Chapter Twelve: A Business Proposal
841 Words
Few days passes by quickly...
The restaurant sat on the top floor of a quiet building overlooking the river. It was usually full of tourists and business people, but tonight, every table stood empty.
Clara paused just inside the entrance.
Soft music played. Candlelight reflected off the windows. The staff moved quietly, almost invisibly. There were no other guests.
“Ms. Monroe?” a hostess asked gently.
“Yes.”
“This way, please.”
Clara followed her past rows of untouched tables. The silence felt heavy, like the room itself was holding its breath.
At the far end, near the glass wall that looked out over the city, Ethan stood. He turned when he heard her footsteps.
“Clara.”
He didn’t step forward. He didn’t rush. He simply waited.
“Did you reserve the entire place?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“That’s… unnecessary.”
“I didn’t want you to feel watched,” he said. “Or interrupted.”
She nodded once.
They sat across from each other.
A waiter placed menus on the table, then retreated without a word, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.
Clara folded her hands in her lap. She could feel her heart beating against her ribs. She had imagined this conversation a hundred times, but now that it was here, her thoughts felt scattered.
“You didn’t have to come,” Ethan said softly.
“I asked to meet,” she replied.
“Yes. But you could still change your mind.”
She looked at him. “You always leave me that door.”
“I mean it.”
She exhaled. “I’ve been awake for days.”
He frowned. “You should rest.”
“I can’t,” she said. “Not when everything depends on one answer.”
He didn’t interrupt.
“I’ve walked through buildings that are falling apart,” she continued. “Places my father fought to protect. I’ve read numbers that don’t make sense anymore. I’ve seen programs that will vanish if I say no.”
A waiter returned with water and quietly poured two glasses.
Clara wrapped her fingers around hers.
“I’ve never believed in marrying for security,” she said. “I believed in choosing someone because you wanted them. Not because you needed them.”
“And now?” Ethan asked.
“Now I need to save something bigger than myself.”
He leaned back slightly, careful not to crowd her.
“I never wanted you to feel cornered,” he said.
“You didn’t,” she replied. “Life did.”
He studied her face.
“You don’t look like someone making a desperate choice,” he said. “You look like someone negotiating survival.”
Her lips curved faintly. “That’s because I am.”
Silence settled between them again. Clara decided to break the silence...
"I'm saying yes to your proposal."
Ethan’s eyes sparkled. He was about to speak but Clara interrupted him.
“But,” she continued, “only with conditions.”
Ethan nodded in return.
"Please tell me."
“This will be a business marriage,” Clara said clearly. “Not a romantic one. Not a public fairy tale.”
His gaze remained steady.
“I will not perform affection,” she continued. “I will not pretend we are in love for the cameras. We will be respectful. Civil. Honest.”
“Understood.”
“I will keep my independence. My work. My schedule. My name remains Monroe in professional spaces.”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t ask you to give that up.”
“There will be no control,” she said. “No interference. No expectations beyond what we agree on.”
“And if one day you change your mind?” he asked quietly.
She met his eyes. “Then we talk. Like adults. No traps.”
He was silent for a moment.
Then he said, “I accept.”
She blinked. “Just like that?”
“I didn’t make this offer to own you,” he replied. “I made it because I respect you.”
Her voice softened. “Respect isn’t love.”
“No,” he agreed. “But it’s a beginning.”
She looked away toward the city lights.
“I don’t know if I can ever give you more than this.”
“I’m not asking for more,” he said.
She turned back.
“You don’t even hesitate.”
“I did,” he replied. “Long before tonight. I decided that if the only way to stand beside you is to do it your way, then that’s how I’ll stand.”
Her chest tightened.
“You deserve someone who chooses you freely,” she said.
“So do you,” he answered.
She swallowed.
“This isn’t a dream,” she said. “It’s a structure.”
“Then we’ll build it carefully,” he replied.
She nodded slowly.
Outside, the city moved on—unaware that two lives had just shifted course....
- Writer
