Chapter 3 3

Mia stood, her legs trembling, though she refused to let him see it. The weight of his gaze, of the decision she'd just begun to face, pressed down on her like a thousand pounds. She turned toward the door, each step feeling heavier than the last. But when she reached for the handle, Xavier's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Mia," he called, his tone low, almost a command.

She paused but didn't turn around. Her breath caught in her throat. What now?

"I expect you to make a decision soon," he said, his voice firm, but this time there was something else underneath-something almost... intimate. "I don't like waiting."

A shiver ran down her spine. The undertone in his voice was impossible to ignore, and she was desperately trying not to acknowledge the magnetic pull she felt toward him.

She nodded, keeping her back to him. "I'll let you know."

The elevator ride down was an agonizing descent, every floor taking her further from him, but also from the mess her life had become. Her mind spun as she stepped into the chilled evening air.

She couldn't deny the opportunity he'd presented. The debts she'd been drowning in for months. The business she had poured every ounce of herself into, only for it to crumble at her feet. And now, here was an out.

A chance for everything to change.

But at what cost?

As she walked down the street, the city lights blurred around her, her mind still tangled in Xavier's offer. The idea of marrying him-living under his roof, playing the part of a dutiful wife-felt both like a prison and a salvation. She could feel the sting of his words echoing in her head. I keep what belongs to me.

She wasn't sure if she was more afraid of the idea of being his or the realization that she was tempted by it.

Her phone buzzed again.

It was a message from her best friend, Kara.

Kara: Are you okay? I haven't heard from you all day.

Mia's fingers hovered over the screen. She considered telling Kara about the insane offer, about the billion-dollar solution to her problems, but she couldn't. Kara would never understand.

She typed a quick reply instead: I'm fine. Just thinking about everything.

There was a pause before Kara responded.

Kara: Don't think too long. I've never seen you this stressed, Mia. You need a break.

A small laugh escaped her lips as she shoved the phone back into her pocket. A break. She didn't have the luxury of a break. But maybe-just maybe-Xavier Harrington could be the break she desperately needed.

The following days were a blur of frantic decision-making. Mia couldn't shake the thought of his proposal. Every time she walked past her shop, her heart twisted at the sight of the fading sign, the empty windows. She'd been on the edge of losing everything for so long, and yet the thought of marrying Xavier felt like a step into an unknown world.

But the more she thought about it, the more his offer began to make sense.

By the time the evening rolled around again, she found herself standing at the same door to his penthouse, her heart pounding in her chest. This time, she wasn't just here to listen. She was here to make a choice.

The door opened before she could knock, and the same driver from before greeted her with a curt nod, guiding her into the elevator.

She stepped out into the same sleek office, the same unyielding presence of Xavier looming as he turned from the window to face her.

"You're here," he said, his tone clipped, like he'd been waiting for this moment to arrive.

"I've made my decision." Her voice trembled despite her best efforts to sound confident. She didn't know if she was more terrified of the deal she was about to enter, or of the man standing in front of her.

Xavier didn't move. His piercing gaze remained locked on hers, as if reading her every thought.

"Go on," he prompted, his voice low, a slight edge to it.

Mia inhaled deeply, pushing through the uncertainty. "I'll do it. I'll marry you."

There was a long silence. His expression didn't change, but the faintest glint of something-a victory, maybe-flashed in his eyes.

"And the terms are clear?"

She nodded. "No love, no emotional attachment. Just business." She swallowed, the words bitter on her tongue. "I'll play the part. Attend events. Do whatever it takes to make the marriage look real."

Xavier took a step forward, closing the distance between them. His presence was suffocating, powerful, almost too much.

"And in return?" His voice was quiet now, as though he wanted to hear it from her lips.

"In return..." Her breath caught as his eyes locked on hers, unblinking. "I'll take the money to pay off my debts. The security. And the life you've promised."

He stepped closer still, his body almost brushing against hers. She could feel the heat radiating off him, feel the pull of something she couldn't explain.

His hand reached up, grazing her cheek with a gentle touch, as if testing her resolve. "You understand the stakes, Mia. Once you sign, there's no turning back. You'll be mine in every sense of the word."

Mia's pulse skipped at his words, at the way his thumb traced along her jaw. She swallowed thickly. "I understand."

Xavier's gaze softened, just a fraction, before his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Good."

The air between them crackled. He was so close, and yet, for the first time in their entire exchange, she didn't feel the need to push him away.

She was already in this. She was already his.