Chapter 11: A Tempting Offer

Caroline's POV

I sat in the backseat of the car, my eyes locked on the glowing screen of my phone.

My fingers trembled as I gripped the phone tighter.

Two hundred million dollars. It was more money than I could wrap my head around, more than enough to change my life, my family’s life, forever.

Anderson didn’t care about me; I knew that deep down. This marriage was just a transaction to him, a way to secure his inheritance.

 With that kind of money, I could pay back the ten million he’d given my father, walk away from this whole mess, and still have enough to never worry again.

But who sent it? My mind raced, flipping through names. Wesley, my ex-husband? No, he barely had two cents to his name, let alone two hundred million.

Ana, my sister? She wouldn’t do something like this, and even if she wanted to, she didn’t have the resources.

I chewed my lip, staring at the anonymous number.

Someone out there didn’t want me to marry Anderson, and they were willing to pay a fortune to stop it. But why?

The car swerved suddenly, a loud noise jolting me out of my thoughts.

My phone slipped from my hands, clattering to the floor.

My heart jumped into my throat. “What’s going on?” I asked, my voice shaky as I bent to retrieve it.

“Ma’am, I’m afraid I may have bumped into another vehicle,” the driver said.

I clutched my phone, the screen still lit up with the message.

“Don’t worry, ma’am, I’ll handle it,” he added before opening his door and stepping out.

I pressed my face against the window, trying to see what was happening at the front of the car, but the angle was all wrong.

“Well, he said he’d handle it,” I muttered to myself, sinking back into the seat.

My attention drifted back to the phone. I read the message again, then again, the words playing in my mind like an mp3 song.

Two hundred million dollars. A voice whispered inside me: Caroline, don’t be stupid. Take the deal.

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

Minutes passed by, and the driver still hadn’t returned. What was taking so long? Curiosity and a growing unease gnawed at me.

I couldn’t just sit here forever, staring at this mysterious offer.

I shoved my phone into my pocket, opened the door, and stepped out into the cool evening air.

The scene in front of me made my stomach drop.

My driver stood toe-to-toe with another man, their voices raised in a heated argument.

Beside them was the other vehicle, a sleek, exotic limousine that screamed money. Expensive money.

Fear gripped me as I took in the sight. Anderson wasn’t here to smooth this over with his charm or his checkbook, and neither my driver nor I could afford to fix a scratch on something that fancy.

“Hey, please,” I said, stepping forward, my hands raised to calm them. “Let’s not argue. We can figure this out.” My voice sounded weaker than I’d intended, but before I could say more, I felt a prickle on the back of my neck.

Someone was watching me. I turned and saw her, an older woman sitting in the limousine, her eyes fixed on me through the open window.

Her gaze was intense, almost magnetic, pulling me in despite myself. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t look away.

She stepped out of the car. She wore a tailored coat that matched the luxury of her ride.

I fumbled for words. “I’m so sorry about the accident,” I said quickly. “It was our fault. We’ll take care of it.”

She waved a hand, dismissing my apology. “No problem, dear. These things happen.” Her voice was soft, but her eyes never left mine.

There was something disturbing about the way she stared, searching, almost sad. I noticed tears gathering in her eyes, and my chest tightened.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, stepping closer despite the knot of confusion in my gut.

She shook her head slightly. “Don’t worry about it.” Then, reaching into her coat, she pulled out a business card and pressed it into my hand.

 “Please, come see me at my house when you’re free. Here’s the address. Come alone.”

I blinked, taking the card. “Um, okay. Thank you,” I managed, but she was already turning away.

She climbed back into her limousine, and the car pulled off, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded.

I glanced down at the card. Velvet Rose Holdings was printed in elegant script, along with an address.

Who was she? I shook my head, brushing off the odd encounter for now.

There was too much else crowding my mind. I turned to my driver, who’d finally stopped arguing. “Let’s go,” I said firmly. “But please, be more careful this time.”

We climbed back into the car, and he started the engine.

As we drove, I pulled out my phone again and typed Velvet Rose Holdings into the search bar.

The results were shallow, just a basic company page, no details about what they did or who ran it.

Nothing to explain the woman’s tears or her strange request.

I sighed, pocketing the phone and the card together. Another mystery I didn’t have time for.

The rest of the drive passed in a blur, and by the time we pulled up to the mansion, I was exhausted.

I slipped out of the car, glancing around to make sure no one was watching.

The last thing I needed was to run into Anderson—or worse, Solana, if she was still stalking around.

I crept through the front door, holding my breath. The house was quiet, save for the faint noise of  maids around.

No sign of Anderson or Solana. Relief washed over me as I hurried to my room and locked the door behind me.

I leaned against it for a moment, letting the tension drain from my shoulders.

I needed to clear my head. Kicking off my shoes, I headed for the bathroom, pulling my clothes along the way.

The hot water of the shower felt like a lifeline, washing away the day’s drama.

 I stood there for what felt like forever, letting the steam wash away the pressure in my chest.

Finally, I shut off the water and stepped out, not bothering with a towel.

The room was mine, no one would be here.

 I walked into the bedroom, still dripping, and froze.

Anderson was sitting on my bed, his dark eyes locked on my naked body.

My heart slammed against my ribs, and I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.