Chapter 3: The Price of a Transaction

The room suddenly fell silent, leaving behind a suffocating tension.

Hellena remained frozen in place, staring at Kael with visibly trembling eyes. Her heart pounded relentlessly while her mind desperately searched for another way out—one that, unfortunately, did not exist.

Marry Kael Willian.

The man she had known for the past five years as a merciless superior.

“I need your answer now, Hellena,” Kael repeated. His voice dropped lower, cold and filled with unmistakable pressure. “Your time is running out.”

Hellena remained silent.

Her lips parted slightly, but her tongue suddenly refused to form any words.

Kael released a quiet breath through his nose before turning his back on her.

“Fine. If you're hesitant, forget my offer. You may leave.”

His jaw tightened as he strode back toward the balcony.

Without realizing it, his hand curled into a fist inside his trouser pocket. A flicker of irritation unexpectedly stirred within him—something deeply unfamiliar, because Kael Willian hated being rejected, no matter how insignificant the matter was.

Hellena stared at the CEO’s broad back.

At that very moment, the threat from the loan sharks echoed in her mind again, flooding her with overwhelming fear.

“...that curvy body of yours will belong to us.”

Hellena shuddered.

Goosebumps raced across her skin as she imagined the ruin waiting just around the corner.

“Alright, Mr. Kael. I-I agree.”

Hellena spoke quickly before he could truly dismiss her.

Kael stopped walking.

He slowly turned around and fixed her with a sharp gaze.

“What did you say?”

“I agree to marry you, Mr. Kael.”

There was no hesitation left in Hellena’s voice.

Only absolute resignation forced into standing upright.

For the first time that night, the corner of Kael’s lips lifted slightly.

A faint smile.

Cold enough to resemble the victorious smirk of a predator.

“A very wise decision.”

Kael walked toward a dark mahogany desk in the corner of the room.

He picked up a black leather folder before returning to Hellena and handing it to her without ceremony.

“Read it.”

Hellena accepted the folder with trembling fingers.

The moment she opened it, her eyes quickly scanned the official document titled:

Contract Marriage Agreement.

The terms were written with rigid precision:

• The marriage will last for one year only.

• No physical contact of any kind is permitted.

• Emotional attachment or personal feelings are strictly prohibited.

• Neither party may interfere in the other's private affairs.

• The marriage must remain completely confidential from the public and workplace.

• Both parties will live under the same roof but occupy separate bedrooms.

• After one year, both parties will divorce amicably.

On the following page, Hellena’s eyes locked onto the compensation clause.

Her breath caught instantly.

• The second party will receive compensation of one billion euros upon completion of the contract.

The number was staggering.

An amount so enormous that a secretary like her had never dared dream of possessing it in an entire lifetime.

“So this... is only a contract marriage?” Hellena asked softly, trying to preserve the last remnants of her sanity.

“Yes,” Kael replied succinctly. “I simply need a legally recognized wife to fulfill my mother’s wishes. Nothing more.”

“So... there won’t be any marital relationship?”

Kael looked at her with a flat, intimidating expression.

“I believe the terms I wrote are perfectly clear for a woman as intelligent as you.”

Heat instantly rushed to Hellena’s cheeks.

Embarrassed, she lowered her head and pretended to reread the document to conceal her awkwardness.

The value of this transaction was far too great for nothing more than a staged performance.

“Sir...” Hellena paused, gathering her courage. “May I request an advance payment of one million euros tonight?”

Kael showed no sign of surprise.

His expression remained calm, as though the request was insignificant.

“Of course.”

Hellena looked up at him, disbelief shining in her eyes.

“Really, sir?”

“You need it immediately to solve your problem, don’t you?” Kael looked directly at her. “The money will be transferred to your account as soon as you sign.”

Without allowing herself more time to hesitate, Hellena grabbed the platinum pen resting on the desk.

Although her hand still trembled slightly, she signed her name across the designated line.

Hellena Crawley was now officially bound to the agreement.

Kael took the folder back, briefly checked the signature, and nodded in satisfaction.

