CHAPTER 3

Clara Montgomery POV

I stared at the man standing in front of me. The rain was pouring all around us, but not a single drop touched him. He looked like he belonged on a billboard or the cover of a business magazine, not at a dirty bus stop at two in the morning.

"Do I look like the type of girl who just gets into strangers' cars?" I asked, my teeth chattering so hard it was difficult to get the words out.

"You look like a girl who is going to freeze to death if she stays on this bench for another ten minutes," he replied smoothly. He didn't sound mean, just completely practical.

I looked at the sleek black car, then back at him. I was exhausted, freezing, and my feet were bleeding. At this point, even if he was a serial killer, it felt better than staying out here. I forced my shaking legs to stand up, gripping the heavy, wet fabric of my wedding dress.

The driver immediately stepped forward to hold a second umbrella over my head, guiding me toward the back seat. The moment I stepped inside the car, the blast of warm air hit my skin, making me shiver violently. The leather seats were pristine, and the interior smelled like expensive cedar and old money.

The man climbed in right after me, closing the door and shutting out the sound of the storm. He didn't sit right next to me; he kept a respectful distance, leaning back against the leather seat and looking at me with a calm, calculating gaze.

"There's a dry blanket in the compartment next to you," he said, gesturing with his hand. "And a bottle of water."

I didn't say thank you. I just grabbed the thick fleece blanket and wrapped it tightly around my shoulders, burying myself in the warmth. I took a few sips of the water, my hands shaking so badly that some of it spilled onto my chin.

The car smoothly pulled away from the curb, moving silently through the dark streets.

"You know my name," I said, turning my head to look at him. "But I still don't know yours."

"Alexander Sterling," he said, holding out a hand.

My breath hitched. Alexander Sterling. Everyone in the city knew that name. He was the CEO of Sterling Enterprises—a massive tech and real estate conglomerate that practically ran the economy. He was also my father's fiercest business rival. The Montgomerys and the Sterlings had been at war for over a decade.

I didn't take his hand. I just stared at it until he slowly let it drop back to his lap. "What is the head of Sterling Enterprises doing driving around the slums looking for me?"

"I wasn't looking for you, Clara. I was on my way back from a late dinner meeting when my driver spotted a woman in a wedding dress sitting at a bus stop," Alexander explained, his voice entirely relaxed. "When I realized it was the famous Clara Montgomery, whose wedding was supposed to be the event of the century tonight, I decided to pull over."

"So you came to laugh at me? To see how the Montgomery empire is crumbling?"

"I don't waste my time laughing at people," he said, shifting his position so he was facing me more directly. "But I do appreciate a good opportunity when I see one. What happened? Did Julian get cold feet?"

"No," I spat out, the anger flaring up in my chest again. "He's an asshole. He and my stepsister Sienna... they were planning to take my mother's trust fund and divorce me in a year. My father knew about it and didn't care. He tried to force me to go through with it anyway."

Alexander didn't look surprised. He just nodded slowly, his dark eyes fixed on mine. "Your father always did care more about profit than his own blood. It’s a bad business model, honestly. It makes people sloppy."

"Is that all this is to you? A business model?" I pulled the blanket tighter around myself. "My life just fell apart, Mr. Sterling."

"And I'm offering to help you put it back together. With a much better foundation." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a sleek, thin tablet. He tapped the screen a few times and handed it over to me.

I looked down at the screen. It was a digital document. At the top, in bold letters, it read:     MUTUAL AGREEMENT AND MARRIAGE CONTRACT.

My jaw dropped. I looked from the tablet back to his face. "Are you insane? I just escaped one fake marriage, and you're trying to push me into another one?"

"This is different," Alexander said, leaning forward, his tone suddenly serious. "Julian wanted to steal from you. I don't need your money, Clara. I have more than enough of my own. What I want is to completely crush your father's shipping expansion. If we marry, the Montgomery-Vance merger falls apart instantly. The investors will panic, and my company will swoop in and buy out their shares."

"And what do I get out of this?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Revenge," he said simply. "And protection. Sign this contract, and you get access to unlimited funds. Your father won't be able to touch you or freeze your life. Julian and Sienna will have to watch you become the wife of the most powerful man in the city while their families go bankrupt. I will give you the resources to ruin everyone who hurt you tonight."

My heart hammered against my ribs. It sounded completely crazy. It was a business deal, pure and simple. No love, no fake promises, no hidden agendas. He was being completely honest about his ruthlessness.

"What are the terms?" I asked, looking down at the tablet again.

"One year," Alexander replied. "We live in the same house. We attend public events together as a happily married couple to keep the press happy. Behind closed doors, we mind our own business. No romance, no expectations. After twelve months, we quietly divorce, and I settle a hundred million dollars into your personal account. You'll never have to look at your father or Julian ever again."

I stared at the document. My thumb hovered over the digital signature box. Just a few hours ago, I was crying on a bench, thinking my life was over. Now, the biggest billionaire in the city was offering me a way to strike back.

"Why me?" I asked, looking him dead in the eye. "You could marry anyone, Alexander."

"Because you have the Montgomery name, and you have a burning desire to see them fall," he said, his lips twitching into that dangerous smirk again. "A partner with a grudge is always the most reliable."

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. If I said no, he would drop me off at some cheap hotel, and tomorrow I’d be broke, humiliated, and hunted by my father’s lawyers. If I said yes... I’d be stepping into a whole new world of danger. But at least this time, I knew exactly what the rules were.

I took the stylus from the side of the tablet, pressed it against the screen, and signed my name.

Alexander took the tablet back, checked the signature, and smiled. He tapped the intercom to talk to the driver. "James, change of plans. We're going straight to the penthouse. And call the stylist. Tell her we need a full wardrobe ready by sunrise."