The silence in the office was starting to suffocate even a woman as strong as Evielyn. Dion's words still hung in the air, heavy and immovable, like chains.
"Say yes, and I keep my empire. Say no, and I lose it."
It sounded simple but she knew it wouldn't be.
Evielyn swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his piercing gray eyes. He was calm. As if he already knew what her answer would be. As if her fate was sealed before she could even open her mouth.
"I don't make decisions under pressure, Mr. King," Evielyn said finally, pushing back against the weight in her chest. "Especially not life-changing ones."
For the briefest second, she could have sworn she saw something flicker in his expression like surprise, maybe amusement, but it was gone before she could place it.
"You'll find," he said smoothly, "that the world rarely gives us the luxury of time. Indecision kills faster than any enemy."
Evielyn bristled at his tone, like he was lecturing her. "I didn't ask for a philosophy lesson. I asked for time."
Dion's smirk was faint as he leaned back in his chair, radiating power without even trying. "Very well. Twenty four hours. That's the most I can offer."
Twenty four hours. One day to decide if she'd tether herself to this man—this stranger—for a year. One day to gamble her freedom for her father's legacy.
Evielyn nodded stiffly. "Fine."
Dion's gaze stayed on her for a moment, as though reading something he couldn't name. After a few seconds, he stood up.
"For some reason, I'll have my lawyer draw up a contract," he said. "You can review it carefully before you decide. If you agree, we marry by the end of the month."
The end of the month? Evielyn's breath hitched. That was barely two weeks away.
He didn't wait for her reaction before extending his hand again. Evielyn forced hers into his grip. His palm was warm, but his hold was firm.
"I don't lose, Miss DeLuca," he said quietly, his eyes locked on hers. "And I don't take kindly to rejection. Remember that."
Then he released her and walked out, leaving Evielyn with nothing but the echo of his footsteps and a thousand question marks dancing above her head.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind Dion, and silence engulfed the office once more, Evielyn collapsed back into her chair. Her sweaty palms clamped against the armrests as her pulse hammered in her ears, refusing to settle.
Twenty-four hours. A contract. Marriage. In just a brief moment, her life had turned into some twisted negotiation, and she hadn't even been able to catch her breath from the last board meeting!
Just then, her phone buzzed on the desk. Jonathan.
She snatched it up. "You set me up," she hissed, her voice sharper than she could control.
"Evie I—"
"Don't you 'Evie' me. He just walked into my office like this was some scripted play. You knew he was coming, didn't you?"
Jonathan didn't even bother to deny it. He already expected her to have figured it out. "I did. And I'm not sorry. You needed to hear it from him. You wouldn't have believed me otherwise."
Evielyn pressed her fingers to her forehead, begging the ache building behind her eyes to stay away. "Jonathan, he's insane. Dion is crazy!" She snapped. "He gave me twenty-four hours to decide. Do you even realize what you're pushing me into?"
Jonathan sighed. His reply was calm, but firm. "I know you don't have a choice, Evie. You know it too," he whispered and now, more than ever, she hated that he was right.
"Evie, Dion King doesn't bluff. If he says he can protect your company, he can. And if he says you'll lose it without him… believe me, he's right."
Her lips parted, but no words came. She hated that part of her agreed.
Jonathan's voice softened. "Look, I know it sounds insane. But think about it logically. He's offering you everything you need: power, security, credibility. All for a short-term arrangement. A year at most. It's business, Evie. Treat it like business."
Business. Evielyn almost laughed. Business didn't come with vows and rings and chains disguised as contracts.
"Jonathan, I'm not sure I can—"
"–You can, Evie," Jonathan cut in quickly. "You know you have to think about it. Right now, Dion is your only way out. The board isn't kidding, Evie. I told you they would consider options. But they already have a name for the position."
Jonathan paused and took a deep breath before adding in a small voice, "I won't force you, but don't expect me not to be worried. I care for you, Evie and I'd hate to see you lose everything you've worked so hard for. It's up to you now to decide. Whatever you decide, I'll stay with you."
Evielyn closed her eyes, just as a rapt knock sounded at the door again, sharper this time. She hissed. "What now?"
The door opened and her secretary, Celine, entered. "Ms. DeLuca, Mr. King's driver left a package for you."
Evielyn frowned. A package? "Bring it in."
A moment later, a black envelope was placed on her desk. No name. No logo. Just the inevitability pressing against the sealed flap.
Her stomach twisted. She didn't need to open it to know what it was.
Jonathan's voice came faintly from the phone. "What is it?"
"Dion left the contract," she whispered, eyeing the envelope like it was some contraband item. Just like that, her twenty-four hours had officially begun.
"I'll call you later, Jonathan." Evielyn dropped the call and placed the phone on the table. She reached for the envelope and tore it open. A bulk of papers were inside. On the top, in bold print: MARRIAGE AGREEMENT.
Her throat dried as she flipped the pages. Every line blurred, the legal words melting into chains until her eyes landed on a particular clause and her stomach turned to stone.
This wasn't even a marriage. It was really business and ownership.