Chapter 5: Terms of Engagement.

Daniela  stood in the  luxurious  living room of Alexander's mansion, her arms tightly crossed, her knuckles  white from the tension.The  silence in the room was deafening,suffocating  her with unspoken words.Alexander  moved with the pride he possessed,as he reached for something on the  nearby table. When he turned, Daniela's eyes immediately caught the  gleaming object in his hand- A small  velvet box.

The sight of it sent shivers  down her spine.A mixture of dread and disbelief swirling in her chest. Her breath hitched as she instinctively took a step back. Her voice, thick with suspicion, broke the tense silence   “ What is that, Alexander?”

He ignored her, his gaze steady but distant, as if he hadn't  held her. Instead, he held the  box loosely between  his fingers , as though it carried the weight of everything left unsaid between them. 

Daniel's  heart pounded as she pointed at the box, her mind  racing with possibilities .“ If you think–----” She stopped herself,swallowing the words that threatened  to spill from her lips. 

Alexander took a deep breath , setting  the box on the glass coffee table between them.  The sound of  it hitting the surface  was so loud , reverbating through the room like  a gunshot.Daniela's gaze darted from the box  back to him,and suddenly  everything  clicked to her senses. Her lips parted as realization  dawned on her. “ Are you suggesting  marriage?”

Her questions  hung in the air like a challenge.She  couldn't  belive what she was hearing. After all, She was just a one night stand who had a child with a billionaire . A legitimate  marriage? That was not supposed to be part of  their arrangement  at all. Anger and hurt bubbled up inside  her as she folded her arms tighter. Her glare burned into Alexander,her mind  racing  with  unanswered questions.  Alexander  didn't move an inch from where he was. Instead, he met her gaze staring at her  ridiculously.  His silence only fueled her frustration, and when he finally  spoke , his words landed like a bombshell.“ I am”, he said simply , his tone measured yet thick. Daniela's  anger boiled  as she looked sharply at the  box. “ After everything? After walking away when I needed you the most? You think a ring is going to  fix  what you broke?”  Alexander remained  calm, his hands sliding into his pockets as he  went closer to the table. “  This isn't  about fixing  anything  Daniela”, he said, his voice  low and fierce . “ This is about  Noah. About giving him the life he deserves”. The mention of their  son sent shivers down  her spine. “ Don't  you dare use Noah as a pawn in this…proposal”, She said. “ Because  I gave you the privilege  to walk into my life does not mean you should  start making demands”. Alexander  moved closer, his eyes giving this  vulnerability  look . “ It's  not a demand,  Daniela. It's a choice that I'm  willing to make for Noah's sake. Daniela laughed out bitterly, her emotions spilling  over. She stared at the  box again, as if the sight of it mocked her. “ A choice? A choice you  mean? If not, I came to meet you at that hotel to query  you. Would  you have looked  for me or showed  up? Now you are trying to  play smart.

Alexander  took a deep breath, his hand brushing through  his dark hair.  “ I'm  not trying to  play anything . I know I failed you before,  Daniela. But this isn't about  me or you. It's about  our son”. She took a step closer, her voice  trembling as anger and  heartbreak  melted in her chest. “ So you  think this is the answer? That a marriage of convenience is going to make up for the years you have  missed?” Alexander  looked at Daniela  out of pity. “ I'm  not  daft enough to think it will erase the  past”, he said quietly.  “ But it's  a beginning . I can't  change what I did, Daniela . But I can give Noah  a bright and stable  future that  he  deserves”.

The words hung heavy in the air, but Daniela  wasn't ready to  relent. Not yet. “ But what  do you want exactly, Alexander?” She  demanded, her voice  low but steady. “ Why now? Why this?” He hesitated , his gaze  staring at the box  on the table. “ Because I can't  live with the doubt that I failed you and Noah”.  Daniela  sniffed outside, just for a while. She hated the way his words made her remember the man she once loved. But she couldn't  let herself fall for it. Not  again.

“ And if I agree with this ridiculous  idea?”  She asked, her tone sharp. “ What guarantees me that you wouldn't  walk away  again?” “ Well, you will have  a contract”, Alexander  said without  hesitation . “ Clear terms. Full custody if  it doesn't  work. Financial  security for you and Noah. Everything  will be on your  terms, Daniela “. Her breath  pained her as she  stared at him, The weight  of  his word sinking in. The room felt too small, heat covering  all over her body. She turned her back to him, needing a moment to think things to herself.  When she finally spoke,her voice was steady, but her hands trembled . “ I'll  think about it”, she said. “ But don't  expect  me to make this easy for you”. Alexander  nodded , a show of hope and  relief  in his face . “ That's all I ask”.

As Daniela  reached the door,She glanced back, her expression  unreadable. “  I really hope you are serious about your plan, Alexander. Because if you hurt me and my son again.I  won't  forgive  you”. With that, she walked out,leaving  Alexander standing  alone. The sight of the velvet box on the table  mocked him and he also reminded him of the fragile hope he clung  to.

For the first time in years, he felt uncertain if the man he had become could ever atone for the man he had been. But one thing was clear,this time, he had to change  his old ways if not  for anything but for  their son.