CHAPTER 3

The silence after his last words didn't fade quickly. It stayed in the room like a weight. It's suffocating but also... thrilling.

"You notice more than you should."

That was what he said.

We kept staring at each other's eyes. He didn't move away and neither did I.

The distance between us felt wrong—too small, too dangerous. It's suffocating.

Then suddenly, he turned away.

"Leave us," he said calmly.

My eyebrows furrowed. Who is he talking to?

Before I could say something, the door behind me opened.

I hadn't even noticed someone was guarding the door.

There were two of his.

Silent. Controlled. Waiting. They stepped away from the door and closed it without a word.

And just like that, it was only us again. But this time, something had shifted.

He walked back towards my desk and stopped, giving me his full attention.

"Your proposal... is not impossible," he said calmly.

My eyes widened a little. My chest tightened slightly. He actually considered it. I succeeded.

But then his gaze sharpened again.

"There's one condition."

I held his stare "Of course there is. Say it."

His voice dropped lower. It was controlled and finality is written on his tone.

"You don't lie to me."

I blinked once. Then twice.

What kind of condition is that?

"That's your condition?"

"Yes." he confirmed.

Then he spoke again, "Not partial truth. Not a convenient truth. Not the version you choose when it benefits you." his eyes didn't look anywhere else.

" You see, Miss Cruz. I hate liars. So if you want this marriage to work, you don't lie to me. You will tell me... everything."

Right then, I realized that this wasn't about business anymore. This wasn't about revenge or contracts or image. This is about success. My success.

I want to refuse. I should have refused. But instead, I heard myself ask, "And what do I get in return?"

"You get what you asked for," he said.

" Protection. Access. My name and... your revenge. "

My breathing slowed down. His answer was simple. So simple but also controlled. Too controlled.

He then reached for his phone from his pocket.

" I'll arrange it, " he said calmly.

" Arrange what? " I asked.

" The registration. "

That word made my stomach flip.

"You mean-"

"Civil marriage." he finished the sentence for me. "Unless you prefer a church audience for your revenge story." he raised an eyebrow.

I bit my lower lip. There was something in his tone. Not teasing. Not mocking. It's just... factual.

It feels like he was scheduling a meeting, not a wedding.

Realization hit me hard. There is really no turning back... unless I take back everything I said.

I should have been the one pushing for this. Not him. I was the one who proposed and yet, he was the one already moving things forward.

Already control the pace. Just like what I have expected from a man like him.

He stepped closer to me, voice steady.

"You have thirty minutes," he said.

"For what?" I frowned.

"To decide if you still want this after realizing you're no longer in control of how small it stays. " he looked me straight in the eyes.

"People will gossip from here to there. From anywhere, Miss Cruz. And so, I am giving you a chance. What's your final decision?"

My fingers curled slightly at my side. I didn't think about that. That was the truth I hadn't fully acknowledged yet.

"Time is ticking." He reminded me.

I looked at him. Really looked at him. He wasn't asking me. He was waiting for confirmation. Not of our agreement but of whether I could keep up with his pace.

Finally, I exhaled slowly. I didn't even notice I was holding my breath.

"Fine," I said with finality.

A smirk appeared on his lips.

"But I have a condition too."

He raised an eyebrow and I gulped.

"I don't become something you own in public and ignore in private. "

" Understood. Your condition will be honored. " he said simply.

He walked towards the door, "Get ready. We're leaving."

"Where?"

He glanced back at me before answering, "The registry office."

"As of today, you stop being just a bank manager." he turned to me fully.

"You become Mrs. Hemenez."

He opened the door and this time, I followed him out without hesitation. No questions. No doubts.

Not because I trusted him but because for the first time, I realized that he might not be the only one who understands how dangerous this agreement really is.

But as I stepped past my desk, my eyes caught something he didn't take with him.

The cheque.

Still sitting there. Unmoved. Forgotten. Unclaimed.

Because somehow... I was the deal he closed instead.