Chapter 5

​Christopher Hugh Blackwood sat in the leather interior of his Maybach, his long fingers drumming a erratic, restless rhythm against the armrest. His tailored suit jacket felt suffocatingly tight across his shoulders, every breath heavy with a sharp, knotting tension he hadn't experienced in over a decade.

​“Driver, move faster,” Christopher growled, his voice laced with an edge of quiet panic that made Luke, sitting in the front passenger seat, flinch.

​“Sir, we’re already going twenty miles over the speed limit—” Luke began nervously.

​“I don't care,” Christopher interrupted, his gray eyes dark as storm clouds as he stared out at the passing streetlights.

​His mind was a chaotic firestorm. Ever since Luke had delivered the dossier on the Sterling family’s financial ruin, Christopher’s cool, calculating composure had completely disintegrated. The thought of Valerie—proud, brilliant, fierce Valerie—being backed into a corner by predatory banks was bad enough. But the realization that Trevor’s despicable family was actively sabotaging her, forcing her parents to evaluate grotesque marriage proposals from notorious playboys and abusive socialites, made Christopher’s blood run cold with genuine terror.

​What if she felt so desperate she actually considered one of them? What if he was too late? The mere thought of another man laying a hand on her made his chest tighten so violently he could barely draw air.

​Within minutes, the heavy sedan screeched to a halt in front of the Sterling family residence. Christopher barely waited for the chauffeur to step around before he shoved the door open himself, striding up the stone walkway with long, urgent steps.

​Inside the house, the atmosphere in the drawing room was suffocatingly tense. Valerie’s parents sat on the velvet sofa, their faces drawn and pale with exhaustion. Standing near the fireplace were Trevor’s parents—Christopher’s elder sister and her husband—looking down at them with sickening arrogance. Valerie herself was nowhere to be seen, having stepped out into the rear garden moments prior to take a breath away from the hostility.  

​“Let’s be entirely realistic, brother,” Trevor’s mother sneered, setting her fine porcelain tea cup down on the glass table with a deliberate, harsh click. “Your company, Sterling Global, is completely ruined. The formal engagement between Trevor and Valerie was dissolved five years ago. We came here today out of courtesy to demand the official return of the family heirloom token so Trevor can move forward with his life without your family’s disgraced reputation hanging over him.”  

​Valerie’s father clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, his body trembling with suppressed fury. “You crushed our bank credit approvals! You personally called the board members of three major investment funds to ensure we couldn't secure a loan! You destroyed us!”  

​“It’s simply business,” Trevor’s father scoffed, smoothing the front of his vest. “Since the children no longer agree, it’s best not to force an association.”  

​Just as Trevor’s parents took a step forward to lay a cold cancellation contract onto the coffee table, the heavy mahogany front doors swung open with a resounding thud.  

​Christopher strode into the living room, his tall frame blocking the hallway light. His tie was slightly loosened, his dark hair ruffled from his frantic drive, and his gray eyes burned with a lethal, icy rage.  

​Trevor’s mother gasped, stumbling back in complete shock. “C-Christopher?! What on earth are you doing here?!”  

​Christopher ignored his sister entirely, stepping directly between them and Valerie’s stunned parents. He took a deep, steadying breath, suppressing the tremor in his hands before offering Mr. and Mrs. Sterling a deep, respectful bow.  

​“Mr. and Mrs. Sterling,” Christopher said, his voice dropping into a solemn, heavy cadence that filled the quiet room. “I apologize for intruding into your home unannounced. I am here to formally present an alliance between Blackwood Enterprises and the Sterling family—by offering my hand in marriage to your daughter, Valerie.”  

​The entire room went dead silent.

​Trevor’s mother looked as though she had been struck by lightning, her face turning crimson. “Christopher! Have you lost your mind?! You are the Chairman of Blackwood! You can’t marry a girl from a bankrupt family!”  

​Christopher turned his head slowly, casting a glare at his sister so terrifyingly cold that her breath hitched in her throat.  

​“I suggest you and your husband leave this estate this instant,” Christopher warned, his tone dropping to a dangerous, low murmur. “If you utter another insult toward this family, I will personally revoke your husband’s corporate board seats and freeze every sub-asset attached to Trevor’s name before sunset.”  

​Trevor’s father turned pale as paper, grabbing his wife by the arm and dragging her out the door without daring to utter a single word.  

​Once the front door slammed shut, Christopher turned back to Valerie’s parents, the fierce edge in his posture instantly softening into earnest respect. He pulled a sleek black leather folder from his inner coat pocket and placed it carefully on the table.  

​“This document details a full capital injection that will completely liquidate Sterling Global’s debt by tomorrow morning,” Christopher explained quietly. “I do not ask for your answer immediately, but please know my intentions are absolute. I will step outside to give you a moment.”  

