3 : A Proposal As A Pretext May 2026

Elena reached out, her fingers hovering over the stone. "And if I say yes? We have to make it look real. The galas, the press, the shared home."

Elena arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "I’m listening."

"I have a solution," he said smoothly. "One that bypasses the regulatory hurdles and the internal sabotage." 3 : A Proposal as a Pretext

"Three years, Julian," she said, tapping a silver pen against a thick legal folder. "That’s how long the merger has been stalled. Your board wants blood, and my family wants your territory. We are past the point of handshakes."

Should we explore what happens at their as a couple, or should we skip to the tensions of sharing a home? Elena reached out, her fingers hovering over the stone

"A small price for a billion-dollar empire," Julian said, offering his hand to help her up.

"It’s a pretext," he corrected, his voice dropping an octave. "The board won't block a merger between husband and wife. It creates a single legal entity that’s untouchable. We sign a pre-nup tonight that dissolves the marriage in twenty-four months, once the acquisition is finalized. You get your family’s legacy back, and I get the seat at the head of the table." The galas, the press, the shared home

"To the pretext," he replied, already wondering how he would convince her to stay when the twenty-four months were up.