Chapter 6: The Devil’s Bargain

**Leylie’s POV**

My mind reeled, scrambling to find a less terrible meaning in his words. “So… you want me to talk to him? Convince him to sign something? To back off?”

He let out a low chuckle that made my stomach twist. “I need you to sleep with him. I need you to take explicit photos and videos of the two of you together. And then I’m going to use them to make sure he never stands in my way again. This deal is worth billions, Leylie, and he’s a lonely widower. I heard he has a weakness for beautiful, intelligent women, and you, my dear, are the best I have.”

I felt blood drain from my face. “Finn…” The words barely made it past my lips. “You’re asking me to… to sleep with another man? I’m your wife. Doesn’t that mean anything to you at all?”

He sighed, a sound of disappointment, the kind a parent might make when a child refuses to understand something simple.

“It’s because you’re my wife I’m asking you,” he murmured, reaching out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear. His fingertips grazed my skin, and I wanted to scream, to claw at him, but I stayed frozen. “I trust you, Leylie. I know your heart belongs to me. This isn’t about sex. It’s about loyalty. It’s about proving you’re willing to do whatever it takes for our future.”

"It’s about a lie," I countered. “You want me to take pictures? Videos? You want me to ruin a stranger’s life just so you can win a business deal?”

His thumb traced slowly along my jaw, the touch gentle until it wasn’t, until his grip tightened just enough to remind me how easily he could hurt me.

“There you go again,” his voice hardened. “Always painting yourself as the victim. I’m asking you to be my partner to help protect everything we’ve built together. Do you have any idea the pressure I’m under? The sleepless nights? The constant threats?”

He shook his head, his eyes filling with something that looked almost like hurt. “I’m disappointed. After everything I’ve done for you, after I pulled you out of nothing and gave you this life, I thought you’d be eager to stand by me. But all you do is take. You are fucking selfish! The second I ask for one small sacrifice, you cry about morals. Do you even love me, Leylie? Or are you just in love with the money?”

“I love you!” I choked out. “That’s exactly why this feels so wrong. If you loved me, you wouldn’t want another man’s hands on me.”

He softened his voice again, leaning closer until I could smell whiskey on his breath. “Baby,” he whispered, “if you do this for me, if you prove you’re willing to go this far for us, then I’ll finally know your love is real. This is the ultimate test, my love. Just this one thing. After it’s done, I’ll never ask for anything again. We’ll be happy. Just you and me, the way it’s supposed to be.”

“This isn’t a test,” I said, voice shaking harder now. “It’s a crime. It’s wrong.”

The warmth vanished from his face in an instant. His expression turned cold. “I see.” He straightened, looking down at me like I was something disappointing he’d just discovered. “You’ve made your choice. You’d rather watch Hayes Doyle keep winning than see your own husband succeed. You’d rather cling to your precious pride than protect the people who depend on you.”

He reached for his phone on the side table. “I’ve obviously been too soft with you. I’ve shielded you from how the real world works for too long. Let’s see how your sister handles reality.”

My heart stopped. "What are you doing?"

He tapped the screen and switched to speakerphone. I watched, frozen, as the dial tone filled the room. “Mr. Bedford,” he said when the call connected, his voice suddenly warm, charming, and terrifyingly friendly. “How’s the dean’s office treating you today?”

“Mr. Thorne! Always a pleasure to hear from you,” came the deep, polished reply. “What can I do for you? You know the university is forever grateful for your continued… generosity.”

“I appreciate that, Arthur. Actually, I was looking into the status of one of your freshmen, Maya Field, a Computer Science major. Bright girl. But I’m beginning to have some concerns about her placement.”

“Maya Field? Yes, of course. I can pull her records right now. What exactly do you need, Finnian? Name it, and it’s done.”

He looked straight into my eyes, thumb hovering over the mute button. “I’ve realized she may not be the right fit for your institution after all, Arthur. In fact, I think it would be best if you were to—”

"I'll do it!" The words left my mouth before I could stop them. “I’ll do it, Finn. Please.”

He raised one hand, silencing me with a single look. “Arthur, my apologies. My wife just dropped a glass. Give me one moment.” He muted the call and leaned down until his face was inches from mine. “What did you say, Leylie? I didn’t quite catch that.”

He had always threatened, but I never thought for one day he would actually do it. 

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall. “I’ll do it,” I whispered. “I’ll go to Hayes Doyle. I’ll do whatever you want... leave Maya alone. Please, Finn. Hang up the phone.”

A slow, satisfied smirk curled across his mouth as he unmuted the line. “Arthur, sorry about that. Turns out I was mistaken. Maya is exactly where she belongs. I’ll have that donation for the new lab wired by the end of the week. Give my best to your wife.”

“Of course, Finnian. Thank you! Have a wonderful day, both of you.”

The call ended.

He set the phone down carefully and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him as he pressed a kiss to my temple, lips lingering against my skin. “You see?” he whispered, breath hot on my face. “That wasn’t so hard. You’re so much sexier when you’re compliant, honey. When you finally understand that I’m the only thing standing between your family and ruin.”

He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, lifting my chin with his fingers and forcing my gaze to meet his. “Don’t even think about changing your mind. Because the moment you do, Arthur Bedford gets another call. And this time, I won’t hang up.”