Chapter 3: Proposal

I gazed at my phone, my thoughts racing.  This had to be a trap.  Clara does not do anything until it benefits her.  And yet... what if it wasn’t?  What if this was my only opportunity to change things around?

I turned to Daniel, who had been listening to our conversation.  "That sounded suspicious," he said.

"You think so?"  I murmured dryly, raking a hand over my hair.  "But I don’t have an option as it stands now."

Daniel frowned.  "And what if it’s a setup?"  

I feigned a smile.  "Then at least Clara will get the best seat in the house when my world comes crashing down again."

The joke was lame, but it was all I had left.

That night, I hardly slept.  I kept thinking whether I was making the greatest mistake of my life.

By dawn, I had determined I attend the meeting with the same person who had ruined my dream some days ago.

----

I headed to the meeting.

When I arrived at the venue Clara had texted me.  It was a five-star hotel, the type of place where deals were struck over with costly whiskey and where business and political decisions were made.

I went inside, examining the large foyer.  My heels tapped on the marble floor as I made my way to the private lounge Clara had told me to meet her in.

She was already there, sitting at a table, sipping on a glass of champagne looking so indifferent like had never done anything to me.

"Isabella," she welcomed with a smile.  "Glad you came."

I pulled out a chair but didn’t sit.  "Where is this millionaire?"

She raised an eyebrow.  "Be patient."

I crossed my arms.  "I don’t have time for patience, Clara.  My mother is in a hospital bed, and I have debts I cannot pay.  So you either present me to this mysterious dude or stop wasting my time."

Clara’s sneer grew.  "Still as fierce as ever.  No surprise he is fascinated."

I blinked.  "He?"

She cocked her head toward the entrance of the lounge.  "Speak of the devil."

I followed her eyes and felt my breath catch.

A handsome-looking guy strode in, his appearance was influential and commanding.  His presence alone seemed to affect the air in the room.  He was dressed in a nicely made suit, the type that shouted money and authority. If I must confess, He was every woman's dream of a guy.  Dark, his keen eyes focused on mine, and something in them made my heart accelerate.

Who was he?

And more crucially...

Why did he stare at me like he already knew me? I became confused

"You’re Isabella." He said to confirm

His voice was smooth, deep, and laced with power, like someone accustomed to being obeyed.  I raised my chin, trying not to cower beneath his stare.

"And you must be the mysterious millionaire," I said, keeping my tone neutral.

A hint of a sneer graced his lips.  "Billionaire."  He answered.

My stomach twisted.  I knew Clara wouldn’t have fixed me up with just anybody even with the knowledge that she is evil, but I had not anticipated someone of this calibre, Alexander Steele.  The name alone commands power.  He was a guy who dominated business headlines—sometimes for his genius, other times for his scandals.  Rumours arose about his financial woes, about business competitors lurking like vultures, waiting for him to fall.

And yet, here I am, standing before him, he appeared untouchable.

"Sit," he requested, indicating to the chair across from him.

I hesitated.  A voice in my brain yelled at me to go away.  Deals like this?  They always come at a price but my mother’s face in the hospital bed keeps flashing in my mind—her hand curled around mine, her whispered words of encouragement even in the sick bed keep echoing in my mind.

I slipped into the chair.

"Good," Alexander whispered, repositioning his seat.  He steepled his fingers, his dark gaze scrutinizing me like I was a scrabble he planned to solve.  "Clara told me you’re desperate."

I was shocked to hear this from Alex.  "Clara has a way with words."

"She also told me that you’re talented.  That you had established a firm from scratch before —how do I describe it….. Though it was shattered apart."

Anger flashed in my chest.  "If this is just a way to mock about my failure—"  I asked.

"It’s not," he interjected, his tone stern.  "It’s a test."

I blinked.  "A test?"  I questioned him.

He leaned back, tilting his head.  "To check whether I still have fight left in you my thoughts or if I have already succumbed."

Heat flared behind my ribs.  He doesn’t know me.  He doesn’t know the sleepless nights, the fights I had waged and the pieces of myself I was still striving to keep together.

I didn’t surrender, I responded with a firm voice that uncertainty is bound, it has happened but I can’t give up.

His lips curled slightly like I had passed some implicit challenge.  "Good.  Because I am going to give you an offer that will transform your life."

I swallowed.  "I’m listening,"  I said with my penetrative gaze on him.

He breathed gently as if selecting his words carefully.  "My company—Steele Enterprises—is crumbling."

I didn’t respond, but my thoughts whirled.  So the rumours were true.

"Corporate competitors have been circling for months, and my finance staff made a series of mistakes that left us in a vulnerable situation.  Investors are bailing out.  Employees are panicking.  If I don’t turn things around—fast—I  will lose everything."

I frowned.  "And what does that have to do with me?"

His eyes didn’t waver.  "I need someone like you.  Someone smart, brutal when required, and eager to take risks.  I need fresh ideas, a new strategy in my company and most importantly, I need someone who knows what it’s like to be pushed into a corner with no way out."

My pulse hammered.  "You want me to help you rebuild Steele Enterprises?"  I asked.

What exactly does Alexander needs from a beautiful lady like me?

Find out in the next chapter!