Vows of fortune

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k had spread like wildfire and how Julian had stepped out to the spotlight in a matter of hours shedding crocodile tears and evasive assurances to help stabilize the company. How ironic that Julian's department was the source of the leaked documents. She did not have evidence. Just her instinct. And she was pushed out by the board despite her instincts. Hands trembling, she slid into her chair and opened the envelope Adrian had handed her. The conditions of the proposed marriage were laid out in clear white pages inside. A business agreement not a love affair. Absence of a physical connection. No emotional entanglements. Making public appearances together. They would split up assets intact after the one-year contract expired. Adrian Drake. Billionaire. Brutal. Julian's most formidable rival. The man was now offering her a lifeline which suspiciously resembled a golden cage. Sophia closed her eyes and reclined. Was this the price she had to pay to survive? She went to see her father again later that night. He was hardly awake at all. In the hopes of a glimpse of reaction, she kept a close eye on his face. "I am aware of what people will say if I take this action. That I'm weak. That I gave up." The rain hammered the window more forcefully. However, it doesn't matter what they think. "All I want is to safeguard what you created. I'd like to fight. Even at the risk of somewhat losing myself." Squeezing his hand she sobbed. She let a tear fall down her cheek. Leaving the hospital, she entered the waiting car. When the driver finally arrived at the Drake mansion, the clock was nearing midnight. The grand structure loomed over the city like an impenetrable fortress, its steel and glass façade gleaming ominously under the moonlight. The stark lines of the building seemed to reflect the coldness of the night, a fitting backdrop for the emotional turmoil brewing within her. Sophia stepped out of the vehicle, the chill of the evening air biting at her skin. She was clad in a sleek black coat draped over her silk blouse, the fabric whispering secrets of elegance but now feeling almost weightless against her. Tonight, she had chosen to forgo makeup, to abandon the façade that usually cloaked her in confidence. There would be no mask, no artifice; she simply wanted to be herself, raw and unfiltered. As she glided toward the elevator, the soft click of her heels echoed in the stillness, each step a reminder of the weight of her decision. The elevator doors slid