LOGIN"She asked you to marry her?" Erin repeated, making sure he heard correctly and his ears weren't playing tricks on him.Roman swirled the drink in his hand, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular across the room."You heard correctly. She asked me to marry her."The lounge fell into a silence so thick it was almost uncomfortable.Erin set his glass down slowly, his eyes still on Roman."And what was your response."Roman shrugged."I rejected her, naturally."Erin fell silent as the words sank in like a coin tossed into a pool of water.Never in a million years could he have guessed that Alana would propose to Roman. He was left with one question. Her motive. Her reason for being bold enough to ask such a thing of him."Do you know why she was crazy enough to even make such a proposal?" he asked."She overheard my conversation with Mr Beaufort. It was one of the old man's usual calls with his threat of seizing my position and handing it over to Damien, but this time he wanted me to m
"MARRY ME!" Alana yelled after him just as he reached the door.Roman stopped mid-step.Slowly, he turned, amusement flickering in his now cold eyes before a low, cruel laugh slipped past his lips."Seems you've finally lost all sense," he said when the laughter faded.He stepped closer, his towering frame swallowing the space between them as she tilted her head to meet his gaze."What makes you think you can make such a bold request, Alana?" he murmured, his cold fingers brushing against her lips.A shiver ran through her, stealing her voice for a moment. Then she straightened, her fists tightening at her sides."Because I'll be the best wife you could possibly ask for, and we both need this marriage," she said, forcing confidence into her tone as a small smile curved her lips.Roman tilted his head, a dark smirk forming on his lips."Is that so?" he whispered, his hand slipping beneath her dress as she gasped.His fingers gently brushed her inner thighs, his gaze never leaving hers
Alana's search for a husband yielded no results. After a whole week of searching, all the rich men she could find were either complete idiots or narcissistic assholes.And right now, she was having a lunch date with another marriage prospect, the last available guy on her list."So," the man across from her said with a smug smile, "after marriage, I'd expect my wife to stop working, of course."Alana blinked slowly."I'm sorry?""A woman's place should be at home, keeping the house in order," he continued proudly. "Especially once we start to have kids. And speaking of children, do you think your womb is strong enough to birth six?"She stared at him in disbelief.This man had spent the last twenty minutes talking about himself, his gym routine, and the importance of "traditional femininity."Now this."And what exactly would you contribute to this arrangement?" she asked sweetly, ignoring the idiotic question about her womb.The man frowned slightly. "I beg your pardon?""I mean, las
On another part of the city, Alana stood in an elevator with Carl, patiently waiting as it ascended to the top floor of the building where Ryan's penthouse was.The elevator dinged as it came to a stop and its doors slid open into Ryan's penthouse. Alana stepped out first and Carl followed behind her.The place was expensive, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering city lights. "Please follow me," Carl stepped forward, leading her to the dining room.Soft jazz music played in the background, the scent of steak and wine lingered, sweetening the air.Ryan glanced up from where he stood near the table, just uncapping a wine bottle. A smile graced his lips at seeing his cousin as he placed the wine bottle on the table and walked over to her, pulling her into a warm hug.He pulled away."You look exhausted," he said, his eyes scanning her face. "Would you like to freshen up before we eat?"Alana shook her head."No need."Ryan nodded his head. "Come, let's eat then. We're
The weekend passed rather quickly in a blur, and Monday came. Like some forces could feel her dilemma and were offering to help out. Roman informed her that he would be gone for a week on a business trip. He had been completely different that morning, not his appearance, but his entire demeanor.There was a certain calmness in his demeanor, and just before he left with Erin, he stopped for a moment and glanced back at her as she ate her meal, his expression calculative yet distant. His lips parted as if he was about to say something, but without uttering a word, he turned and left.Alana refocused on the lecture as a student seated next to her asked the professor a question, snapping her back to attention. She looked up to listen to the professor's response, although she hadn't caught the student's query. However, her attention was short-lived, as she was startled to see the man standing in front of her, his gaze fixed intently on her. She gulped and quickly dropped her gaze to her
With the distance between them, it was impossible for Alana to hear what the bodyguard was saying to Roman. But she couldn’t help but grow curious when Roman suddenly smirked and chuckled, like he found whatever the man had said to be incredibly hilarious. "Clear our bill. I'll handle Miss Haze," Roman instructed his bodyguard, who nodded in affirmation. "We're leaving, Alana," Roman said to her as he rose from his seat with as much grace as one would expect. Following immediately, Alana also stood up and reached for her purse on the table. Roman extended his arm towards her, and she paused for just a few seconds, staring at his arm, then back at him. When Roman saw that she wasn’t also reaching for his arm, he tilted his neck, giving her a questioning look, as if asking what she was waiting for. With slight hesitation, she finally wrapped her arm around his, and they began walking away. She did not fail to notice how Roman slowed his usual fast-paced strides just to







