Chapter 3 - The Proposition

Amber leaned against the counter before making her way through the crowded room.

He wasn’t drinking or engaging with anyone, just standing there, scanning the room like he was looking for something—or someone. His presence didn’t sit right with her.

Stopping a few feet from him, Amber crossed her arms. “You lost, pretty boy? This isn’t exactly the country club.”

Ryan held her gaze, unfazed by her sarcasm. “Not lost,” he replied, his voice cool and controlled, a stark contrast to the chaos swirling around them. “Just looking for someone.”

Amber raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued despite herself. "Looking for someone? Who?" she asked, her tone a mix of skepticism and caution.

Ryan paused for a moment, as if considering how much to reveal. "I was told I’d find Ruby here," he said evenly. "That she might be exactly what I need."

Amber’s pulse quickened, and a knot tightened in her stomach. She shifted slightly, masking the sudden spike of both curiosity and caution. “And why are you looking for Ruby?” she asked, her voice edged with suspicion.

Ryan’s gaze didn’t falter. "The truth is, I’m not looking for the stripper, but for the woman behind her—Amber Cole”.

Amber froze, her mind racing. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him. "Fuck…" she muttered under her breath, her expression shifting from guarded to outright alarmed. "Who the hell are you? And how do you know my real name?"

Ryan leaned forward, his posture shifting to one of intent seriousness, as if he didn't want anyone overhearing their conversation. "I did a little research," he replied evenly, his tone calm but firm. "I needed to know who I was dealing with."

Amber’s face twisted in disbelief. What the fuck? She sank into the nearest chair, gripping the edge of the table as she tried to process his words.

She barely had time to react before the weight of the revelation settled in. Then, as if snapping out of a trance, she abruptly pushed herself to her feet, the chair scraping loudly against the floor.

But before she could go any further, Ryan reached out, his hand gripping her arm gently but firmly, pulling her back into her seat.

"Listen," he said, his voice lowering to a more intimate level. "You need to hear me out first."

The moment his fingers brushed against her skin, an electric charge shot through the air between them. Amber felt the sudden pull, the heat of his touch lingering longer than necessary. Her breath hitched, and for a brief moment, everything else seemed to fade. She froze, her body betraying her, the tension between them undeniable.

Ryan could feel it too—the shift, the unspoken connection that seemed to spark to life the second their skin made contact. He held her gaze, his grip still steady, not wanting to break the moment.

“I’m offering you a business arrangement,” Ryan said, his voice calm but firm. “A marriage of convenience. For 500,000 dollars.”

Amber blinked, certain she hadn’t heard him right. "A what?"

Ryan leaned in slightly, his tone serious, eyes unwavering. "A marriage of convenience. You stay married to me for one year, and I’ll pay you half a million dollars. It's a clause in my grandfather's will. I don’t have a choice."

Amber’s pulse quickened. "Wait a minute," she muttered, more to herself than to him, her breath coming faster as she processed what he was saying. "So, you're offering me… a marriage? For money?" She looked at him with a mix of disbelief and suspicion. "What’s the catch?"

Ryan’s expression didn’t waver. "No catch. Just a contract. You marry me, and in one year, you get paid. Simple as that."

Amber felt the weight of his words settle into the pit of her stomach. A part of her wanted to laugh, another part wanted to throw something at him. But something deeper, something buried in the years of struggle and broken promises, tugged at her. The thought of escaping, of walking away from everything she knew, had a strange appeal.

"Think it over," Ryan said, his gaze steady, as though he already knew the internal battle playing out in her mind.

Amber leaned back in the chair, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to stay composed. "Right! Because I totally trust a guy who walks into a strip club and makes an absurd proposition."

"I’m offering you a chance to change your life," Ryan continued, his voice low but insistent. "You don’t have to struggle anymore. You can walk away from all of this—if you want."

Amber paused, her heart racing, memories of her past flickering through her mind. A broken childhood, nights spent in survival mode, fighting for every scrap of happiness. The thought of a way out, even one as strange as this, was undeniably tempting.

"Change my circumstances?" she echoed, her voice raw with emotion. "Do you even know what it’s like to fight tooth and nail just to survive?" Her words hung in the air, thick with the weight of years spent just scraping by.

Ryan leaned back, his eyes softening for a moment. "I get it. But I’m not offering you an easy way out. Just a chance. The rest is up to you."

The silence between them thickened, charged with the weight of the decision she would have to make.

Amber let out a shaky breath and looked up at him again, her expression a mix of frustration and disbelief. "Fuck," she muttered, shaking her head. "I don’t even know your name."