Chapter 1: The Billionaire’s Offer

By the time I reached the 32nd floor of Cross Enterprises, I had rehearsed my confrontation with Nathan Cross so many times that I could have delivered it without looking at him. The folder clutched in my hands contained everything I had gathered during the past two weeks: debt notices, bank correspondence, the liquidation warning, and financial statements showing how quickly Bennett Industries was being pushed toward collapse. My hands trembled slightly around the folder, but I refused to let anyone see my fear. My father had spent thirty years building his company, and six months after his death, I had become responsible for keeping his legacy alive.

The elevator doors opened onto an immaculate reception area of glass walls, polished stone, and furniture that looked too expensive to touch. I walked toward the receptionist with my shoulders straight, reminding myself that I was not there as a grieving daughter asking for sympathy. I was there because hundreds of employees depended on Bennett Industries, and because I believed Nathan Cross had deliberately chosen the worst possible moment to destroy everything my father had built.

The receptionist looked up from her computer and recognized me immediately. “Miss Bennett, do you have an appointment with Mr. Cross?” she asked politely.

“I have been trying to get an appointment with him for two weeks,” I replied as I placed my folder on the desk. “His office has repeatedly told me that he is unavailable, but I need to speak with him today.”

The receptionist glanced toward the conference-room doors before answering, “Mr. Cross is currently meeting with several executives, so I am afraid I cannot interrupt him without his permission.”

“Then tell him that Celine Bennett is here because the company he is forcing toward bankruptcy belongs to my father,” I said, keeping my voice controlled despite the anger tightening my chest.

Before she could respond, the conference-room doors opened, and several executives walked into the reception area. Their conversation stopped when they noticed me, and the last man to leave the room was the person I had spent two weeks trying to reach.

Nathan Cross was taller than I had expected, but it was not his height that caught my attention. It was the quiet authority surrounding him. At 32, he had built an empire that extended far beyond the company his grandfather had left behind, yet he carried himself with the confidence of someone who never needed to prove his power. His dark suit was perfectly fitted, his expression was controlled, and his eyes settled on me with calm attention.

“Miss Bennett, if you wanted to speak with me, you could have asked my assistant to arrange a meeting,” Nathan said as he stopped a few feet away.

“I did ask,” I replied while lifting the folder. “Several times, and each time I was told that you were unavailable.”

Nathan briefly glanced at the receptionist before returning his attention to me. “You have my attention now, so tell me why you came.”

“Bennett Industries is three weeks away from liquidation, and everyone knows your company is responsible for putting us there,” I said as I opened the folder. “You purchased the debt when you knew we could not repay it, refused every request for an extension, and demanded payment while my family was still dealing with my father's death.”

Nathan's expression remained unchanged as he answered, “My company purchased a debt that Bennett Industries had already defaulted on. That does not mean I destroyed your father's company.”

“You knew exactly what would happen when you called in the debt,” I argued. “You knew the banks would withdraw, the investors would disappear, and hundreds of employees would be left wondering whether they would still have jobs. You could have given us time to stabilize the company, but instead you chose the moment when my family was at its weakest.”

“The debt existed before your father died, Celine,” Nathan said calmly. “I was not responsible for the circumstances that created it.”

His refusal to become angry only made my frustration worse. “If you wanted my father's company, you could have bought it without destroying the people who built it,” I said as I stepped closer. “There are hundreds of employees depending on that company, and you know what liquidation will do to them.”

Something changed in Nathan's expression before he answered, “You're right about one thing.”

His unexpected agreement caught me off guard, but I kept my eyes on him as I asked, “What exactly am I right about?”

Nathan held my gaze for a moment before answering, “I don't want your father's company.”

I stared at him, struggling to understand. “If you don't want the company, then what exactly do you want?”

Nathan turned toward the executives and instructed, “Leave us alone for a few minutes.”

They obeyed immediately, and once the reception area was empty, Nathan opened the conference-room door. “Come inside,” he said.

I followed him because I needed answers, even though every instinct warned me that I should leave. Once we were seated across from each other at the long glass table, Nathan folded his hands and looked directly at me.

“I can prevent Bennett Industries from being liquidated,” he said.

I narrowed my eyes as I asked, “How?”

“I can clear the immediate debt, restructure the remaining obligations, and give you operational control so you can rebuild the company yourself,” Nathan explained.

I stared at him in disbelief. “You would do all of that after everything I just said to you?”

“Yes,” Nathan replied without hesitation.

“Why would you help me when I have spent the last ten minutes accusing you of destroying my family's future?” I asked.

Nathan's gaze remained fixed on mine as he answered, “Because I want you to marry me.”

For a moment, I could only stare at him. “You want me to marry you?” I asked, finally finding my voice.

“For one year,” Nathan replied.

A disbelieving laugh escaped me as I leaned back. “I came here to stop you from destroying my family, and your solution is to marry me?”

“My solution is to give you the opportunity to save what matters to you,” Nathan said with maddening calmness.

“And what exactly do you get from marrying me?” I asked.

Nathan held my gaze before answering, “A wife.”

I gathered my documents and stood. “Whatever your reasons are, the answer is no.”

I had almost reached the door when Nathan spoke again. “You have thirty days, Celine.”

I turned back and asked, “Thirty days for what?”

“Thirty days to find another solution,” Nathan explained. “If you can save Bennett Industries without my help, you will never have to see me again. If you cannot, my offer will still be available.”

I searched his face for arrogance or satisfaction, but there was nothing there that revealed his intentions. “I won't be coming back,” I told him firmly.

Nathan's eyes remained on mine as he answered, “We'll see.”

I walked out of Cross Enterprises with my father's company still hanging by a thread and Nathan Cross's impossible proposal following me all the way to the elevator. By the time I reached the lobby, my phone was already filled with messages from Maya, my assistant at Bennett Industries, who had been waiting for me to return and report what Nathan had said. She had worked beside me for nearly two years and had remained one of the few people I trusted completely since my father's death, which was why I knew she would be waiting for answers the moment I walked through the doors of the company.

I told myself that thirty days was more than enough time to find another solution because I would never allow the man I believed had destroyed my family's future to become my husband. At that moment, I was certain I would never return to Nathan Cross, and I had no idea that the thirty days he had given me would change everything I thought I knew about him.