Chapter 4

A week had passed since Emeraude had begun hiding from Cassian. Throughout these days, she had weighed the pros and cons of accepting or rejecting his proposal. The idea that he might have found another woman constantly occupied her mind, and she had even gone so far as to change her phone number. A week ago, she should have gone to Cassian's office to give her answer, a simple yes or no, which seemed like an easy decision.

Completing the task of putting on her sandals, Emeraude left her house. The good news was that Cassian hadn't shown up at her door or sent any messages. A taxi was already waiting at the building's entrance, and she got in, showing the address to the driver, who promptly set off. As she watched her reflection in the car's mirror, Emeraude took a deep breath, knowing that the time for decision had arrived.

It didn't take long for the taxi to stop in front of the company. Emeraude paid the driver and got out of the car. She headed to the elevator, still remembering the floor where Cassian's office was located.

Her watch read exactly 5:00 PM when Emeraude entered the elevator. The melody that played as the doors closed seemed longer than she remembered, but she attributed this feeling to the anxiety that had overtaken her. When the doors opened again, she found herself face to face with Cassian St. Clair and his secretary, waiting to enter. Cassian looked at her with seriousness.

"Emeraude."

The seriousness in Cassian's face was noticeable as he called her by name.

"Can we talk?" she asked as she exited the elevator.

"Of course," he agreed, turning to his secretary. "Please, let them know I won't be long. They can start the meeting without me. Come with me, Emeraude," he said, extending his arm in the direction of a familiar room.

The two walked to the room in silence. Cassian opened the door and gestured for Emeraude to enter first. She heard the door close twice, the second time with a latch.

"What do I owe the honor of your visit, Miss Kensington?" he asked, passing by her to his desk and leaning on the dark wood.

"I know we scheduled for a week ago, but I didn't have an answer to give you that day," Emeraude began. "I don't know if you've found someone else or not..."

"Not yet," Cassian interrupted. "I knew you'd be back; it was just a matter of time," he said, smiling subtly.

Emeraude made a brave decision. "I accept, but with some conditions," she declared, and Cassian raised an eyebrow in response.

"I'm listening," he said, crossing his arms and looking at her with his head slightly tilted.

"I don't want any personal involvement with you, and I want to determine the amount I will receive," she stated, crossing her arms.

Cassian St. Clair looked Emeraude up and down, and her hands began to sweat. He stepped away from the desk and slowly advanced toward her.

"What makes you think you can determine the amount?" he asked, stopping behind her. With a gentle gesture, he moved her hair from her neck, gathering it on one side, and she felt his breath whisper on her neck, sending shivers down her body.

"You need me," she said in a low voice. Cassian unclasped her arms, pinning them to her sides, while her breathing quickened.

"You're not the only woman who would agree to this, Emeraude," he continued, his voice drawn out.

"But right now, I'm the one you want," she murmured, holding her breath when she heard his low laugh.

"No attachments, that's already in the contract," he said, running his fingers along her arm, up and down. "My conditions now." Emeraude closed her eyes in an attempt to regain at least 5% of her sanity, which didn't help much given her fertile imagination.

"What are they?" she asked with the remaining voice she had.

"Two weeks of sex with me, where and when I want, and then you choose the amount," he said, making Emeraude widen her eyes.

"W-Wasn't it going to be insemination?" she asked, biting her lower lip when she felt his hand on her belly.

Damn! He's toying with me with simple touches. — She thought.

"I'm not the type to ejaculate into a jar when I can do it directly on site," he said, sliding his hands from her waist to her thighs.

"Is there any other condition?" she asked when he stepped away and went to the desk, smiling. He opened a drawer and took out some papers, handing them to her.

Cassian broke the silence abruptly. "I have to go to the meeting now. Once you've finished reading, let the secretary know to call me." He walked past Emeraude toward the door and left.

"What?" Emeraude wondered incredulously. He left her desiring him and just walked out? She was left with a small stack of papers to read. She took a deep breath, counting to ten, and sat on a couch, beginning to read. She grabbed a highlighter and marked some parts.

"The mother shall have no rights over the child; only the father shall be able to make decisions until the child reaches adulthood. The mother shall not engage in sexual activity with any man for a period of three years, except with the child's father. The father shall bear all necessary expenses of the child until they reach adulthood. During the pregnancy period, the child's mother shall live with the father as a preventive measure."

Emeraude was perplexed by the number of rules. She had thought that all she had to do was get pregnant and take care of the baby, and that would be it. She agreed to the medical examinations since she didn't want to contract any diseases, as she didn't know what his sexual life was like. She returned to the first page and signed the papers, two more pages, and then went to the door, asking the secretary to call Cassian. She waited there.

"Is she his girlfriend?" the girl asked without looking at Emeraude.

"No," Emeraude replied, embarrassed. "Why?"

"Mr. St. Clair usually doesn't allow anyone into his office, as a precaution," the secretary explained, seeming relieved by Emeraude's answer, as it meant she didn't have to maintain a rigid formal posture.

"How long have you worked for him?" Emeraude asked, curious.

"Since he returned from overseas," the secretary replied, smiling. "Mr. St. Clair is a great boss."

"That's good," Emeraude replied, smiling as well.

Cassian appeared with a man by his side, not too old but not very young either. The secretary quickly got up.

"Mr. St. Clair," she greeted the older man, who smiled.

"Hannah, how are you?" he asked politely.

"Well, and you, sir?" she asked politely.

"Doing well, thank you," he replied cheerfully, and finally looked at the dark-haired girl in front of him before turning his gaze back to Cassian.

"Father, this is Emeraude. Emeraude, this is Thaddeus St. Clair, my father," Cassian said.

"Pleasure, miss…?" Thaddeus left the question hanging.

"Kensington, the pleasure is mine, Mr. St. Clair," Emeraude replied, shaking his hand.

"Let's go to the office," Cassian said.

"Here are the papers; I've already signed all the pages I had to," Emeraude handed the documents to Cassian. "I really need to go."

"It won't take long, I promise," he said, heading to the office, with Thaddeus following closely behind.

They entered the room, and Thaddeus immediately sat down, while Emeraude remained standing, watching as Cassian flipped through all the pages of the contract. She wondered if Cassian's father was aware of what was happening or if he thought it was just another contract, as he seemed distracted by what Cassian was doing. When Cassian finally signed the pages, he handed her a copy, which she put in her bag.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, and Cassian nodded. "I'm leaving now, Mr. St. Clair," she said to Thaddeus. Cassian accompanied her to the door and walked out with her.

They walked to the elevator in silence, and Cassian pressed the button to call it. Emeraude crossed her arms, waiting.

"Aren't you going to discuss anything about the contract?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

"I was going to, but I'm not going to anymore," she replied. "I'll send you the amount I've chosen later."

"All right, the examinations will start tomorrow. If you want, I can pick you up at your house," Cassian offered as the elevator door opened.

"No need," she replied, stepping into the elevator. After all, she was still upset about what he had done in the room.

"I'll be there at 9 a.m.," he said, smiling weakly, before the elevator door closed.

As the elevator descended, Emeraude questioned whether she had made the right decision.