Chapter 3 With me.

Alex arrived at the office the next day and as he settled into his desk, he noticed that Emily, his usually punctual secretary, was nowhere to be found. Minutes turned into half an hour, and still, there was no sign of her.

Alex's face had changed as he needed Emily to run some errand but she hadn't come. He had always had zero tolerance for late coming. As he glanced at the time, he knew Emily couldn't overcome the penalty of her action. Finally, Emily rushed into the office, her face flushed with anxiety.

"Emily, you're late," Alex said sternly.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Alex," Emily gasped, her breath coming in short bursts. "I had to rush to the hospital. My father had a health emergency, and my phone battery was low, so I couldn't call to inform you earlier."

"Okay? You know my rule. Being late without prior notice is unacceptable." Alex's irritation flared at the excuse.

"Please, Mr. Alex, I tried my best. It was an emergency, I swear." Tears welled up in Emily's eyes as she pleaded,

"Emily, I can't tolerate this level of unprofessionalism. Leave my office and don't come back again today." Alex said, remaining unmoved.

As Emily left the office, her sadness was palpable in the air, Victor entered, noticing her unhappy demeanor immediately. He looked concerned as he approached Alex's desk.

"Hey, what's going on? Why does Emily look so upset?" Victor inquired, glancing at Alex.

"She was late today and got me waiting. Said it was because of her father's health emergency, blah, blah, blah. But you know how I am about punctuality." Alex said.

Victor listened, his brow moving with understanding. "I get it, but sometimes life throws curveballs. Maybe you should cut her some slack, especially if it's a genuine emergency."

"I know, but I can't let things slide, especially with the deadline looming." Alex hesitated.

As they spoke, Victor's stare drifted towards the door where Emily had exited moments before. An idea sparked in his mind.

"You know," he began slowly, "Emily's been with you for a while now. She's a hard worker, and everyone knows she's been struggling financially, especially with her father's medical expenses."

Alex nodded in agreement, "That's true. But what does that have to do with anything?" Alex asked with curiosity.

"Well, what if we consider offering her a contracted marriage arrangement?" Victor suggested tentatively. "She would be able to pay her father's surgical bill and you will secure your position too."

Alex looked surprised when he heard the sudden idea.

"A contracted marriage for Emily? Hell no! It can't work." Alex refused.

"Give it a thought. You have a few days till the weekend," Victor concluded.

Throughout the day, Alex thought about the idea and decided to give it a trial and talk to Emily. He believed it might help both of them.

***

When he got to the entrance of his office, he stood and watched Emily at work, he deliberately noticed her for the first time. She wore a white blouse and a black skirt, looking professional and confident. Her brown hair was tied back neatly, and her hazel eyes sparkled with intelligence. Emily suited being his secretary than being his wife but he accepted that she would be the best fit for the job because Emily sure knew a lot about him and his family wouldn't be able to detect when she was being asked questions.

"You're welcome, sir," Emily greeted with a bright smile.

"Yea. Emily, see me in my office." Alex requested, going towards his seat.

"Okay, sir," Emily said as she walked towards Alex who was already seated on his black giant chair. "Is everything fine, sir?" Emily asked.

"You can have your seat," Alex said.

He gestured his hand towards the seat in front of him and Emily in return sat on it, looking confused.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. How's your dad?" Alex asked.

"He's fine, sir," Emily responded, surprised at Alex's unusual niceness.

"Well, I thought about your dad's treatment and surgery and I decided that I would pay for his surgery," Alex continued.

"Oh my God, thank you so much, Mr. Alex," Emily said, as she beamed with joy as she couldn't believe that her hostile boss could ever think of such.

"But... I would need your help inasmuch as you would need mine," Alex said, resolute.

Emily's smile reduced and her brow furrowed in confusion. She nodded at Alex for him to continue.

"I want you to be my wife," Alex finally blurted out.

Emily's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth opened in shock. It wasn't a big deal for Alex to propose such an offer to any girls. He's a young billionaire and handsome at the same time. Moreover, he's a playboy and every lady is dying to be with him for just one day so who wouldn't want to be his fake wife?

For a moment, the room became excessively silent so that they could hear each other's breath. Emily processed Alex's unexpected proposal.

"Your wife?" Emily repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, a contracted marriage to be precise. It's... unconventional, I know but trust me, nothing will ever happen between us. No touching just to live together and act as a couple in public," Alex said.

"This proposal would secure my position and offer financial stability for you because you will be regarded as my wife. I know how hard you are working to meet up with your father's medications." Alex concluded.

Emily's mind ran fast as she tried to get hold of Alex's proposal. She knew for sure he was right about needing a lot of money for her father's health but marrying the successor of the Sterling Enterprises is a whole lot for her to take in whether it's a real marriage or a fake one.

"I... I need some time to think about it, Alex," Emily finally replied, her voice mixed with uncertainty.

"Of course, but you have till tomorrow to give me a response," Alex said.