Chapter 4: The Proposition

(Jane's POV)

It felt like my heart was about to leap out of my chest. I stared at him as if he had sprouted two heads.

“Together?” I echoed, my voice barely audible. “You want the world to think we’re… what? A couple?”

William’s expression didn’t change. 

“Something like that.”

I burst out laughing sharp, disbelieving, and maybe a touch unhinged.

“No. Absolutely not. I won’t do it.”

“Jane….”

“Do you even hear yourself?” I snapped. “Everything in my life is already a disaster. You want to pour gasoline on the fire?”

He didn’t waver. His gaze remained steady, cold, but with something simmering beneath the surface.

Calculated.  

Strategic.  

Desperate, perhaps.

“This scandal is larger than both of us,” he insisted. “It’s beyond anything we can handle alone.”

I shook my head, pacing urgently around his office. The sound of my heels against the polished floor only heightened my irritation.

“This is madness,” I muttered to myself. “Utter madness.”

“Jane. Sit,” he said, his voice low.

And, almost against my will, I obeyed.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, fingers clasped together.

“There are two paths we can take,” he said. “Path one: the media keeps dragging your name through the mud. You remain the ‘mistress’ while your life continues to unravel. They’ll dig into your past, your family, your mother….”

“Enough.” My voice trembled as I interrupted him.

He held still, recognizing the weight of my words. 

“Not my mom,” I whispered. “Anything but that.”

“Path two,” he continued, “we take control of the narrative. We shape the story instead of letting it consume us.”

“And how do we do that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

His gaze locked onto mine, unwavering.

“We make it seem intentional.”

My brows knitted together in confusion. “What do you mean…?”

“We present ourselves as if we’ve chosen to be close, not because of a scandal. Publicly, strategically. For a while.” He paused, letting the gravity of his words settle. “A temporary alliance.”

The implications of his proposal lingered in the air, heavy and suffocating.

“And what exactly does that entail?” I asked slowly. “A phony relationship?”

“Pretty much,” he said. “We’ll maintain appearances. Public events, statements, a united front.”

My mind reeled a fake relationship with William Martins? The man who scrutinized me like a broken gadget.

“Why me?” I murmured, searching for clarity.

His jaw clenched just slightly. 

“Because the photos are already out there,” he explained. “And because you’re not a threat.”

I blinked, taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“You’re not after my money,” he clarified, his tone barely softening. “You didn’t seek the scandal or try to exploit it. You’ve been trying to escape it.”

He looked away for a moment, as if grappling with his own thoughts.

“I can work with someone like you.”

The room suddenly felt glaringly bright, the silence oppressive, my chest tightening with anxiety.

“But why would I help you?” I asked, my voice small. “Not after everything that’s happened?”

“I’ll compensate you,” he said plainly.

My gut twisted in response. “So now you want to pay me?”

His expression remained stoic. “I want to fix a problem I didn’t create. And yes if we go through with this, you won’t have to stress about your job, your living situation, or your safety.”

I swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the truth: I genuinely needed support.

I had nothing.  

No job.  

No home.  

No money.  

Not a single stable prospect.  

And in the depths of my chest, a quiet, agonizing fear began to pulse.

“I don’t trust you,” I admitted softly.

“I don’t need your trust,” he replied calmly. “I need your cooperation.”

My fingers shook in my lap, heart racing.

“And when this charade comes to an end?” I pressed. “What happens then?”

“That depends,” he replied. “On how far the media pushes us.”

“What do you mean?”

But before he could answer, 

The door swung open unexpectedly.

The PR manager stumbled in, pale and trembling. “Sir,there’s been a new development. You need to see this immediately.”

William snatched the tablet, annoyance shifting to alarm in an instant.

He turned the screen toward me.

And in that moment, my heart stopped.

The headline screamed: 

“JANE MARK ABANDONS FIANCÉ FOR BILLIONAIRE.”

And there was a photo.  

Of Daniel.  

Outside my old apartment.  

Looking utterly devastated, with the engagement ring in hand.

“No…” I shook my head fervently. “No, no, no. Daniel wasn't even there! This can’t be happening!”

My voice cracked under the weight of my panic.

William stood up slowly. “Who is he?”

“My fiancé,” I murmured. “We’ve been together for two years. He… he probably saw the news.”  

A wave of nausea rolled through me, twisting my stomach.  

This was even worse than I feared.  

“They’re pulling him into this mess.” My voice trembled. “I never wanted him to be part of it. I never wanted….”  

Just then, my phone vibrated.  

Daniel.  

Oh God.  

My hands shook so violently that I nearly dropped it.  

William studied me, his expression inscrutable, yet somehow more intense than before.  

“Answer it,” he urged.  

“I can’t.”  

“Jane.”  

I reluctantly lifted the phone to my ear.  

“Daniel?” I barely managed to speak.  

Silence.  

Then…

“What’s happening, Jane?” he whispered, his voice shaky. “Please tell me this isn’t true. Tell me you’re not involved with that man.”  

Tears welled in my eyes. “I’m not. Daniel, please believe me.”  

“Then why are there photos of you with him? Why are reporters at my workplace? Why are they saying you’re marrying him?”  

“I swear,” I cried, “I didn’t do anything. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time….”  

“Is he there with you now?”  

My breath hitched as I glanced at William.  

“Yes,” I whispered.  

A painful silence stretched out between us.  

Then Daniel said, his voice cracking…

“I can’t do this. I’m sorry, Jane.”  

And suddenly, there was nothing but a dead line.  

I stared at my phone, feeling numb.  

No breath.  

No heartbeat.  

Nothing.  

William moved closer. “Jane…”  

“Don’t,” I choked out. “Please, just don’t.”  

My entire world crumbled again, right there in his office.  

My fiancé was gone.  

My life was shattered.  

And this man,the one at the center of it all stood just inches away.  

He sighed deeply, the weight of the moment heavy in the air.  

“This,” he said softly, “is exactly why we need to take control of this situation.”  

I looked up, my eyes red and my heart in pieces.  

“And what do we do now?” I whispered.  

Without any hesitation, he replied,  

“Now, we announce a partnership. You and me

Immediately.”  

I felt my breath catch in my throat.  

“We’re going public, Jane.”  

I closed my eyes tightly.  

I didn’t say yes.  

I didn’t say no.  

But deep down, I knew my fate had already been sealed.