Chapter 3 The Offer(Ii)

• Arya's POV
• I froze.
• I’m pretty sure I had misheard.
• “You want me to what?” I asked.
• Logan Vance’s eyes gleamed.
• “Marry me,” he said quietly.
• And then he added the part that made my stomach drop.
• “Or watch the men outside your office collect what they’re owed.”
• My heart skipped a beat as I tried to make sense of it all.
• “It’s all for a show.” He added like he had read my mind.
• “But…”
• “You’ve got nothing to lose out of this deal, I will make sure of that.” I heard him say.
• I didn’t think much about the offer, honestly, it felt like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
• I raised my head, “I accept your proposal, but there must be rules.” I stated.
• “Of course,” he said calmly. “It’s a fake marriage, Miss Thorne. I’m not expecting romance.”
• “Good,” I replied quickly. “Because that’s not happening.”
• He smirks.
• “Then we understand each other.”
• I leaned forward slightly.“I help you find proof your stepbrother is stealing from VANCE Industries. I pose as your fiancée to keep the investigation quiet. In return, you clear my mother’s debt.”
• “Yes.”
• “And the loan sharks?”
• “Handled.”
• The word was too simple. Unbelievably too.
• “Handled how?” I asked.
• His expression didn’t change.
• “They will never bother you again.”
• Something about the certainty in his voice made my stomach tighten.
• I decided not to ask further.
• “Fine,” I said.“But I want everything in writing.”
• A faint smile appeared.
• “I expected nothing less from a forensic accountant.”
• He walked to his desk and opened a folder.
• Inside were several documents already prepared.
• Of course they were.
• “You planned this,” I said.
• “I plan everything.”
• He slid the papers across the desk.
• I read quickly.
• Non-disclosure agreements.
• Temporary employment contract.
• Financial settlement terms.
• And there it was.
• ‘$384,000 debt settlement; paid in full upon completion of investigation.’
• My heart felt something it hadn’t since I became an adult, freedom.
• It was sitting in black ink right in front of me.
• “Why me? I asked suddenly. I had to know.
• Logan leaned back against the desk again.
• “You’re good, most importantly you’re independent. My stepbrother monitors everyone inside this company.”
• “So you needed an outsider.”
• “Yes.”
• “And the fake engagement?”
• His expression changed slightly like he was avoiding the question or I was asking too many questions he didn’t want to answer to.
• “My family is hosting a charity gala this weekend.”
• “And?”
• “My stepbrother will be there.”
• I understood immediately.
• “You want me close to the family.”
• “Exactly.”
• I looked down at the papers again.
• This wasn’t just an audit.
• This was infiltration.
• Corporate spy game wrapped in an engagement ring.
• “You realize,”I said slowly, “that if your brother really is stealing millions… he won’t sit quietly while we expose him.”
• Logan’s gaze didn’t waver.
• “I’m counting on that.”
• That answer did not make me feel better.
• I picked up the pen.
• Three days. Marco’s knife flashed in my memory.
• Freedom or ruin.
• I signed the document.
• Logan took the papers back, scanning them quickly.
• “Good,” he said.
• Then he opened a small velvet box on his desk.
• Inside was a diamond ring that probably cost more than my entire apartment building.
• My eyes widened.
• “You’re serious about the fiancée part.”
• “Our engagement goes public tonight.”
• “Tonight?” “Wait… isn’t that…”
• “You’ll be moving into my penthouse this afternoon, that’s where you will be working from.”
• “This afternoon?”
• My brain struggled to keep up.
• “This is moving fast.”
• “It has to.” He responded.
• He stood and walked toward me, my heart racing while he did.
• When he reached me, he took the ring from the box.
• “For appearances,” he said.
• My hand lifted slowly.
• The diamond slid onto my finger.
• It fit perfectly.
• Of course it did.
• “You already knew my ring size?” I asked.
• Logan’s eyes held mine.
• “I know a lot about you, Arya.”
• A strange chill ran through me.
• Before I could respond, there was a sudden knock on the office door.
• Logan didn’t look away from me.
• “Come in.”
• The door opened.
• A man walked inside.
• Tall. Blond. A little bit on the rough side.
• He looked almost like Logan… but with a careless arrogance in his smile.
• His gaze landed on my hand.
• On the ring. I reflexively hid my hand.
• What was I even thinking doing that.
• Then he laughed softly.
• “Well,” he said.
• “This is interesting.”
• He looked at Logan.
• “You didn’t tell me you were engaged.”
• Logan’s voice turned cold.
• “I didn’t think it concerned you, Ethan.”
• Ethan.
• The stepbrother.
• The man we were supposed to be investigating.
• His eyes slowly moved from Logan back to me.
• Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
• “Strange,” he murmured.
• “Because I’m pretty sure…”
• He stepped closer.
• “I saw this woman meeting with Marco last night.”
• My eyes widened.
• Silence filled the room.
• My heart slammed against my ribs.
• Ethan smiled wider.
• And Logan slowly turned his head toward me.
• “Would you like to explain that, fiancée?”
• ‘Explain what, what am I supposed to say now.’ I panicked.