CHAPTER 3, THE BILLION-DOLLAR DEAL

“What? Marry you? Are you insane?” Cassandra wasn't sure if she was more stunned or insulted.

Ethan rolled his eyes, the gesture so casual it was infuriating. “Quit being dramatic. It was cute for the first five minutes; now it’s just exhausting. We both know you’d kill for a deal like this.”

Cassandra scoffed, her shock hardening into a glare. “You don’t know a single thing about me.”

He ignored her, pacing the marble floor like a king surveying a new territory. “It’s a simple contract. Temporary. One year tops, and then we go our separate ways. I get my heir and the keys to the Gray Group; you get the bag and a permanent seat at the table of the elite. We’re talking a billion dollars every month for the entire year we are married, and then a handsome ten billion dollars additional parting gift on the last month.”

Cassandra's head was spinning now. Billion dollars? With a ‘B’? The numbers were so large they felt abstract, like play money. But this wasn't a game. If he really was the Ethan Gray, that kind of money was pocket change to him—and a literal lifetime of security for her.

“You know you want it,” Ethan pushed, his voice dropping into a smooth, persuasive purr. “It’s a win-win.”

Cassandra drew a sharp, shaky breath, her head swinging in a slow, firm no. “You’re delusional if you think I’d sign my life away like a piece of property.”

“Oh, please.” Ethan let out a sharp laugh. “You should have majored in Theater acts instead of Law, Cassandra. You’re quite the actress, I'd give you that. But you can drop the 'virtuous girl' routine now. I’m buying, and you’re clearly selling.”

“It’s not an act!” Cassandra half-screamed, a surge of pure, unadulterated rage boiling in her chest. “Listen to me, Ethan Gray. I was on my way to a clinic to get rid of the baby when your thugs grabbed me. I’m a sophomore law student. I have my whole life ahead of me. A baby was never part of the plan, and a sham marriage certainly wasn't either!”

Ethan’s expression flattened. The amusement vanished, replaced by an icy, incredulous stare. “If this is a negotiation for more money, just name your price.”

“It’s not about the money!” Cassandra retorted, her voice trembling. “I want to leave. Now. Or do you plan to keep me locked in this ivory tower until I develop Stockholm Syndrome? Is torture next on the list, you sociopath?”

Ethan chuckled, though the sound lacked any warmth. “Did you just call me a sociopath?”

“Aren't you one?” Cassandra glared. “Does a normal person kidnap someone against their will just to have a conversation or whatever else this is supposed to be?”

Ethan raised his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. “Fine. You’re upset about my approach in bringing you here. My apologies. I told my men to be efficient, not brutal. I’ll see to it they’re disciplined for any… discomfort they caused you.”

He reached into the inner pocket of his blazer, pulling out a sleek, leather-bound checkbook and a heavy gold pen. He scribbled a few lines with practiced ease.

“Here.” He flicked a slip of paper toward her. “Consider this a million-dollar apology for the 'kidnapping.' Take it, go home, and actually think about the offer.”

Cassandra didn't even look at the check. “You’re sick. I’m leaving.”

Ethan shrugged, leaning back against a mahogany desk. “Have it your way. You’re free to go. But let’s be clear: you aren't touching my heir. I won’t allow it.”

The weight behind his words made Cassandra freeze. She turned back, her eyes narrowing. “Excuse me? And how do you plan to stop me?”

Ethan’s smile was shark-like. “Influence is a powerful thing, Cassandra. No reputable hospital in this country will perform that procedure for you—not on my watch. And you?” He stepped closer, his fingers ghosting near her cheek, though he didn't quite touch her. “You’re a good girl. You wouldn't risk some back-alley butcher, even if your friend Nicole tries to talk you into it.”

Cassandra scoffed softly. “Oh, you know me so well, don't you? You stalker!” She then roughly brushed his hand away. “Don't fucking touch me ever again!”

“You’ll be back, Fireball,” Ethan called out as she turned for the door. “And I’ll be waiting.”

Cassandra was gasping for air by the time she burst through the mansion’s heavy iron gates. They swung shut behind her with a melodious, expensive-sounding chime that felt like a taunt.

“What a psycho!” The sound came as a hiss under her breath.

She looked down the long, winding road. The estate sat on a private hill, isolated from the rest of the world. There were no cabs, no buses—just a stretch of dark asphalt lined with towering cypress trees. The night air was biting, a damp fog rolling in to cling to her jacket. She began to walk, her flats clicking rhythmically against the pavement.

She had been walking for twenty minutes when her phone buzzed in her bag. Her heartbeat quickened as she caught sight of the caller ID.

“Doctor Callum?” She placed the phone slowly against her ear.

“It’s your mother, Cassandra,” the doctor’s voice was grim, devoid of its usual professional softness. “She had another episode an hour ago. We can't delay the surgery any longer. If we don't operate, she won't make it through the week.”

The world seemed to tilt. A sob caught in Cassandra’s throat, her breath hitching painfully. “I… I don’t have the funds yet. Please, I just need a little more time.”

“Time is the one thing she doesn't have. Her life is hanging by a thread, Cassandra.”

Tears blurred Cassandra’s vision, hot and stinging as they tracked down her cold cheeks. “I understand. Twenty-four hours. Please, just give me twenty-four hours.”

She hung up, her hand shaking so hard she almost dropped the phone. She stopped in the middle of the dark, lonely road and looked back at the glowing lights of the mansion on the hill.

Ethan was right. And it didn't even take a single second before she had to really crawl back to him.

Her pride felt like a lead weight in her stomach, but her mother’s life was worth more than anything. 

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, turned around, and began the long, humiliating walk back to the gates.

Ethan's stupid deal was her mother's lifeline now. She just hoped the sociopath wouldn't gloat too much or make her have to beg now for his stupid deal…