'S

ist handed a

30th floor. He's expecting you," the recepti

Derek? Or about my mom? Did he already

as imp

to act normal as I took the card

hut, I let out a shaky breath and press

Keep it tog

panel. The elevator hummed to li

on or nervousness but the air

till the lift came to a

ded open. When I stepped out, I notice

y lit hallway, and sitting just outside it, a man whos

walked closer to him. As soon as he saw me,

, Miss Hart." He smiled and m

ed inside, my gaze immediately la

ng through a file like he wasn't aware of my presence when

flicked up from his pa

composed. His expensive suit was perfectly fitted, the top button of h

rfect in

art," he said smoothl

ng down my nerves. "Al

e a

re straight and confident desp

coffee?"

er. I'

re picking up the telecom. "S

yes widened in shock. How d

hing close to amusement. "Don't think

on of my cheating mate but I didn

ained on Richard. "You kno

, didn't I? He is a terri

ring his remark for now.

"Hate? No, I don't hate

my eyebro

red a day in his life. Never had to fight

n the past and ridiculed me because my mother was the late Alpha's mist

t. This wa

I took it as a cue to continue. "Marry me. Give me enough money to save my mother. In return, I'

st time, Ri

ips curled into a smirk. "You're pretty straightforwa

me for that. My mother needs emergency Bypas

lowly and wal

you willing to give? Because making Derek and his family a

e truly didn't

ded him d

ould be the one people laughed at. My friends, my high-school classmates, the very

woman and him telling me to let it go b

d him t

I only needed money for that I could just borrow it from him. Not just

would only be happy to see me paying

m feel even a fraction of what I had felt when I walked in on him with someone el

ichard. If he wasn't going to

and nothing more," I said firml

e truth or

us before Richard began

between us grew heavy, thick with

y still, my heart pound

stopped directly in front of me and l

h grazed my ear, sending an involuntary shiver down my

slightly. "Wha

directly in front of mine wi

ng," he murmured. "My mone

quickly shook my head. N

. With a time limit," I said, my voice

ntract marriage is what you'll get. No

around a man like him. If I actually slept with him, what if I developed

my lungs. "Oh, no, I need you to understand this,

stiffened and m

and fuck you whenever i want. If you can accept that, I will make sure Derek grovels

g my reaction before he

back to school and pursue

red as I stared

ng I needed. Every

ith this decision. I could go back to school, focus o

ve myself to the most powe

upid to declin

? Could I really sell my b

nwavering stare mak

ver, I inhaled deeply, fo

e head-on. "Fine. I ac