Chapter 4 Marry Me

Ashton stepped ahead and opened the door to another private room. "Mr. Watson, no one's using this one."

"Come in." Henry gave Elena a brief look before he stepped inside.

Ashton shifted his gaze toward her. "After you."

Without hesitation, Elena walked in.

The door closed behind them as Ashton entered last.

Henry made his way to the sofa and sat down, one leg crossing over the other. The air around him shifted the moment he settled in. His presence carried quiet authority, the kind that didn't need to be announced.

Most women would have felt the pressure right away.

Elena, however, didn't react to it. She moved forward at an even pace and took the seat across from him. Fear didn't touch her, but she had no intention of provoking someone like Henry Watson either.

Silence lingered for a moment before she spoke. "Mr. Watson, about what happened last night, I owe you an apology. I went too far, and leaving the way I did wasn't right. If the way I handled things upset you, we can talk about how to fix it."

There was no sign of anger on Henry's face. He looked at ease, almost indifferent. "I wasn't sober either. If I gave in to your seduction that night, it wasn't just your fault."

The word "seduction" made heat rise to her ears.

His eyes sharpened slightly. "But after sleeping with me, you walked out and left money behind. That part doesn't sit well with me."

Elena didn't respond. If she had known who he was, she never would have handled it that way.

"What do you want from me?" she asked after a pause.

Instead of answering, Henry studied her in silence, as if weighing every detail.

Something about the way he looked at her made her face warm, even though she kept her expression steady. It was the first crack in her composure.

After letting the silence stretch, he finally spoke. "Marry me."

Elena went still. For a second, she thought she had heard him wrong. "What did you say?"

Off to the side, Ashton struggled to keep his expression in check. Weren't they supposed to settle a problem? How had this turned into a proposal? What was his boss trying to do here?

"I meant what I said," Henry replied, his voice calm and firm. "You'll marry me. It's only a charade. Two years. When that's done, we go our separate ways."

So that was his plan. A contract marriage.

It didn't take long for Ashton to piece it together. The intention behind it became clear.

Elena studied Henry in silence.

Someone had once told her-she couldn't remember who-that Henry's family had always pushed him to settle down, but he'd never shown any interest in women.

That explained everything. He wanted her to deal with his family and to cover for his sexuality?

Holding onto that thought, she looked straight at him. "Why pick me?"

Henry didn't look away. "Do you really need me to go over last night again?"

Elena stayed quiet. A hint of color crept onto her face. "So that's your only reason?"

"You could say that."

He had never tolerated close contact with unfamiliar women. After what happened, she didn't fall into that group anymore.

Elena shifted her focus. "Those two men earlier. The ones who tried to stop me. You were behind that?"

"I was."

So she hadn't been mistaken.

She held her lips tight for a moment. When it came down to it, she had started everything. She was the one who entered his suite and pushed things forward.

Two years didn't sound long. The marriage would exist only in name, with nothing deeper tied to it. What he asked for wasn't out of line. It still beat having him come after her. After all, if he chose to make a move, the consequences wouldn't be small.

Her gaze drifted back to him. Let's be honest-that face made things a whole lot easier. Two years with a guy this good-looking? She could live with that.

After weighing it carefully, she spoke. "I have two conditions."

Henry gave a small nod. "Let's hear them."

"First, you can announce the marriage, but my identity stays hidden. Second, when you need me to cooperate, I will. Outside of that, my personal life stays mine. You stay out of mine, and I'll stay out of yours."

She wasn't about to reveal more of herself than necessary. Two years later, she didn't want to walk away with a label she never asked for.

"That works," Henry said without a pause.

His answer came too easily.

Elena gave a slight nod. "Then we have a deal."

"I'll come by your school tomorrow afternoon," Henry said.

Elena's brows lifted. "Tomorrow?"

Everything felt rushed.

"Yeah, tomorrow," he repeated. Then he added, "Is there an issue?"

It would happen either way. Waiting wouldn't change the outcome. Elena pushed the thought aside. "No. It's fine."

That was how they reached their agreement.

Henry pulled out his phone and glanced at her. "I'll reach out before I show up. Give me your number."

Without hesitation, Elena recited it. Her phone rang almost right after.

Henry ended the call. "That's mine."

"Alright." Elena looked down and saved the contact, labeling it simply as "Watson".

A short silence passed before she stood. "If that's everything, I'll head out."

Henry's eyes followed her. "Ashton can drive you."

"No need. The campus isn't far. I'll walk."

Elena turned toward the door and took a couple of steps when his voice stopped her. "Hold on."

She paused and turned back. By the time she faced him, he was already close. The pressure around him felt immediate. He raised his hand, a check held between his fingers. "Take this. I don't need money like this."

Elena didn't argue. She took the check, turned away again, and left. Her steps grew faster without her noticing.

By the time she reached the dorm building, her phone buzzed.

She took it out and checked the message.

"Void, someone in Bramville is offering a huge payout to find his missing sister. You in?"

Elena answered instantly, "Not this time. I've been tied up with work."

The response came quickly. "Work? What kind of work's got you turning this down? You're really choosing small gigs over this?"

Elena typed back, "Yes."

Another message followed. "What, is your boss that good-looking? Don't tell me you're distracted by a pretty face."

The words lingered. Without warning, Henry's face surfaced in her mind.

She shook her head, didn't reply, and slipped her phone away before pushing open the dorm door.

Back at Enclave Club, Evan ended his call, his expression turning grim.

Void had refused the offer.

Since when did anyone walk away from easy money?

Inside the dorm, only Chloe Walsh was there.

She looked up when Elena walked in. "Good evening."

"Good evening." Elena offered a small smile.

Chloe leaned forward slightly. "Why'd you leave so suddenly last night? And you didn't come back either."

"I had something to deal with, so I left early." Elena glanced toward the bed inside. "Have you seen Hazel?"

Chloe shrugged. "She's probably out with her rich boyfriend. I doubt she's coming back tonight."

A faint chill passed through Elena's eyes, but she didn't press further.

The next afternoon, in a quiet wooded corner of campus, Hazel Ford tried to keep her expression steady, though a flicker of unease showed for a moment. "Elena, why did you ask me to meet here? What's going on?"

Elena looked at her without warmth. She had always known Hazel played both sides, acting one way in front of her and another behind her back. Still, she hadn't expected her to drug her at the party.

"It was your doing."

Hazel's shoulders tightened, but she forced a confused look. "What are you talking about?"