“Even if you'll give us time all decision is left to our daughter afterall she'll be the one getting married”

​Outside in the cool evening air, Valerie was leaning against the stone balustrade of the front porch, wrapping her cardigan tightly around herself. She had heard the commotion inside, but before she could walk back to the living room, she saw Trevor’s parents rushing out to their car as if being chased by a ghost.  

​Seconds later, the front door opened, and the tall, striking stranger from the company and the reunion stepped out onto the porch.  

​Valerie turned to him, her brows furrowed in complete perplexity. “You? What are you doing at my parents' house? And why were Trevor’s aunt and uncle running out like their lives depended on it?”  

​Christopher stopped a few paces away, adjusting his cuffs. Up close, Valerie noticed that despite his cool demeanor, his jaw was tight, and his dark eyes searched her face with an intensity that made her pulse flutter uncontrollably.  

​“I scared them off,” Christopher said smoothly, taking a small step closer. “They won't be bothering your family again.”  

​Valerie crossed her arms, tilting her head suspiciously. “You scared them off? Look, I know you work high up at Blackwood, but isn't this getting out of hand? First you play along with my lie at the hotel, then you watch me make a fool of myself at the office meeting, and now you’re showing up at my childhood home?”  

​“I didn't think you were making a fool of yourself,” Christopher replied softly, a faint, almost tender smile touching the corner of his lips. “In fact, I found your advice quite refreshing.”  

​“Refreshing?” Valerie scoffed gently, shaking her head. “Mr. Executive, I pointed out your watch, your designer shoes, and that custom car you ride around in. You live an incredibly extravagant lifestyle. If you keep sticking your nose into family drama like this, aren't you worried your actual big boss at Blackwood Enterprises will fire you for misusing company influence?”  

​Christopher couldn't help the low, deep chuckle that escaped his chest. The utter irony of her assuming he was just a wealthy employee wasting the CEO's resources was charming beyond measure.  

​“I assure you, my boss is entirely fine with my choices,” Christopher said, his voice dropping into a rich, intimate murmur as he took another step toward her. “In fact, he fully supports everything I’m doing right now.”  

​Valerie raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Is that so? Well, tell your boss he should pay you less so you don't spend your free time playing knight in shining armor for women who didn't ask for it.”  

​“Is that what you think I’m doing? Playing knight?” Christopher asked, his expression growing serious as he looked down at her hazel eyes. “Valerie, your family was in trouble. The banks were shutting you down because Trevor’s branch was pulling strings behind your back. Did you really think I was going to sit by and watch you suffer?”  

​Valerie froze, the defensiveness in her posture wavering slightly. “How... how do you even know about our bank trouble?”  

​“Because I care enough to look,” Christopher answered without hesitation, his voice filled with a raw sincerity that caught her off guard. “I just informed your parents inside that Blackwood Enterprises is clearing your family’s debt in exchange for a strategic marriage alliance.”  

​Valerie gasped, taking a step back in pure shock. “A marriage alliance?! Are you insane?! You can't just arrange a marriage on my behalf!”  

​“I am not forcing you into anything, Valerie,” Christopher said quickly, his hands rising slightly in a gentle, reassuring gesture. “It is a proposal. A legal, mutually beneficial arrangement that protects your family from bankruptcy and protects me from my family’s relentless matchmaking.”  

​“And who are you to negotiate a company-wide alliance?” Valerie challenged, her heart hammering against her ribs. “You’re a high-earning director, fine, but a marriage alliance requires the explicit, personal authorization of the Chairman himself!”  

​Before Christopher could answer, the sharp sound of rapid footsteps echoed down the driveway. Luke came sprinting toward the porch, clutching a leather tablet, his forehead dripping with sweat as he frantically checked his watch.  

​“Mr. Blackwood! Mr. Blackwood!” Luke gasped, stopping at the base of the stairs and wheezing for breath. “The board of directors from the European branch has been waiting on the video conference for twenty minutes! The shareholders are panicking! We have to leave for headquarters right now, sir!”  

​Valerie blinked, looking from the breathless assistant to the tall man standing in front of her. The name echoed in her head like a striking bell.  

​“Mr... Blackwood...?” Valerie repeated slowly, her eyes widening in utter disbelief as the pieces finally snapped into place.  

​Christopher turned back to Valerie, a calm, captivating smile blooming across his face as he extended his right hand toward her.  

​“Allow me to properly introduce myself, Valerie,” he said smoothly, his deep timbre sending a sudden, electrifying shiver straight down her spine. “My name is Christopher Hugh Blackwood. I am the Chairman and CEO of Blackwood Enterprises... and your prospective marriage partner.”