Chapter 5 ✨Between Strangers and Secrets✨

"Hello, Dad," she said cheerfully.

"Hi, sweetheart," he replied with the same warmth.

"Dad, you sound happy. What's the good news?" she asked eagerly.

He chuckled. "Everything's fine. I just needed you back first. There's news."

"Really?! Come on, give me a hint, Dad! Did everything work out?"

"Well... sort of. Let's just say your return means a lot."

"Okay, where are you right now?"

"I'm at the office. Handling a few things."

"Alright, I'll be home soon. Take care, okay?"

"Okay, sweetheart."

Ding-the call ended.

'Seems like it went well. He sounds happy,' she thought to herself.

She focused on her tasks again and didn't realize how time flew until closing hour.

As usual, she said goodbye to her staff and headed home, clearly exhausted.

⸻

LATER THAT NIGHT

They were sitting at the dining table having dinner. Jasmine was dressed in a loose gown, while Mr. Raymond wore a light grey kaftan. A single glance at them would tell you they were discussing something serious.

Jasmine sighed. "Dad, don't worry. Hopefully, they'll say yes. Just stay hopeful."

"Let's pray so. Because honestly, they're my last hope. Now imagine if they refuse-what am I supposed to do with all this debt? You know banks don't care about bad luck. If I say I want to pay all at once, I'll crash the company. The investors will demand their money. I have almost no assets to trade off. I'd be in a very deep mess."

"Don't talk like that, Dad. Hopefully, none of that will happen. Just keep praying and stay positive. Things will work out," she said, trying to reassure him.

"Amen, sweetheart. Please keep praying for me too."

"Always, Dad."

"So how's the bakery doing, Mrs. Chef?" he teased.

"Dad! It's going great, thank God. Everything's moving along..."

She went on to give him updates on the bakery. They finished dinner, said goodnight, and each went to their room.

⸻

TUESDAY

Tuesday was uneventful for Mr. Raymond. Jasmine, on her part, was so busy she didn't catch her breath until late in the evening.

When she got home, she found her dad anxious about what tomorrow would bring.

As always, she did her best to calm him down until she saw that he'd relaxed a little. Then she spent half the night praying for his success.

⸻

WEDNESDAY

Unlike the last meeting, today's appointment was in the evening. Jasmine was the only one who left home that morning. She made sure her dad had eaten and felt at ease before heading off to her bakery.

⸻

SCENE CHANGE

"This pampering-are we courting a queen or what? Ethan, please hurry up, we're late. Haven't you checked the time?" Daniel said, visibly irritated.

Ethan didn't even flinch, much less respond.

"I don't get you anymore. You used to hate being late, but for this guy, you've become someone else-"

"Oh please, Daniel," Ethan cut in dramatically, as if about to cry. "Could you let me be, for real?"

"Wait, I'm the one-"

"Shut it, man. I said shut it. I'm not in the mood. If he can't wait, he can leave. I didn't drag him here, and he can't stop me either. Try pressuring me and I'll move this meeting to next month. Try me."

Daniel raised his hands in surrender and turned back to the TV. He knew from experience that Ethan meant what he said.

Another 30 minutes passed before Ethan was finally ready. Daniel was fuming by then.

"Shall we?" Ethan asked, adjusting his necktie.

Daniel ignored him and stormed out.

Ethan smirked and followed behind.

They both got into one car, while the bodyguards followed in another, and they drove off.

⸻

THE MEETING

"Sir, we've reviewed your request," Daniel began, "and we're willing to offer you the amount-or even more. But there's a condition. We don't know if you'll agree to it."

Mr. Raymond almost burst into joy. He glanced at Daniel, then turned to Ethan, who was still twirling in his chair with his eyes closed.

"I'm listening. What's the condition?" he asked.

"I'm not sure how you'll take this, but please believe me-it's just business. We have no hidden agenda. We'll give you a loan of 30 million dollars, or more, for one year. No interest, no deductions. But as you know, you don't have any collateral for us to hold in case you default, right?"

"That's true," Mr. Raymond replied.

"So we thought-why not do this as a trade? We give you the funds, and you give us something to hold until you pay back. Once you do, we'll return it."

"What exactly are you asking for?" Mr. Raymond asked, puzzled.

Daniel looked briefly at Ethan, who was still spinning in the chair, then returned his gaze to Mr. Raymond.

"Your daughter."

"My daughter?" he repeated, confused.

"Yes. I mean... you give us your daughter, and we give you the money."

"Wait-you're telling me to give you my daughter in exchange for money? You think I'd trade her future for cash?! This is insane!" Mr. Raymond snapped, stunned.

"Please calm down, Mr. Raymond. That's not what I meant. You misunderstood us. What I meant is-you marry your daughter to Mr. Ethan here. A contract marriage. Once you repay the money, he'll divorce her. Nothing will happen between them. It's just for the records. If you agree, we'll even raise the loan to 50 million. All you'll need to do is sign a contract. But remember-you still have the right to say no. It's just... business," he emphasized.

Mr. Raymond fell silent, his head spinning. A contract? A marriage? That's a contract marriage. But what's their gain? What's his own?

"Mr. Raymond?" Daniel called.

Mr. Raymond looked at Ethan. Yes, he was incredibly handsome-drop-dead gorgeous. The kind of man any woman would dream of marrying. And rich, unbelievably rich. Becoming his in-law, even for a day, was a massive opportunity.

But what did Ethan gain from this? There had to be a reason.

"I'll take your silence as a no," Daniel said.

"No, I'm not rejecting it. But what does he gain from this? He must have a motive."

"Smart question," Daniel nodded. "Yes, he does. As you can see, Ethan is young, rich, and attractive. He turns 28 next month. His parents are pressuring him about marriage. They've even given him a deadline-if he doesn't bring someone home, they'll match him with a woman of their choice.

"But the woman Ethan actually loves is still in school and won't graduate for another two years. So he thought-why not marry your daughter temporarily, as a cover? Once you repay the loan, he'll divorce her and marry his true love. Nothing will happen between them-it's just a contract marriage. You'll hand her over exactly how she is, and get her back the same."

Mr. Raymond sat in deep thought, absorbing every word and running the numbers. He was a businessman, and he was already beginning to see big profits. Huge ones.

"So?" Daniel asked. "Do you agree? Or should we look elsewhere?"

Mr. Raymond looked at Ethan again. This time, Ethan was watching him too-waiting for his answer. I was also there, pen in hand, waiting.

You could hear nothing but the soft hum of the air conditioner.

Mr. Raymond sighed deeply, then slowly opened his mouth and said