Chapter 4 The Proposal

Lila's POV

In my palm, the letter shuddered.

**"Ethan was aware. right from the start. Never put your faith in him.

Reading those sentences again made my chest boil. I turned to face Ethan. He didn't flinch. He remained silent. He simply looked at me as if he was waiting for me to blow up or break apart.

I didn't do either.

I said, "Tell me it's not true."

He took a step forward. "That's not what you believe."

I held up the letter. "Then describe this. Richard wrote this before he passed away, but why? Why did he conceal it behind a locked safe in a bleeding envelope? "

He tightened his jaw. "Because he was suspicious." He was in a downward spiral.

I raised my voice and yelled, "You still haven't responded." "Were you aware of his involvement? "

"Yes," he muttered. "I was aware."

The remarks came like a smack to my head.

My legs almost failed me as I retreated. "You knew, yet you remained silent."

"I made an effort to stop him."

However, Ethan, you failed to stop him. You gave me the impression that everything was typical. You allowed me to enter his grave without seeing him.

His voice was strained as he said, "I was defending you." Richard had adversaries. risky ones. I would have made you a target if I had revealed everything to you too quickly.

"I am already! "

Quiet. dense. heavy.

Grasping the desk for balance, I turned my back on him. It seemed as if the room was tilting. My whole world was collapsing.

Ethan's voice became softer behind me.

"I've made errors. However, I have never lied about my feelings for you.

I gave a sour chuckle. "You really believe that matters at this moment? "

"I believe it's the only thing sustaining your life."

Startled, I turned. "What is meant by that? "

He inhaled deeply and moved in closer. "Those that pursued Richard haven't stopped." You've been under their observation. Awaiting.

My blood froze.

"You're implying that someone desires my death? "

He gave a nod.

I gazed at him. "Why didn't you inform me earlier? "

"Because I needed some time to act." to lawfully safeguard you. in terms of money. physically.

My heart was racing. The floor seemed to be collapsing under my feet. "Ethan, what are you saying? "

He gave me a direct glance.

"I have a bargain for you."

My mouth became parched.

"A bargain? "

"Yes," he said. "A year. a legitimate union. on paper. In every aspect, you become my wife. In return, I pay off your debt, safeguard your company, and ensure that no one ever approaches you closely enough to harm you.

I gave a harsh, quick chuckle. "You're kidding."

"I'm not."

I took a step back. "As if it were a commercial deal, you want to *marry* me? "

He answered, "I'm promising you safety." "Security. Strength.

"What do you receive? I yelled.

"You."

Everything fell apart at the sound of just one syllable.

He had no smile on his face. He wasn't having fun.

He said in a quiet voice, "I get to keep you." "Even if it's only a year."

I was trembling.

"You want to possess me."

"No," he said rapidly. "This is the only way I know how to keep you safe. Lila, you're not just any lady I want to have sex with. Ever since Richard first introduced us, I have adored you. For years, I suppressed that emotion. While he deceived you, took advantage of you, and put everything on the line, I swallowed it.

With a forceful gulp, my chest gave way. "So why now? "

"Because he's deceased." You're drowning, too. And the only one who still knows how to free you is me.

Once again, the room became still.

I gave him a glance. The guy who covered the truth behind kisses and gripped my heart last night.

He extended a folder. One more contract.

I refused to accept it.

"I must think," I muttered.

He said, "You don't have time." "Black stream's members are merciless. If you are innocent, it doesn't matter to them. What Richard promised them is important to them, and your name is still associated with it.

Tears made my eyesight blurry. And being married to you eliminates all of that? "

"Yes."

And at the end of the year, what do I owe? "

He hesitated. "Nothin'."

"But you'll want more."

He didn't respond to it.

I grabbed the folder. As I turned the pages, my hands were shaking. Dates, clauses, and signatures were all present.

I said, "You signed it already."

"I've been holding out for the ideal opportunity."

My voice trembled as I glanced up at him.

"Did you murder him? "

Ethan's eyes became gloomy. "No."

Did you wish for his death? "

His mouth twitched. "Yes."

I have never heard something so honest.

