Beneath his shadows

The sharp chime of the shop's bell barely stirred Amelia Greer from her daze. She had been staring at the lease termination notice for so long that the words blurred together.

Final Eviction Date: April 3rd.

Less than a week.

Her fingers clenched the paper, crumpling its edges. How was she supposed to save her mother's bookstore in six days?

"Amelia?"

She looked up. Mrs. Turner, her favorite customer, stood by the counter, peering at her over the rim of her reading glasses. "You alright, dear?"

Amelia forced a smile. "Of course, Mrs. Turner. Just... thinking about how fast this month flew by."

The older woman hummed, unconvinced. "Change can be good, you know."

Not this change.

The moment Mrs. Turner left, Amelia exhaled shakily and pulled out her phone. The bank had already rejected her loan request twice, and every investor she'd reached out to had either ignored her or laughed at the idea of saving a struggling indie bookstore.

The reality was suffocating-she had no options left.

The bell chimed again, but this time, the presence that entered was different. Heavy. Commanding.

Amelia looked up and froze.

A man in an expensive charcoal-gray suit stood at the entrance, effortlessly drawing the air from the room. He was tall-easily over six feet-with sharp cheekbones, neatly styled dark hair, and eyes so piercingly cold they made her stomach clench.

Lucas Vance.

She had never met him in person, but she had seen his name stamped across business headlines, whispered about in hushed, fearful tones. He wasn't just rich-he was powerful. The kind of powerful that decided the fate of small businesses with a single signature.

And right now, he was looking directly at her.

"Miss Greer." His voice was deep, smooth, yet utterly unreadable.

She swallowed. "Mr. Vance."

Lucas stepped further into the bookstore, his gaze trailing over the wooden bookshelves, the old cash register, the hand-written customer recommendations pinned to the walls.

Then, he looked back at her. "I assume you've read the notice?"

A lump formed in her throat. "I have."

"Then you know what comes next."

A slow, crushing weight settled over her. He was here to ensure she left without a fight.

But Amelia wasn't ready to surrender.

"I just need more time."Her voice wavered. slightly, but she forced herself to meet his gaze."This store-it's all I have left of my mother. I can find a way to-"

"No, you can't." Lucas cut her off smoothly. "You have no investors, no financial backing, and no viable plan to save it."

Her breath hitched.

He wasn't just here to deliver bad news-he had done his research on her.

"Then why are you here?" Amelia asked, forcing her voice to stay steady. "If the decision's already been made, why come in person?"

Lucas studied her for a long moment, something unreadable flickering behind his gaze.

Then, he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a sleek, folded document.

"Because," he said, placing it on the counter in front of her, "I have a proposal."

Amelia hesitated before slowly picking up the document. As her eyes skimmed the first line, her breath caught in her throat.

"Marriage Contract"

Her head snapped up. "What... is this?"

Lucas tilted his head slightly, his expression impassive. "A solution."

A thick silence filled the room.

And then, just like that, Amelia's life tilted off its axis.

⸻

~A DANGEROUS OFFER~

Amelia's fingers tightened around the contract. The words blurred together, but the bold title stood out like a slap to the face.

"Marriage Contract"

She looked up at Lucas, her heart pounding. "This has to be a joke."

"It's not," he said, completely unfazed.

A chill ran through her. Lucas Vance was many things-ruthless, intimidating, and dangerously unreadable-but a jokester? Never.

"You expect me to marry you?" she asked, voice laced with disbelief.

"For one year."

She let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. "Oh, well, in that case, it's perfectly reasonable."

Lucas arched a brow. "Sarcasm doesn't change your situation, Miss Greer."

Her pulse throbbed against her throat. "Why me?" she demanded. "You could have any woman in this city. What could you possibly gain from marrying me?"

His jaw tensed slightly, but his expression remained unreadable. "That's not your concern."

Amelia gaped at him. "It is if I'm the one signing my life away."

Lucas stepped closer, his towering presence making her feel small-like prey caught in the gaze of a predator. "Your store is days away from being taken. I'm offering you a way out. If you agree, I'll secure your lease indefinitely. You'll never have to worry about eviction again."

Her breath hitched. It was everything she had prayed for, everything she had desperately tried-and failed-to achieve on her own.

But at what cost?

"And in return?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lucas exhaled slowly, as if weighing his next words. "In return, you'll be my wife-for one year. No questions asked."

She stared at him. "No questions?"

His gaze darkened. "None."

Something cold slithered down her spine. This wasn't just about convenience for him. There was something deeper, something he wasn't telling her.

But did she have a choice?

She swallowed hard. "And after the year?"

"We divorce." His tone was final, like he had already mapped out every detail of their arrangement. "You walk away with your store, and I walk away with what I need."

"What do you need?" she pressed.

Lucas's expression didn't flicker. "That's not part of the deal."

A heavy silence settled between them.

Amelia's instincts screamed at her to say no-to run far away from whatever mess this was. But reality hit harder than fear. Without this deal, she would lose everything.

"I..." She hesitated, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths.

Lucas watched her carefully, as if he already knew what she would say.

Finally, Amelia let out a shaky breath.

"I need time to think."

His jaw tensed slightly, but he nodded. "You have twenty-four hours."

And just like that, Lucas Vance turned and walked out of her bookstore, leaving behind a contract that could change everything.

Or ruin her completely.