Chapter 9: Marry me

“What?!” she exclaimed, staring at Antonio with utter disbelief.

She scoffed. “Why did I even come here in the first place?” she muttered, cursing herself as she began to rise from her seat—only to freeze at his next words.

“In exchange for your company.”

“Eh?!”

“Why don’t you sit and listen, then decide whether to leave afterward?”

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. The mention of her company—the one thing she would sacrifice anything to reclaim—anchored her in place. After a long pause, she reluctantly sank back into her chair, glaring at him.

Antonio exhaled slowly, his tone steady.

“I need a wife. For four months. Of course, not for free. In return, I’ll get you back everything you lost—your company, your shares.”

“Why? If you need a wife, you could easily find one. Why four months? Why a contract marriage?”

He nodded, as if expecting the question.

“I’m not interested in relationships, and I have no interest in marriage. But I have to… for my grandmother.”

Eloise frowned, saying nothing.

“She has cancer—four months left to live. Her only wish is to see me settle down. She wants me married.”

“And your best idea is to lie to her?”

“It’s not a lie if we don’t get caught.”

“This is insane,” she scoffed.

“And yet you haven’t left.”

The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the faint hum of the city outside.

“So you want to use me to fulfill her wish?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t put it that way.”

He poured himself more whiskey, the amber liquid catching the dim light.

“You want your company back. I have the leverage to make that happen. In return, you play the devoted fiancée. We marry legally, but discreetly.”

“You expect me to lie to her? Pretend I’m in love with you?”

“I don’t expect love,” he replied, his gaze unwavering. “Just performance. Four months. No strings. And you walk away with your company. Consider it a business arrangement.”

He took a sip from his glass. Eloise’s heart thudded—steady, warning beats she tried to ignore. Under the table, her fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms.

“And if I refuse?”

He shrugged. “You’re free to walk away. But have you thought about your board members? It won’t be easy to win back their trust. Many of them weren’t in favor of you stepping down. Do you think they’ll welcome you back with open arms?”

Her stomach tightened. He was right. Not everyone had supported her when she handed over the company, and reclaiming it wouldn’t be simple. She needed allies, but she couldn’t be sure they still believed in her.

She bit her lip hard, her forehead creasing. Her glare could cut steel—she hated him in that moment for knowing her desperation, for pressing exactly where it hurt.

“This is crazy,” she muttered, thinking about deceiving an elderly woman.

“Maybe,” he smirked, “but sometimes crazy is the only way to win.”

She exhaled sharply. “I’d like some time to think about this.”

“Sure.” He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her. “Call me once you’ve made up your mind.”

She reached for it, but he didn’t release it right away, holding her gaze.

“Mind you,” he added, “I’m not a patient man.” Then he let go.

“And stop biting your lips like that.”

“Huh?” Her heart skipped a beat.

“You’ll make them bleed again.”

********

‘The user you have dialed is currently not available.’

Tamara dropped her phone onto the sofa after another failed attempt to reach Eloise. She turned to Mason, sitting at the edge, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. She sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with her. Why did she do this?” Mason’s voice was tight with anger.

“That’s Eloise for you—arrogant and irresponsible. If she was going to cancel the plan, she could’ve told you instead of bailing.”

“I know, right,” he fumed.

“I thought I’d be celebrating you joining the Archeon circle tonight,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I wonder what her excuse will be.”

“She has no excuse. If there was a change of plans, she could’ve texted me.”

“Wait… don’t tell me…” Tamara trailed off, watching him closely. When he stayed silent, she asked, “She isn’t having second thoughts, is she?”

“She can’t,” Mason cut in. “She’s just been acting weird since I woke her up this afternoon.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. At first, I thought she was just annoyed I interrupted her sleep. But this? Turning off her phone? She was supposed to introduce me to the circle today, and now she’s not even coming home?” He scoffed, gritting his teeth.

“Are you worrying about her?” Tamara frowned.

“Of course not. I just don’t want the plan to fall apart.”

“It doesn’t sound like that to me,” she pouted, folding her arms.

Mason’s shoulders eased. He stood, pulling her gently toward him.

“You know I’m not worried about her. If anything, I’m pissed. I hate things not going according to plan.”

Tamara nodded, though her eyes still carried sadness. She looked away.

“Babe.”

“I know… but it still turns my stomach to think about what you two could be doing together. Can’t you just divorce her? You already have her shares and her company.”

“Babe, you know that’s not enough. The board is talking—most aren’t on my side yet. She has allies in the company who could turn against me. We don’t want rumors spreading. Once I have everything, including her father’s shares—those will go to her if she has a child—then I’ll be untouchable. Even with the board’s help, she won’t be able to push me out.”

“But that means you’ll have a child with her.” Tamara’s brows drew together. “I don’t want another woman carrying your child.”

“Babe,” he said softly, “I know this is hard for you. I’m trying to endure it too. But if we want what we want, we need to last a little longer. And who cares about the child she has? The only one that matters to me is the one I’ll have with you.” He smiled, pecking her cheek until she relaxed.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make her get pregnant soon so we can end this faster.”

He looked into her wide, innocent eyes, feeling his heart race.

“I love you, Tamara.”

“Then… how about getting me pregnant too?”

He grinned. “One what?”

“Pregnant.”

He liked that. Without another word, he claimed her lips hungrily. She kissed him back but soon pushed him away slightly, breathless.

“What if she comes back?”

“Then we’d better hurry before she does.”