The letter in Lia Carter's hand trembled, fear creeping in from reading just the two words, boldly written in red ink stamped across the top which she has read multiple times in a minute which read "FINAL NOTICE".
Her father's company which he built from scratch, he built it from when he had nothing, the one company her mother loves so much and fought so much to preserve up till her dying moment, this same company was about to collapse in weeks.
Lia's throat tightened as she sank into the leather chair behind her, in her father's office.
The atmosphere in the room seemed so heavy combined with the smell of old coffee and dust, the same office that was filled with laughter and beautiful memories now filled with silence and regret.
Her father sat across from her, eyes sunken, the man becoming shadow of who she has known. "Lia, they are calling in the loans. We can't cover the payments."
She swallowed the lumps in her throat which seemed hard. " We will find another investor, Dad. There must be someone willing to help." She said trying to believe herself.
"There is someone. But it is complicated." He signed the sound of a man who is about to give up hope of restoration.
Lia frowned. "Complicated how?"
Her father hesitated, the pause sent a cold shiver through her chest. "It's Adrian... Adrian Blake".
Her body went pale fingers froze on the edge of the paper she held. "Can you please come again." She said trying to believe she heard the wrong words.
"You heard me".
"No." Lia shook her head, voice breaking. "No, definitely not. I won't even Dad, you can't mean it."
"He offered to pay up the debts. All of them. On one condition." Her father's said taking her away from her thought briefly.
Her heart rate increased. "What is the condition?"
"He wants you to get married to him." Her father said, avoiding eye contact.
For a second she felt her world was collapsing." He what?" She managed to say.
Her father went mute for a while, which was enough response for her to get the point.
The paper she once had a strong grip on slipped off her hand, littering the floor like refugees. She could hear her heart beat in her ears. "That man Dad?" She said pointing towards the direction of the door like he was in there.
"He humiliated me! Have you forgotten what he did?" She asked still in disbelief.
How could anyone forget such an awful experience?
Adrian Blake the golden boy of their university. Brilliant, charming, untouchable. And for a whole ass wrecking year, Lia was in love with him. Until she found out he had made an unbelievable bet with his friends, he made a bet about making her fall in love with him, the "nobody art student", just to prove a point.
The memory of the whole scenario never fades off, and remembering it, it still burns like acid.
Her father still avoided eye contact with her, ashamely blinking multiple times. " I know what he did, I can't forget even if I wanted to. But I know the consequences if you reject it."
The door to the office opened before she could respond to her father.
There he was. At the entrance having this arrogant look that she was fighting urge to wipe off him.
"Hello, Lia," He said, his voice as smooth as she could remember. " It's been a while".
Her heart palpated faster than usual. She forced herself to stand straight. "Not long enough."
He smiled faintly. "Still fiery as usual. I am glad you haven't changed."
"The same can't be said concerning you." She fired back.
Adrian's gaze swept the room, the stacks of unpaid bills, reading the exhaustion in her father's posture. "You're in trouble," he said softly with a smug smile . "I can fix that, you know?"
Lia crossed her arms across her chest, one foot tapping profusely on the floor. You don't fix things, You rein them or break them beyond repair.
His smirk didn't falter one bit. "You wound me."
"But not enough."
He stepped closer, closing the gap between them. She refused to flinch or show any emotion apart from hatred. The faint scent his cologne and something strong clawed at memories she wanted buried forever.
"Let's go straight to business," he said. "You need money. I need a wife."
"You are serious?" she said, jaw dropping.
"Very serious".
"Why did you choose me?"
Adrian studies her face with an intensity that makes her heart ache. "Because you are the only woman who has ever had the guy to walk away from me."
She stared at him, surprised. "Is that your reason?"
He shrugged. "You could say it's poetic justice."
"I think the better word is stupidity or insanity."
He ignored her words, focusing on his mission."Here's my offer for you to marry me for six months. We make it public, we tell people, blogs . You play your role of the perfect wife, attend a few events together, smile for the cameras, put on the act. In return, I'll save your father's company from collapsing, pay off the debts and reinvest in your designs."
Lia's mouth went dry, trying to stay focused. "And when six months is over?"
"We will divorce quietly. You keep your company and I keep my reputation. Simple!" He said seriously, feeling proud of himself.
She laughed, bitter, devilish and disbelieving. "Simple? Is that what you think? You think any of this is simple? You humiliated me, Adrian. You used me like I was some kind of joke!"
Adrian's jaw tightened the first crack in his composure. "You don't know the whole story, you only know the part you know."
"Then tell me."she said her, one hand by her waist and the other one moving dramatically.
His eyes darkened briefly before he composed and said. "Not today."
For a moment, silence filled the room sharp, heavy, and suffocating.
Lia's father broke the silence, he spoke quietly. "Lia, please. If you don't agree, everything your mother built will be gone in weeks."
Her chest felt like it was caving in. She looked at her father the lines on his face, the desperate hope in his eyes and then at Adrian, standing there so calmly, with an expression that showed he was sure he'd win.
"I can't," she whispered. "Not after everything I went through with him."
Adrian's expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes, not triumph, not anger… something closer to pain, before she could read it, it vanished.
"Then watch your father's company die," he said softly. "You'll have proud self to blame for it."
The cruelty in his words should have made her hate him more. Instead, it made her heart twist in ways she didn't understand.
Minutes passed like hours.
Finally, Lia drew in a shaky breath. "Six months. No more."
Adrian nodded once. "Deal."
He extended his hand. She stared at it for a moment, then slowly took it. The contact sent a shiver up her arm warm, electric, yet too familiar. Seems the energy never died.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "But don't think I've forgiven you."
Adrian's mouth curved in that infuriating half smile.
"I wouldn't dream of it."
He released her hand, and Lia turned away before he could see the tears threatening to fall off her eyes.
Because deep down, beneath the anger and pride, one terrible truth lingered no matter how much she wanted to hate him, a part of her heart still remembered how it felt to love him.