Chapter 3: The Decision
"I—"
Ella's voice cracked before she could finish.
Her fingers trembled where they rested on her knees.
How was she supposed to answer something like this?
Alexander watched her with calm eyes, but there was something else behind them…
A quiet urgency he tried very hard to hide.
"You don't have to decide now," he said, surprising her.
His voice softened — just a little.
"I'll give you twenty-four hours."
Ella blinked. "Twenty-four hours? That's… not much time."
"Time is a resource," Alexander replied coolly.
"And I don't waste it."
Of course he didn't. A man like him couldn't afford to.
She exhaled shakily. "What exactly would I have to do… as your wife?"
The corner of his jaw tightened, and for the first time, he hesitated.
"No intimacy," he said firmly.
"No… marital obligations."
His eyes held hers to make sure she understood.
Ella felt heat rush to her face.
"No public scandals. You'll attend corporate events as needed. A few dinners. Family gatherings."
He paused.
"And you'll move into my penthouse for the duration of the marriage."
Ella stared.
"Move in… with you?"
"Yes."
He said it calmly, as if asking her to pass the salt.
Her heart thumped wildly.
"And my job?" she whispered.
"You may continue working at the hospital as long as it doesn't interfere with our agreement."
Then, more quietly:
"I won't take away your independence."
Her breath hitched.
He really had researched her.
Before she could speak again, the door opened.
The driver leaned in respectfully.
"Mr. Frost, your meeting begins in twenty minutes."
Alexander nodded once.
Then he turned back to Ella.
"There's one more thing," he said.
He reached into his coat and placed a sleek black card in her hand.
The card was heavy.
Real gold lettering.
"This is my private number. Only you have it."
Ella stared at it, stunned.
Alexander continued, "If anyone threatens you… calls you about debts… pressures you… tell me."
His eyes hardened with something dark.
"No one touches what belongs to me. Contract or not."
Her breath caught.
Belongs to me?
She shook her head. She shouldn't feel anything from those words.
This wasn't romance.
This was business.
But something warm twisted in her chest anyway.
Alexander studied her one last time.
His gaze lingered — not cold this time, but searching.
"Twenty-four hours, Miss Harper."
His voice dropped to a low, steady tone.
"When you decide… call me."
The driver stepped out and opened the door for her.
Ella climbed out slowly, still gripping the card like it was a lifeline.
The car door closed.
The Rolls-Royce pulled away quietly, disappearing into the evening traffic as if it had never been there.
Ella stood under the soft glow of the hospital lights, her heart pounding.
A contract.
A marriage.
A billionaire who felt like a storm she had already stepped into.
Twenty-four hours.
She stared down at the gold lettering on the card.
Alexander Frost.
She swallowed hard.
How was she supposed to make a decision that could save her life…
and
destroy her heart at the same time?
She took a deep breath.
And whispered to herself—
"What am I going to do…?"