I couldn't decide which was worse, his reality or the fact that it had no effect on how my body reacted to him.

Grasping the contract, I took a step back.

"I need to be alone."

With a hesitant nod, he turned and left the room without saying anything else.

Hours went by.

I sat with the folder next to me, still unopened, at the edge of the bed.

Once again, my phone buzzed.

**Unknown Number: "With him, you're not safe. Not even for a day. Look in the closet at the red box.

I gasped.

I got up, moved carefully to the closet, shoved the jackets that were hanging there, and there it was.

A red lockbox.

I opened it while kneeling.

I discovered three items inside:

1. A flash drive.

2. A key made of silver.

3. An old picture of Ethan and Richard standing side by side, shaking hands with an unfamiliar stranger.

Once again, my phone buzzed.

** "That guy in the picture? He is the cause of Richard's death. Ethan is aware of his whereabouts.

I looked at the photo.

Ethan was secretive. But maybe he had adversaries as well.

And they would also be mine if I were to marry him.

I went back to bed and reopened the contract.

It was my name. My destiny was predetermined.

A year.

Just one dude.

Too many lies.

The line for my signature caught my attention.

I then grabbed the pen.

My phone buzzed again just before I hit the page button.

**"You'll both die before the year is out if you sign it."

The pen clinked lightly on the wooden floor after rolling off the bed. I refrained from grabbing it.

I looked across the room to the entrance door. It had opened with a click.

Since I hadn't moved, I knew.

My breath stuck in my throat as I slowly rose up. There was silence in the apartment. No footsteps. No sound. Just enough quiet to choke on.

My fingers tightened around the red picture still gripped in my palm as I cautiously made my way into the hallway.

The light in the hallway turned on by itself. I paused.

"Ethan? I yelled in a low voice.

No response.

I carefully retreated into the bedroom and locked the door behind me. Now my heart was pounding.

My phone buzzed again.

**Unknown Number: "Inside, they are. The past is now coming for you since he didn't shut it out.

I thought I was going to fall.

I took the key and the flash drive out of the red box and shoved them into my pocket. I knew they were no longer safe here, but I wasn't sure what they meant yet.

I retrieved my coat and boots from the closet and opened the window. I climbed out onto the fire escape, feeling the wind bite my flesh.

I didn't turn around.

Headlights illuminated the alley behind the building as I descended and fell to the ground.

I didn't pause to check who owned them.

I took off running.

The only location that still felt something like home was where I ended up.

The bakery.

It smelled like memories and flour, and it was chilly and dark.

I unlocked the door with the extra key and slid inside. The floors were half-swept, the countertops were vacant, and the calendar on the wall still showed the week Richard passed away. Everything seemed just as I had left it.

I put my arms about my knees and dropped onto the floor behind the front counter.

I refrained from crying.

I didn't tremble at all.

I simply sat there looking into space, numb.

How had it all gone so quickly and so badly?

In the past, I was a wife, a baker, and a stable lady.

I was a widow now, caught between the fixation of a live man and the falsehoods of a dead man.

Still, I couldn't get Ethan's comments out of my head.

**"I cherish you."**

I wanted to think he was real.

I *did* think he was real.

Love, however, does not conceal secrets.

Love doesn't demand compliance or hold people to a contract.

Love doesn't let danger in by leaving the front door unlocked.

I jumped when I heard a gentle knock.

I glanced in the direction of the door.

Then his voice came to me.

"Lila. Open up, please.

I remained still.

He knocked once more, more firmly.

"I am aware that you are within."

I gently got up and looked out the window. Ethan stood by himself outdoors, his hair brushed back from his face and his coat saturated from the gentle rain.

He had crazy eyes. Crazy.

I slightly opened the door.

"What brings you here? I inquired.

"I trailed you. I had no idea where else you would go.

"I needed room."

He answered, "I gave you room." "The entrance of the penthouse was open when I entered."

I said, "So someone *was* there."

He gave a nod. "Whoever it was is no longer there. However, they left a caution.

I took a swallow. "What kind of alert? "

Ethan produced a little black velvet packet from his pocket.

There was a gunshot inside.

encased in crimson thread.

