Chapter Three: Negotiating Fate

Lexi’s pov:

Waking up to the piercing light spilling through the heavy curtains, and my head pounding as if I’d been hit by a freight train. The sheets beneath me were luxurious, far too smooth for what I could ever afford. Blinking rapidly, I tried to focus on my surroundings, an upscale hotel room.

Panic gripped me instantly.

Where am I? What happened last night?

Sitting up too quickly, I clutched my head as a wave of nausea rolled over me. Bits and pieces of the previous night surfaced, drinking, dancing with that mysterious man, and then… nothing.

Did I have a one-night stand? With who?

I looked down and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that I was still fully dressed. But the fear hadn’t left. I needed to get out of here. Fast.

I hurriedly grabbed my things and dashed out of the hotel room, praying no one would recognize me. The moment I got home, Kayla was already up.

“Well, look who’s finally home,” she teased, raising an eyebrow at me. “Where the hell were you?”

I rolled my eyes, trying to shake off the panic. “Not now, Kayla.”

Her teasing expression turned to concern. “You didn’t come home last night, Lexi. What’s going on?”

“I don’t even know,” I muttered, collapsing into a chair. “I woke up in a hotel, but I don’t remember how I got there.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

“I’m fine,” I sighed, rubbing my temples, though the anxiety in my chest said otherwise. “I just need to forget about it. There are bigger problems right now.”

Just as I said that, my phone buzzed. The message on the screen made my stomach churn.

Victor: Time’s running out, Lexi. Make a decision.

I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. Victor wasn’t bluffing. He never was.

Kayla noticed the change in my expression. “Lexi, what’s wrong?”

Before I could answer, the sound of glass shattering came from the living room. My heart dropped. “Dad!”

I rushed to find my father hunched over the table, clutching a bottle of whiskey. His eyes were bloodshot, and crumpled betting slips littered the floor around him.

“Dad, are you serious?” I yelled, grabbing the bottle from his hand and throwing it across the room.

He looked up at me, dazed. “I—I’m just trying to get us out of this mess, Lexi.”

“You think this is how you’re going to fix things?” I snapped, feeling the heat of my anger surge through me. “You’re digging us into a deeper hole! You’re gambling with money we don’t have!”

He slumped back, guilt etched across his face, but I had no sympathy left. My patience had run dry.

“Santiago’s going to come for us if we don’t pay up and not to mention Victor Hale with his disgusting offers” I added, my voice shaking with fury. “And now you’re putting us even more at risk.”

Kayla appeared at the doorway, her face pale. “What are we going to do, Lexi?”

I didn’t have an answer for her, and that realization made my chest feel like it was caving in. The weight of it all was crushing.

As I sat with Kayla at the kitchen table, going over the latest round of debt notices, a sharp knock echoed through the house.

Kayla froze, exchanging a glance with me. “Who could that be?”

Before I could respond, she cautiously went to the door. The moment she opened it, I heard her gasp.

Kayla’s eyes widened, and she gave me a questioning look as I moved toward the door. My heart thudded in my chest as I gripped the handle and pulled it open.

Standing on the other side was Julian Blackwood.

The man I met had met at the party.. then again, at the bar, I remembered telling him , all about by the debts my father had incurred, that was now duty to pay off.

I have heard his name whispered in the highest circles, seen his face on the cover of magazines,

Julian wasn’t just any billionaire—he was THE BILLIONAIRE. The one everyone feared and respected in equal measure, Most surprisingly…the man I had met at the bar and spent the night with..not sure if anything had happened.

His presence was commanding, overwhelming even. His tailored suit clung perfectly to his broad shoulders, and his dark hair was slicked back, not a single strand out of place.

“Miss Thompson,” he said, his voice deep, smooth, and unsettlingly calm. “May I come in?”

I hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Kayla. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing, retreating quietly from the room to give us privacy. I nodded, stepping aside to let Julian in.

As he entered, the room suddenly felt smaller, Julian turned to face me. His gaze never wavered, never softened.

“I understand your family is in a difficult situation,” he said, his voice so composed it was almost unsettling. “I can help with that “

“And what exactly do you want in return?” I asked, my voice sharp, trying to mask the sudden rush of nerves.

Julian stepped closer, his eyes boring into mine, unreadable. “I want you, Lexi.”

I blinked, certain I’d misheard him. “What?”

His lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile. “For one year. Be mine—completely. Bear my child. In exchange, I’ll make all your family’s debts disappear. Every single one.”

“You want me to… to what?” I stammered, taking a step back, my mind spinning. This was madness. It had to be.

Julian didn’t move, didn’t flinch. He simply stood there, watching me with that same intense, predatory gaze. “You heard me. This is a business arrangement. I take care of your family’s financial problems. You give me what I want.”

“This is insane,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I’m not some… possession”

Julian’s eyes darkened, but his voice remained calm, even as he stepped closer, closing the distance between us. “You’re much more than that, Lexi. But the offer stands. You need me. And I want you.”

His hand brushed against my arm, and despite every instinct screaming at me to pull away, I stayed rooted to the spot, my skin tingling under his touch. His breath was warm against my ear when he leaned in and whispered,

“You have until tomorrow, Lexi. After that, the offer is off the table.”

And just like that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me standing there, breathless, confused, and more than a little terrified.

I could barely process what had just happened. Julian Blackwood had just walked into my life, offered me salvation, in exchange for my freedom.

I know men like Julian Blackwood, Everyone is a pawn in their game.

But I can’t be his.