3 : A Proposal As A Pretext -

Elena arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "I’m listening."

"A small price for a billion-dollar empire," Julian said, offering his hand to help her up. 3 : A Proposal as a Pretext

Elena took it. Her hand was cold, but as his fingers closed around hers, a spark of something that wasn't business flickered in her eyes. She put the ring on, the weight of it anchoring her to a lie they both desperately wanted to believe. "To the merger," she said. Elena arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow

"To the pretext," he replied, already wondering how he would convince her to stay when the twenty-four months were up. Her hand was cold, but as his fingers

"Three years, Julian," she said, tapping a silver pen against a thick legal folder. "That’s how long the merger has been stalled. Your board wants blood, and my family wants your territory. We are past the point of handshakes."

Julian stood, walking slowly around the desk until he was inches from her. He didn't offer a handshake. Instead, he reached into his pocket and placed a velvet box on top of the legal documents. He flicked it open. A four-carat emerald shimmered under the chandelier. Elena didn't gasp. She went still. "What is this?" "A proposal," Julian replied. "This is a business meeting, Julian. Don't be absurd."