FORCED MARRIAGE WITH A BILLIONAIRE

s point

rooklyn apartment. My feet ached. My eyes burned. Twelve-hour shifts in the ER left their

owly. "Dad?" I called, balancing my bag on

ans

d jazz playing from the speakers, no cli

further in

ghost of the man he used to be. His gray hair was messier than usual, the tie he a

ped my bag. "

ers hunched, clutching a crystal tumbler that

rything, Camil

ked. "

face lined with the weight of too many

breath catching. "Gone?

ice cracked. "I tried to keep it from you. I thought I could fix it before you fo

h up with his words. "But... you didn't do anything

e threatening jail time. They think I knew about the internal embe

ntioned shareholders or meetings that ran too long. A snake in a

uition-" I whisp

had to pull the loan

ng to,becoming a nurse, building a life away from

my hand to my mouth as I

nd me, his voice desperate. "I won't l

k what he meant,

oth

e door, and a man in a black suit handed him a cream-colored envelope with gold

d walked away wit

and stared down at the env

ping the corners of my ey

to me. "You s

opened it carefully and pulled out a folded l

ds, each line making my

-

ayes and Miss

wood Tower this Friday at 3 PM. This meeting pertains to the outstanding

option,an arrangement designed to preser

proposed terms, this matter may be

ws: A marriage proposal, effect

ssed in person. Att

cer

s , Blackwoo

-

ine. The words blurred

sal to save your

om my fingers and fl

?" I asked, my voice b

me two days ago. Said he'd clean everything,wipe the debts, clear my name,if you

eated, disbelieving. "The billiona

half of Manhattan and has the power to destroy what l

. "This is insane. I'm not some pawn

o to prison, Camille, they'll drag you into it. They'll say you knew.

thudding painfully. "Why would he do this?

dn't

e scared me mor