CHAPTER FIVE.

IVY.

“Marry me.” He said those words again.

Like it was totally normal to propose marriage to a stranger. I still didn't understand what was going on.

He went on and on about leaving on a clean slate after two years.

“Why marriage?” “Why not another option?” “You could loan us the money.” I started rambling, trying to make sense of the whole situation.

It seemed crazy that this was happening to me.

This was something that only happened in books and movies.

He looked at me with a calm, almost bored expression.

“You won't ever recover with that amount of loan.” He stated like I was dumb not to know that.

I still couldn't understand what was going on.

His assistant walked into the conference room the same way he had walked in earlier. I think it came with working at Stone Holdings.

She casually walked up to me and dropped a thick file in front of me.

The heading was “MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENT” in bold letters.

I felt like vomiting.

I pushed the file away from me.

“When you sign that, we'll be legally bound as a couple,” he continued.

I felt hot from inside. It felt like the air-conditioning in his office had stopped working.

I looked around the office and of course, it reflected the owner. I was so lost in thoughts, that I didn't notice him stand up and come to stand beside me.

“Are you going to sign that or not? I have a meeting to be at,” he said as he made himself coffee, not even bothering to offer me any.

“Do you really want to marry me?” I asked as it was the only thing that came to my mind.

“No.” He simply stated and it felt like I couldn't breathe.

“You’re simply signing an agreement that makes us husband and wife on my own terms.”

It dawned on me then, that it was not even an agreement as he said. It was more of a transaction. My stomach turned.

I wanted to enter a hole and never come back out.

“Why me?” I asked as I was trying to make sense of everything.

“Your family needs me,” he stated like it was a known fact.

“That's not what I asked.” I frowned at him as he ignored me.

“Your Father's company is going down in less than 72 hours, I give you 10 minutes to think and sign this.” He said as he leaned back in his seat and nonchalantly sipped his coffee, like he was discussing a business deal and not my life.

It was odd. That he'd propose marriage out of the blue. I've looked into this man. And he didn't propose marriage to everybody who needed saving. So, why me? What did he stand to gain from marrying me that I can't see?

I dug my fingers into my palms as I willed myself to feel something, anything. I started sweating and I could feel a panic attack on its way.

I was about to stand up and leave, when it came in full force. I saw how dad rarely laughed at dinner and became a shell of himself. I saw how mum watched her family fall apart, without knowing how to help.

“10 minutes?” I managed to choke out. He wasn't even giving me a chance to think things through.

“That's more than enough,” he replied without looking at me, sounding like he was doing me a favour.

I glanced through the contract again, refusing to touch the document containing this brazen contract.

I was to keep things confidential, live in his house with him, act like a happy couple for the public, I was not allowed to have any other relationship, and I'd pay a heavy fine if I breached the agreement.

I felt choked. And I had not even signed yet.

“What if I refuse?”

“You won't. Your family loses everything attached to their name if you do.” He said calmly like he was speaking to a child.

“And if I sign it?”

“You get protection. And your family regains their stability.”

“What's the catch?” I had to ask, it sounded too good to be true.

He asked me to read the contract, but I had read enough to know that I wasn't getting out of this easily.

“You are controlling everything.” I breathed out, fully sweating by now.

“Yes.” He replied and checked his watch.

I knew he was counting down seconds. The way he sounded, and the look in his eyes should have made me stand up, and run out of that room as fast as I could, but I stayed on my seat.

I remembered how my dad had worked so hard for this company that was about to go down.

I remembered my mum, how she seemed to carry the weight of the world on her.

“Why marriage? You could have offered anything else.” I couldn't help but ask again.

His reply came as a blow to me. My self esteem crashed.

“Because you're the only one I can be with and not fall in love.”

I didn't know what to think. I didn't know that he thought of me that lowly, as a means to an end, a convenience. I am IVY ELLIS! Many men would kill to be with me. And this man made it look like the last thing he'd ever do.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I asked.

“No. It just makes things simple.”

I wanted to grab his coffee mug and throw it at his head.

Simple! I thought as I swallowed a bitter laugh. There was nothing simple about this arrangement. My whole future was about to be upturned.

I looked down at the contract and it stared back at me.

I had just few minutes more.

“There's no going back, is there?”

“No.” He simply stated without even trying to sugarcoat things, just the hard truth.

I picked up the pen. It felt cold and heavy like it knew it was about to change my life as I knew it.

I paused again. “ I have not agreed.” I almost whispered.

“But you will.” He responded and I hated how right he was. I was trapped and I didn't have any other option.

My name stared back at me as I tried to think.

I dropped the pen. No. There has to be another way.

ZANDER.

I watched her as she weighed her options. She hesitated for a bit. She looked like she was about to sign and she dropped the pen. I groaned internally. What's wrong with her?