We took a seat in the bakery's rear office. It was habit, not comfort, that had led me to make two cups of coffee. We both didn't drink.

Between us, Ethan put the bullet on the tabletop.

He said, "It's their signature." "The guy in the picture? Dorian Vale is his name. He leaves no fingerprints behind. He leaves behind gunshots that resemble hellish love notes.

Bile rose in my throat as I gazed at the shiny metal.

Richard got acquainted with someone like him, but why? I inquired.

"Because he was in dire need." because he believed he was more intelligent than danger.

"And you? "

"I was a kid. Foolish. Dorian and I were partners once. Only once. When I realized what he was willing to do, I left.

"However, Richard remained."

Indeed. When the funds ran out, he attempted to entice me back in. He attempted to pull *you* in after I said no.

I blinked. "What are you saying? "

The mansion, the bakery, and your name on contracts weren't only showpieces. Dorian desired power. Richard also handed him *you*.

My stomach churned as I reclined.

"I was sold by him."

Ethan remained silent.

He didn't dispute it, however.

After a lengthy silence, I added, "I need to know something." Will they cease if I marry you? "

"No," Ethan said bluntly and honestly. It will buy time, however. It will make it more difficult to lawfully touch you. It enables me to transfer you, protect you, and take ownership of everything in my name rather than yours.

"That turns me into a pawn."

He said, "It makes you *protected*."

There was fire between us as we gazed at one another.

"You believe that a contract and a ring can mend me like a fragile object? I muttered.

"No," he said. "You are, in my opinion, the strongest lady I have ever met. However, under pressure, even steel may bend.

I gasped.

He got up and approached me gently, as if he was worried that I might run away.

He grabbed my hands while kneeling in front of my chair.

"I want you to be safe. I want your freedom. Even if it's just on paper, I want you *mine* above all else. even if I only get a year.

I didn't back off.

I was unable to.

His lips barely touched mine as he pushed closer.

I got closer.

Perhaps it was, but we kissed as if everything outside were crumbling.

With his hands slipping under my sweatshirt and his tongue tasting like heat and storm, he drew me onto his lap.

I wanted to dissolve.

However, I was unable to ignore my worry.

Later I gazed up at him, snuggled up in the corner of the bakery sofa, his arms wrapped around me.

"What if I accept? I inquired.

We get married in the morning.

And if I decline? "

He took a swallow. "Then I discover an other means to keep you alive."

With little more than a whisper, I planted a kiss on his shoulder. "All right."

He withdrew. "All right? "

"I'll sign it."

He looked into my eyes.

I said, "But on one condition."

"What is it? "

"No more secrets. I'm curious about everything. Concerning Dorian. Regarding Richard. regarding you.

Ethan gave one nod. "Finished."

I took the scarlet picture out of my pocket and held it up.

Then begin by doing this. Who is the guy behind the two of you? "

Ethan became pale.

"That's not Dorian," he murmured gradually.

I scowled. Then, who? "

His hands were shaking as he grabbed the picture from me. "His brother is that dude."

"His sibling? "

Ethan gave a nod.

"Dorian has a twin. No one discusses him. He is never seen. The one who pulls the strings, however, is him. *Damien* is his name, and he is even worse than Dorian was.

My phone buzzed once more before I could say anything.

No unknown number this time.

It was a video.

live streaming.

of the bakery.

from the outside.

Across the street, a guy wearing a black coat was looking straight into the camera.

He grinned.

and held out his hand.

He had a lighter in his hand.

Red ghosts of flames reflected in the glass.

I staggered back, my heart thumping. "Ethan! "

He ran to the window and pulled the curtain back. The guy in the dark coat had vanished across the street, but a dense fire had broken out in the garbage next to the bakery.

Smoke curled upward, engulfing the darkness.

Ethan snapped, "We need to leave this place."

I had a dry mouth. Is it a warning, in your opinion? "

He turned to me and said, "No," in a somber tone. "It was a pledge."

Our marriage contract was in the folder, so I tucked it inside my coat and pushed the flash drive and key into my pocket even further.

The bakery was already filled with smoke as we exploded out the rear door. As we slipped into the alley, Ethan drew me up close. Far away, sirens screamed.

