4. The Proposition

The sterile, white hospital room felt suffocating as Elysia lay there, trapped in a body that ached and a heart that shattered. The steady beep of the heart monitor seemed like a cruel joke, marking the pulse of someone who had already died in every way that mattered.

Her world had been stolen—first her family, now her future. Betrayed, discarded, abandoned. All the pieces of her life that once held meaning were scattered like broken glass, and she was left with nothing but the jagged shards.

Adrian Wolfe’s presence in her room was like a constant weight pressing down on her chest. He had come to her with truth—his brand of truth, harsh and brutal, delivering the revelation of her husband’s treachery with no hesitation. And now, instead of leaving her to drown in the wreckage of her life, he stood there, silently observing her, as if waiting for something.

Elysia’s gaze lifted to meet his, the anger simmering behind her eyes. She was tired of pretending, tired of the pity she could see in his dark, unreadable eyes.

“You said you want the company, right?” Her voice was low, but there was an edge to it.

Adrian didn’t move, his posture stiff, calculating.

“Then I guess you should go to the place you found me and shoot my husband,” Elysia said, the words slipping from her lips without a second thought. She didn’t even flinch at her own suggestion—she had nothing left to lose.

Adrian’s lips twitched in amusement, but he didn’t take his eyes off her.

“Take over my company. You’re wasting your time standing here because I have nothing to offer you. I’m just a naïve, stupid woman who’s lost everything. And right now, I’m in a damn hospital gown, mourning over my baby and every relationship I’ve ever lost.”

The words stung, sharp and bitter, but they were the truth.

Adrian watched her, an unreadable expression on his face. “You want me to kill him?” His tone was casual, as if discussing business.

Elysia’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t that what people like you do?”

“People like me?” he asked, his voice smooth, his smirk only deepening.

“Ruthless,” she spat. “Cold. You don’t care about anything except power. You’ll do anything to get what you want, even if it means—”

“Even if it means what?” Adrian interrupted her, his voice low, cutting through her words like a knife.

Elysia’s hands balled into fists, and she looked away. “Even if it means destroying everyone you touch.”

For a moment, there was silence. Adrian studied her, his eyes sharp, calculating.

“You’re wrong,” he said quietly, his gaze not leaving her. “You think your husband has won?” He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “You think he’s on top of the world now that he controls your company, your legacy, your name?”

Elysia flinched at the mention of her father’s name, but she didn’t say anything.

Adrian’s gaze never wavered. “You’re wrong. He’s nothing but a puppet. And his strings are about to be cut.”

Her heart pounded in her chest, the words vibrating through her like an electric shock. She couldn’t believe it, couldn’t even begin to process what he was saying.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered.

Adrian took a step closer, his presence enveloping her like a dark cloud. “You don’t have to. But I can promise you this—he’s finished. And you’re going to be the one to finish him.”

Elysia’s pulse raced, the idea of taking her power back slowly sinking in, like a lifeline being thrown to someone who had almost drowned.

“Do you want him to suffer?” Adrian’s voice was almost too smooth, the kind of voice that promised darkness.

“I don’t even know anymore,” she replied, her voice breaking as she tried to make sense of everything that had happened.

Adrian’s eyes glinted, a flicker of something almost predatory in them. “You don’t have to know. You just have to act.” He took a deep breath, then pulled a manila envelope from his coat pocket and placed it on the bedside table in front of her.

Elysia’s eyes widened. “What’s this?”

His smile was cold, sharp, and deadly. “The start of your freedom.”

Elysia reached for the envelope, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened it. She pulled out a set of divorce papers, her eyes immediately locking onto the bold letters at the top.

Her stomach twisted. “Divorce papers?” she asked, the words tasting like acid.

Adrian’s eyes flicked over her face, observing every shift in her expression. “Your husband doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t deserve your company, your legacy, or your name. He’s betrayed you, Elysia. And if you’re smart, you’ll cut him loose.”

Elysia felt the anger inside her rise, a fire burning beneath the numbness she’d been carrying. She could barely look at the papers, let alone sign them.

But Adrian wasn’t finished.

“You sign these papers,” he said, his voice firm and steady, “and you leave him. You’ll marry me.”

Elysia’s heart stopped for a second.

“Marry you?” she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

“Yes,” Adrian replied, his tone unflinching. “You’ll marry me, and in return, I’ll help you take everything back. Your company. Your reputation. Your life. Everything he’s taken from you.”

Her breath caught in her throat. It was a deal too simple, too convenient. She couldn’t trust him. She knew that. But as she stared at the divorce papers in her hands, she also knew that her life had become a game of survival.

“I won’t do it just for revenge,” she said, her voice steady, but something dark was starting to stir inside her.

Adrian’s lips curled into a smile that was both cruel and enticing. “Who said anything about just revenge?”

Elysia stared at the papers, her mind racing, her thoughts tangled. Every part of her screamed that she shouldn’t do this. Every instinct told her to walk away, to find another way. But deep down, she knew there was no other way.

Adrian was offering her a chance—a chance to reclaim what was hers, a chance to destroy the man who had taken everything from her.

A chance to take control of her own destiny.

And despite every warning that screamed in her head, despite every ounce of doubt, she couldn’t ignore the truth: the hunger for power, the thirst for revenge, was already consuming her.

She took a deep breath, the papers feeling heavier in her hands than she could bear.

But she didn’t look away.

“I’ll do it,” she whispered.