Chapter Two: An Offer Too Good

ADAM BELLA

"Did you confirm it?" Elowen’s voice was sharp, cutting through the fog of disbelief still clouding my mind.

"Yeah," I replied, watching the street in a daze. "He said I’m not in his class anymore." My voice was flat, as though saying the words aloud would make the hurt dissipate.

"Did you kick him?" Her tone was filled with righteous fury.

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "Yeah, but... I forgot to slap him."

"Good enough. I’m at your apartment. Come quickly. We need to talk."

The line went dead, leaving me standing there, torn between laughing and crying. Elowen was always a fighter, always ready to battle my demons when I couldn’t. But today, it wasn’t enough. Nothing felt enough.

I turned to leave when, out of nowhere, a strong hand gripped mine. Startled, I looked up to meet the gaze of a man whose presence was as unsettling as it was captivating. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, unblinking, unreadable.

"Let go," I demanded, though my voice betrayed the slight tremor of fear.

He didn’t release my hand. Instead, he leaned in, his voice deep and commanding. "Marry me."

I blinked, sure I hadn’t heard him right. "What?"

His gaze remained locked on mine, unwavering. "You heard me. Marry me."

"Are you insane?" I stepped back, but he held my hand firm, his eyes glinting with something dangerous something determined.

"No. And I don’t repeat myself twice."

The audacity of the man nearly rendered me speechless. Who did he think he was? I crossed my arms, doing my best to mask the disbelief coursing through me. "Well, I’m not interested."

I turned, intending to leave this bizarre encounter behind, when his next words stopped me cold.

"I’ll pay you ten million dollars."

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Slowly, I turned back to face him. His expression was dead serious, not a hint of humor in those ice-cold eyes. "What did you say?"

"Ten million. To marry me for a year."

I stared at him, every nerve in my body screaming that this couldn’t be real. It had to be a joke. But there was no trace of laughter on his face. Only deadly seriousness.

"I’m not for sale," I shot back, though the words felt hollow in my mouth, my mind already swirling with the thought of what that money could do. The hospital bills, my father’s condition…

The man took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. "Fifteen million."

Fifteen million dollars. The air left my lungs in a rush. I swallowed hard, trying to process the magnitude of what he was offering. The desperation in me flared, thoughts of my father, of the mounting medical bills clawing at my resolve. But who was this man, and why was he so desperate for a wife?

I opened my mouth to ask, but he cut me off, his tone sharp. "We’ll sign a contract. One year. After that, we part ways."

"Why do you need a wife so badly?" The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

His face darkened, his eyes narrowing. "That’s not your concern."

My legs felt rooted to the spot. I should’ve walked away, should’ve said no and left this insane encounter behind. But his offer weighed heavily on my shoulders, dragging me down into an abyss of temptation.

He extended his hand toward me, his voice soft but firm. "So, do we have a deal?"

I stared at his hand, my heart pounding in my ears. One year. Fifteen million dollars. The offer felt unreal, but the consequences were all too tangible. My father’s frail body flashed in my mind, hooked up to machines we could barely afford. The reality of my situation crashed over me.

Without fully comprehending what I was doing, I reached out and shook his hand. "Okay. It's a deal."

His lips curled into a satisfied smirk, and before I could second-guess my decision, two large men his bodyguards, I realized approached us, bowing slightly before him. They didn’t make eye contact with me, their presence silent but intimidating.

This wasn’t just a business deal anymore. This was the start of something dangerous, something that could change my life in ways I couldn’t begin to imagine.