Chapter 2 - The Billionaire's Proposition
Adrian's corner office was a masterpiece of modern design.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the Manhattan skyline, bathed in the morning sunlight.
He didn't sit behind his massive mahogany desk.
Instead, he gestured toward the plush leather sofas in the center of the room.
"Sit," he commanded softly.
I sat down, pulling Mia close to my side.
Adrian walked over to a mini-fridge, pulled out a bottle of premium apple juice, and handed it to Mia.
"Thank you, Mr. Boss," Mia beamed.
"You can call me Adrian," he said, and I swear I saw his lips twitch into a ghost of a smile.
Then he turned to me, his expression all business again.
"Who is the bad man?" he asked.
"Mr. Kane, I am so sorry," I started babbling. "She didn't mean to—"
"Who is he, Lily?" he interrupted, using my first name for the first time in two years.
I took a deep, shaky breath.
"My ex-husband. Marcus."
"We divorced four years ago. He was... he was emotionally abusive and financially reckless."
"He vanished, left me with a mountain of debt, and gave up all his parental rights."
"But yesterday, I got a letter from a high-powered law firm."
"Marcus recently married the daughter of a real estate tycoon."
"Now that he has endless resources, he wants custody of Mia. Just to hurt me."
"He knows I can't afford a protracted legal battle."
I looked down at my hands, deeply ashamed.
"I am so sorry this bled into the office. I'll pack my things."
"Don't be ridiculous," Adrian snapped, surprising me.
He paced the room for a moment, his mind clearly working at a million miles an hour.
Then he stopped and looked at me.
"Are you familiar with the terms of my grandfather's trust, Lily?"
I blinked, thrown off by the sudden change in topic. "No."
"To inherit the controlling shares of Kane Global Holdings when I turn thirty-seven next month..."
"I must be married and settled."
"My grandfather believed a man without a family is a man who cannot be trusted with an empire."
"The board is currently trying to force me out, claiming I am too cold, too detached, and a liability."
"They want to replace me with my cousin, who is a complete idiot."
Adrian sat down on the coffee table directly in front of me.
He leaned in, his gray-blue eyes locking onto mine.
"I need a wife, Lily."
"A believable wife, and a family image to secure my company."
"And you need a shark of a lawyer, endless financial resources, and protection from your ex."
My jaw dropped.
"What are you saying?" I whispered.
"I'm saying," Adrian replied smoothly, "that Mia has an excellent eye for business partnerships."
"Marry me, Lily."
"Pretend to be my fiancée, and eventually my wife."
"Move into my penthouse."
"Let the world see us as a happy family."
"In return, my legal team will obliterate your ex-husband."
"He will never come within a hundred miles of Mia again."
"And I will pay you five million dollars at the end of our two-year contract."
I sat there, stunned into absolute silence.
He was offering me a lifeline.
A golden ticket to protect my daughter.
"Why me?" I finally managed to ask.
"Because you're smart, you're professional, and we already know how to work together."
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"Plus," he added, looking at Mia, who was happily coloring on his glass coffee table.
"I think I like my new boss."
