworthy and who clearly understands my situation fully well. This may sound weird but would you consider entering into a contract marriage?”

Suddenly, her words found him short of breath as he choked while staring at her. “Are you kidding?”

“No,” Karla rejected. “I understand it’s huge but try to think about it. I can help you meet my grandfather’s conditions for me to keep the company and you can get some stability and visibility for your work.”

“Karla, I am not even sure about that. It is a big deal and we should never rush into such things.”

“I see.” She smiled softly. “You may look at it as a business transaction that is straight forward without any attachments.”

“What if it doesn’t happen?”

“It will be in the documents, then. We will make sure that all terms are covered in the contract.”

“When things go wrong, we break apart after a year. You still enjoy my full support though. That won’t be costing me anything,” Karla answered.

Liam looked at the determination in her eyes- she had made up her mind to achieve this goal. While speaking, she seemed demanding but at least she was sincere. He knew how desperate she was; he could not judge her because he was just as bad.

“Well,” Liam said slowly, “I’ll think about it but first, I have to read over these contract terms”.

She let out an audible sigh of relief which he knew for certain would lead to him giving in since she had hit right on target.

“Of course! My attorney would write the contract and send it to you. Go through it as many times as you wish but don’t forget that we do not have enough time.”

Sure. How could he forget? Long before now, affairs were such that an eviction notice held him captive without any visible outlet. “I guess I should just say yes for starters, but let me discuss this first with Natalie; she knows things better,” he thought, shaking hands with Karla in a sympathizing manner.

Leaving the café, both of them felt certain about things. They had accidentally met each other and thus the way forward would be more complicated than ever before. They shrugged in unison ready to take it head-on.

Karla’s phone rang loudly as she made her way towards her car. She fumbled through her bag and picked it up. “I don’t have this number saved,” she whispered to herself while picking it up, wondering who it might be on the other end.

“Hey there, Karlie bear! It’s been a long while.”