“Meet me at the civil registry office tomorrow at nine in the morning,” Kael instructed firmly. “Once the paperwork is finished, we’ll go straight to the hospital. You need to meet my mother.”

“Your mother?”

Hellena looked slightly surprised.

“She wants to see me married before her condition worsens.”

Hellena fell silent for a moment before nodding.

“Understood, sir.”

Bzzz.

The phone inside her bag vibrated.

She quickly pulled it out and saw a banking notification.

Her eyes widened completely when she saw the figures that had just appeared in her account.

One million euros.

At that moment, the crushing weight on her shoulders seemed to lighten slightly.

Tears nearly spilled from sheer relief, but she forced herself to hold them back in front of Kael.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Kael.”

“Don’t thank me. This is merely a business transaction, Hellena,” Kael interrupted coldly, restoring the professional boundary between them. “You may leave now.”

Hellena gave a respectful bow before turning toward the exit.

Her thoughts were still in turmoil, barely able to process everything that had happened within the past hour.

Because she was rushing and distracted, the tip of her shoe suddenly caught on the edge of a thick carpet near the door.

“Ah—!”

Her curvy body lurched forward, completely losing balance as she pitched toward the marble floor.

Before she could fall, a strong hand clamped around her upper arm.

Kael yanked her back with enough force to save her.

Unfortunately, the pull caused her body to spin instead.

The next moment, she collided directly against Kael’s broad chest.

Thud.

Hellena landed squarely in his arms.

The distance between their faces vanished, leaving only a few inches separating them.

She could feel Kael’s warm, wine-scented breath brushing against her skin.

Their eyes locked.

For several seconds, time itself seemed to stop inside the penthouse.

Kael swallowed hard.

His dark gaze slowly drifted downward and settled on Hellena’s soft lips, slightly parted in shock.

Whether it was the alcohol or the intensity of the moment, Kael’s self-control suddenly faltered.

Hellena instinctively closed her eyes, overwhelmed by nervousness and fear.

Then, without warning, Kael lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss was brief but firm.

Yet it was enough to make Hellena feel as though her heart had stopped beating.

The moment his senses returned, Kael abruptly shoved her away, as though she were a dangerous poison threatening his composure.

Caught off guard, Hellena lost her balance again.

She landed hard on the cold marble floor.

“Ah!”

Hellena winced, clutching her throbbing ankle.

“Get out!”

Kael suddenly barked.

His voice thundered through the room.

His face had darkened, and his jaw was rigid with tension.

“The contract hasn’t even begun, and you’re already trying to use cheap tricks to seduce me!”

Hellena stared at him in disbelief.

The pain in her ankle was nothing compared to the sting of that baseless accusation.

“I didn’t mean—”

But seeing the dangerous flash of anger in Kael’s eyes, Hellena swallowed her defense.

Without saying another word, she slowly pushed herself to her feet while enduring the pain in her ankle.

“I’m sorry,” Hellena said quietly.

Then she hurried out of the luxurious apartment without looking back.

Bang!

The oak door slammed shut behind her.

Inside the room, Kael remained standing motionless for several moments.

Slowly, his fingers rose to touch his own lips, where traces of unfamiliar warmth still lingered.

“Damn it,” Kael muttered under his breath in frustration. “How could I lose control and kiss her?”

He raked a hand through his hair roughly.

This should never have happened.

No physical contact.

No emotions.

Those were the absolute rules he had established himself.

Yet he had broken them within minutes.

Worse still, the image of Hellena with her eyes closed refused to leave his mind.

Meanwhile, inside the descending elevator, Hellena leaned weakly against the metal wall.

Her heart was still pounding like a war drum.

She touched her lips with trembling fingertips.

Why is he the one acting so angry? I should be furious! He shamelessly stole my first kiss! How infuriating!

Hellena grumbled inwardly, annoyed by how she always seemed to end up cornered.

Yet her irritation quickly faded as she remembered the new reality awaiting her tomorrow.

She was going to marry Kael Willian—the ruthless man who had just shouted at her.

Hellena took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

Tomorrow, I’ll officially become Mr. Kael’s wife. Which means... tonight, I have to settle things with that bastard Herry once and for all.