I gasped and yelled, "Wait." "We can't simply walk away-my equipment, my records-"

"Lila, they were pursuing *you*. Not your oven.

It seemed genuine the way he said it.

I was no longer just a widow.

I served as bait.

We returned to the penthouse twenty minutes later. My hair had an ashy stench. My hands continued to shake. I was standing in Ethan's bathroom, looking into the mirror.

I got soot on my cheek. I had a cracked lip. My eyes had the appearance of someone else's.

I didn't know who she was.

After approaching me from behind, Ethan put a towel over my shoulders and put his hands there.

I looked him in the eyes in the mirror and said, "I need to know something." Was this fire started by you to frighten me into signing? "

He wiggled his jaw. "No."

"Make a vow."

"I swear on the one thing that matters more to me than this city, my company, or my name-*you*," he said, leaning down and whispering into my ear.

My heart thumped.

I looked over at him. "I lose control if I get married to you."

He took a step toward her. "No. You *take* charge. The pen is in *your* hands this time.

His rough thumb brushed my bottom lip as his palm cradled my face.

"I'll do all in my power to keep you safe," he said. But I promise not to deceive you once again. You will learn everything if you remain with me, Lila. Every single secret. Every risk. even those who might shatter us.

I let a little tear fall down my face.

"I already feel broken," I murmured.

He removed it with a kiss.

"Let's split up then."

An hour later, I signed the contract.

My name seemed odd next to his.

Lila Cole, Mrs.

Ethan remained silent. He only observed me. Then, as if sealing something holy, he carefully closed the folder.

I tried to chuckle when I remarked, "You just married a millionaire in sweats and ashes."

He said, "You just saved our lives."

He gave my hand a kiss.

Furthermore, it didn't seem like an agreement this time.

The sensation was one of resignation.

Later, I watched the lights flicker across the ceiling while cuddled up in Ethan's bed with the cover pulled high.

He was sitting next to me, looking through his phone.

"From the communication you received earlier, I was able to trace the IP address," he continued. "That person who instructed you to open the red box."

"And? "

"Dorian isn't the source."

I pivoted. "What? "

It's a different person. Someone nearer. Someone who has access to both my and your husband's accounts.

"Who? "

His gloomy eyes gazed at me.

"Your in-law's sister."

I blinked. *Maya? *"

He gave a nod. She is very involved. She has probably been keeping an eye on us since before Richard passed away.

I felt sick to my stomach. "What made her do that? "

He opened a second file. Since she was more than simply Richard's younger sister. She was his Black stream partner. She took care of the laundry portion of it.

I said, "I don't believe you."

He turned the phone to face me and said, "I didn't want you to find out like this." The identical guy from the photograph in the red box was standing with Maya and Richard in the shot.

Vale Damien.

My digits became icy.

Maya wasn't blameless.

She was *in it*.

"Why would she assist me in discovering the reality? I inquired.

"Perhaps to ruin *me*," Ethan muttered. "Or maybe she's attempting to complete what Richard began."

The room blurred as I kept my eyes on the screen.

Then there was another buzz.

Not from my phone, however.

Ethan scowled as he examined the wall-mounted screen. His private security system flashed a message.

**BREACH: TRIGGERED BASEMENT ENTRANCE**

He ran out of bed, took the pistol from the safe beside the bedside table, and gave it to me.

"Are you familiar with its use? "

I gave a headshake.

"Remain near," he urged. "Never run, no matter what happens."

We walked silently down the corridor, barefoot.

The lights wavered.

On the wall, another alarm lit red.

**Access to the garage is disabled. Cameras are not online.

Ethan muttered an expletive.

We heard it-*footsteps*-after that. The private elevator is approaching.

My chest rose too quickly, so I tightened my grasp on the rifle.

Ethan's muscles tensed as he pointed to the door.

The elevator made a noise.

The doors opened smoothly.

Both of us froze.

It was **Richard** who stood there.

My ribs ached from the force of my gulp.

Ethan dropped his weapon in surprise.

"It's impossible," he said.

Richard, however, was still alive.

Grinning.

Additionally, he was clutching a wedding ring.