The Billionaire's Command

nder'

f Isabelle Laurent. Her gaze contained a mix of stubbornness and

he had argued, charged, and persuaded me-but now, she

f my desk as my fingers drummed lig

the silence of the moment as if the ve

ave to be brought to the complete understanding of her situation before we could make

," she said, her voice shaking somewhat but

estroy my family f

as wr

all about

not a pow

hing that was far more personal than

it simply didn't matter what I had

rm. "You misunderstand me, Isabelle," I said, keeping my voice

refuse it, but I raise

I started, sliding the sleek folder

the quietness. "This is the contract that will save yo

ncing across the paper, but the disbel

is truth, but I was pre

, allowing the words to set

uarded, and in return, You'll do what you need to do to comply with the terms of this agreement. No questions, no changes. If you

d, looking at her closely for a

fiercely independent- but I didn't have false hopes a

ways

s not about love. It's not about what you want and it's not about what I want. This marriage is about the legacies of both of our families

in her throat, but

ything I had just dumped on her, fighting t

d fight this, though

to her allure when she ultimately came t

ic, we will appear to be married. We will not be pretending to be together in public. The media, the business world - be

ace hardened with disgust and con

ore than that quickly masked

said, the words coated with disdain

tting the sil

er been controlled before and

ortunity to save as much as you can of your mother's firm. What you choose to

your only

gs, the floor-to-ceiling windows revealing the Manhattan skyline, all

eptance creeping into her body language, the way her dainty h

n. "You think you've won by givin

o, Isabelle. I haven't won yet." I

r voice was strained. "I won't do this. I cannot just b

failing company. By the realm of business that you begrudgingly had to acknowledge existed. I can offer you reprieve. You can

lle was resolute, but even the most resolute have their limits.

sign that the gravity of the moment was starting to

Not really, this i

r fingers trembled against the surface. For one q

of acce

ly a m

ard." She grum

ly. "I have bee

his is the solution? That this contract will fix all p

said calmly. "It is about

mething else-fear, maybe or acceptance.But I could not affo

ding the power to get others to submit to me and I

e short on time to consider it, Isabelle. The sooner you sign, the sooner you can do

nd walked to the window;

agree immediately, but

alway

eality of the situation

id, she'd com

alway

ose out on this deal.