LOVE IN THE SHADOWS

The Business Deal

Those questions kept roaming through her mind as she continued looking at the information in her hand.

Suddenly she felt a presence behind her, she jolted out of shock it was Ethan.

“What are you doing here?” he asked in a husky voice.

“I entered the wrong room mistakenly”. Charlene tried defending herself but her upright self kept her talking

“What is all this information? I need an explanation of who you are and what you need me for?”

“Stay away from this room” he said sternly about leaving when Charlene spoke out firmly “you are either telling me what all this about or am leaving right away”

A smile appeared by the side of his mouth but it wasn't a normal smile it was the smile of a warning.

“You want to know right?”

“Yes, I want to know”.

“Alright you will very soon but first let's discuss the details of our arrangement”. He said as he left and headed to the bar room Charlene followed him from behind.

Sitting across each other Ethan handed her a file

“Open it”.

Charlene looked at the document. It was ridiculous, she thought. It read;

This contract is between Mr Ethan Allen and Miss Charlene George. The terms of the contract are as follows;

No physical contact.

Don't Interfere in each other's private lives.

Only to be seen together when needed.

………………………………………………………………………. Blah blah bla

This marriage is between Mr Ethan and miss Charlene is for six months only

The most vital rule : FALLING IN LOVE IS PROHIBITED

I, Ethan has read the contract terms and conditions and am willing to comply and also promise to take care of Mrs George medical bills.

I, Charlene, has read the contract terms and conditions and am willing to comply .

Signature. Signature

Ethan Allen. Charlene George.

Charlene almost laughed out loud because of the rules. There was no need for the rules; she was sure she could never fall in love with this kind nonchalant person.

“I am done reading it”.

“Are the conditions clear enough?" Ethan said, sipping wine from his glass.

“Crystal clear”. She picked up the pen to sign it. She signed it and transferred the document to him to sign too.

“Anything you need you can tell my assistant to pass it to me, don't hesitate”.

“What of the information I just saw, are we not going to talk about it?”

“It's late, have a good night's rest, we shall discuss it tomorrow”. Ethan replied and stood up leaving Charlene with her mouth wide open as she was about to say something.

“He is really something”. She said to herself.

Heading upstairs, she got on her bed. The conditions were not bad, she thought as she could still go about her personal work. Her mind wandered off to the information she saw earlier what deal she kept asking herself as she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning

Charlene woke up and the first thing she could think of was the information she saw. She ran downstairs immediately and saw Madam Theresa instructing the staff.

“Good morning ma'am”

“Morning my lady Madam”. Theresa replied “are you looking for the young master”. She added as she saw Charlene using her eyes to search the surroundings.

“Yes I am. Have you seen him?”

“He has left for work. He normally leaves on time”

“When will he be back?”

“Later in the evening I think.”

“Okay thank you.”

“Breakfast will be ready soon so you can freshen up and come down to eat.”

Charlene nodded. She couldn't get used to all this exquisite treatment she was receiving. She normally cooked by herself.

After breakfast, Charlene thought of visiting her mother. She had not told anyone about her fake marriage and lied that she was busy with work recently.

She came out of the mansion and was about to go through the gate when a man dressed in black suit.

“Good day ma'am, I am Lucas, your personal driver assigned to you by Mr Ethan to take you anywhere you want to go”.

Charlene was surprised by ‘a personal driver’. She would never get used to these treatments.

She arrived at her mother's house and was greeted by the caretaker she employed before she left.

“Good day madam”. the caretaker greeted

“Where is my mom”. Charlene asked

“She is in her room.”

Charlene nodded and headed to her mother's room. On getting there she saw her mother lying down with her eyes wide open.

“Mom, how are you feeling?” she asked

There was no response from her mom. Charlene kept talking because it was expected that she would not answer. The tumor had affected her ability to respond back to people.

“I will be traveling for a couple of months and will soon be back. Do take care”. She wiped tears from her face, she had no choice but to embark on this journey of new life all just to save her mother.

Charlene got to the mansion towards evening and saw Ethan's assistant leaving. She assumed Ethan would be back too. She met him sitting in the parlor, legs crossed, reading a book.

“Welcome, you left this morning without any notice”.

“Is it because of the discussion from yesterday?” *Follow me”. he said standing up with Charlene following him.They both arrived at his study.

Charlene sat in the luxurious study, surrounded by shelves of books and the faint scent of cigar smoke. Ethan sat across from her, a confident smile on his face as he explained the details of his business deal.

The deal was a merger between his company and a rival firm, one that would secure his position as a leading player in the industry. Charlene listened carefully, her mind racing with questions and concerns. Questions of 'what kind of situation have I entered?’

As Ethan spoke, Charlene could not help but feel a sense of uneasiness. She had agreed to be his pretend wife, but she hadn't realized the stakes were so high. The merger was worth millions, and Ethan's reputation was on the line.

"Why did you choose me for this?" Charlene asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You are intelligent, resourceful, and beautiful. I knew you would be the perfect partner for this deal."

Charlene felt a flutter in her chest at the compliment, but she pushed it aside. She needed to focus on the task at hand. It was neither the time for feeling flattered but a serious moment.

As they discussed the details of the merger, Charlene began to suspect that Ethan's true intentions might not be entirely pure. There was something he was not telling her, something that could put her in danger.

"What is the catch?" Charlene asked, her eyes narrowing as her suspicion grew.

Ethan's smile faded for a moment, and Charlene saw a glimmer of something else in his eyes. Something that looked almost like desperation.

The kind of desperation she had never seen before.

"There is always a catch," he said, his voice low and husky. "But I will tell you everything you need to know. Trust me, Charlene."

Charlene wasn't sure if she could trust him, but she nodded anyway. She had come too far to turn back now. The contract was concluded already and her mother's life was on the line.

As the meeting concluded, Charlene felt a sense of fear and suspicion surrounding her mind. She was deeper than she had ever imagined, and she was not sure if she could get out unscathed.