For three days we're forced to wait on pins and needles for Evelyn to make her decision while my father's life hangs in the balance. And I don't know whether to be offended or turned on.
No woman has every said no to or refused an offer from my mother. But Evelyn Graham is a conundrum. And I respect the hell out of her for being able to do what no one in my entire life has been able to.
Stand up to Gillian King.
Now, here we sit, once again, waiting on pins and needles for Evelyn and her lawyer to finish reading the proposal. A feat that takes over an hour before she hands the proposal back to us.
"This contract is very heavy on protecting your interests, but not mine." She meets my gaze.
"How so?"
"There's no mention of a prenup." Her lawyer points out.
"The prenup is mentioned on page six." Winston frowns.
"Yes," Evelyn nods. "A prenup protecting Alexander's assets... not mine."
She can't be serious.
"You have more to gain here than lose." I scoff. "But by all means, feel free to add your own prenup."
As if on cue, her lawyer presents a prenuptial agreement to me, and I don't know if I should laugh or be offended. But I sign it anyway.
I really don't understand her. She has no ground to negotiate and yet she intrigues me to no end.
"If we're going to do this, there needs to be some ground rules."
"Name them." My mother smiles. Having finally gotten her way.
Me, I'm planning to marry a woman who hates my guts, and just the idea of it leaves me absolutely fucking thrilled. I can't wait to hate fuck her until she bends to my will.
"No kissing, no sleeping together, and don't touch me." She fires off the first few things that come to mind.
Not that I'm surprised.
Most women beg for the opposite. She must truly not like me, and I can't understand why.
What have I ever done to her to earn such contempt?
Amused, Winston leans over to me and whispers, "I like her."
Unfortunately, so do I. And once we're married, I plan to do everything in my power to change her impression of me.
One orgasm at a time.
Meanwhile, she's taken everything I want to do off the table, further impressing me. She doesn't care who I am. She's rather unaffected by it really. And she's impervious to what the King name means for someone like her. Another impressive trait of hers that I find frustrating. She's not like most of the women I've encountered, that much is for sure. Any other woman would have jumped at the chance to marry me, carry my name, and push out one of my children for a very healthy payday.
But not her.
The thought of marrying makes her want to stick needles in her eyes.
Raking my eyes over every inch of her body, I notice when her cheeks flush red and she looks away from me.
Okay, so she's not completely impervious to my charms.
"What are your thoughts on PDA?" I ask. Speaking for the first time since these negotiations began. Surprising my mother and Winston. "The public will want some sort of proof our relationship is real and not imaginary. So, I'm afraid not kissing you or touching you isn't an option. And neither is not sleeping together unless I'm Jesus and you're the virgin Mary. In which case we would be able to rely upon immaculate conception. Also, may I at least hold your hand?"
"Within reason. And only when the situation warrants it." She fires back.
Winston chuckles quietly beside me. Earning a quick glare from my mother.
Damn.
I'm going to make her pay for that.
Ignoring him, I nod. "Agreed. Also, speaking of PDA... I'd like you to attend all social events with me."
"Why? Aren't they all televised?"
Must she fight me on everything?
"As my wife, it would be expected that I would bring you. Also, yes... they're all televised. There are often celebrities at these gatherings. Celebrities who bring awareness, which also brings the media, who brings sales, notoriety, and the success we businessmen crave."
"What if I don't want to be in the limelight?" She challenges me.
My todger twitches in response.
What sort of person wishes not to be in the limelight?
"Miss Graham, you are already in the limelight. Or did you think the reporters camping outside your home were a figment of your imagination?" Winston points out.
"Damn you." She glowers at me. "Why couldn't you just leave me alone?"
"Why?" I rise to her challenge. Quirking my brow at her. "So, you can hide in the shadows? Lying to your family because you're too afraid to stand up to them?"
***
Alexander's words hit a little too close to home and I am on my feet in an instant. Heading for the door. Only, a guard appears before me. Cutting me off.
"Get out of my way." I hiss at him.
He doesn't acknowledge me or the fact that I've even spoken. He stares past me at Alexander, his mother, and Winston instead. Unmoving like a statue.
Frustrated, and seriously out of options, I storm back to my seat and sit down. They're not going to let me leave until we've settled these matters. So, the quicker we settle them, the quicker I can get the hell out of here.
"This is kidnapping." I aim a sharp gaze at Alexander. "And where the hell is my son?"
"He's fine, Evelyn." His icy gaze meets mine. He taps on his phone screen a few times, and hands it to me.
On the screen, Elijah is shown in some sort of theatre room playing video games with some of Alexander's guards. Smiling and having a good time.
I haven't seen that smile in days.
And seeing it now drives a knife through my heart.
"We are not in the business of hurting children, Miss Graham." Winston assures me. Whatever that's worth. "And no one wishes to kidnap you. This is a negotiation. All we want is for you to listen, consider your options, and give us an answer."
"Today?" I blanche.
"As in right this second." Mrs. King nods.
"Whatever."
Winston continues... "For every social event, you'll be paid five million dollars. For PDA, an additional five million. All articles of clothing, jewelry, and anything else purchased for the purpose of fulfilling this agreement will be yours to keep."
"I have a question." I raise my hand like I'm in grade school.
"Ask away." Alexander gives me the floor.
"Why not just have your girlfriend be your wife?"
"Well, currently, I'm not seeing anyone."
"Impotent?" I take a jab at him.
Winston chokes on his sip of water and Alexander's icy gaze increases in intensity.
"Busy." He glowers at me.
"Right." He's so full of shit. Undeterred, I fire off my next set of insults. "Why me? Do you have a micropenis? Is that why you have to bribe and blackmail someone into marrying you?"
Now it is Mrs. King who chokes on a glass of what smells like a very expensive Chardonnay.
"I can assure you... you won't have any complaints in that area." He replies. Unaffected by my insults.
"You're beautiful, you're smart, and the public's approval of you is through the roof." His mother adds. Placing article after article and a poll taken by one of the magazines in front of me. "Surely you can see this very generous offer for what it is.
They're like a trio of blackmailing scorpions.
"Don't you want to wait until you find the right woman to settle down with? I'm sure she'll want this privilege, Alexander." I try to reason with him. Because I told myself a long time ago I would never get married again until I found the right person. That my next marriage will succeed where my marriage to Jackson failed. And that whomever I married would sweep me off my feet in a whirlwind romance.
Not force me to marry him as some ploy.
Alexander sinks deep into thought, but he doesn't answer me. He leaves all the talking and negotiating for his mother and Winston to do.
"I'm curious. How many women have you offered a contract like this?" I ask.
"You're the first, if that's what you're asking." He replies. And I'm starting to get the impression he doesn't find me nearly as amusing as I find myself.
So why is he going along with this?
"Why?"
"Well, now that the media believes you are a couple, we happen to need your discretion and your help."
Again, I'm speechless.
If my mother were here, she'd force me to accept this offer in a heartbeat. Which is exactly why I don't want to. I can find my own way in this world. I don't need some man to come save me, no matter how many zeroes is in his bank account.
Or how amazing he looks in a suit.
Shaking my head, I tell him, "This is your fault. I begged you to leave me alone and now you've dragged me into this steaming pile of shit."
"You're right," his mother answers for him. "And he is sorry for that. But it doesn't change the fact that we need you, Evelyn. Besides, everything happens for a reason, darling. And I believe you are the answer to our prayers... as we are to yours."
Again, with the compliments.
Either Alexander is terrible in bed, or he has a micropenis. Why else would they need to blackmail me into marrying him when I'm sure there are thousands of women who would jump at this opportunity.
I can't decide which one it might be.
Nor do I care.
Either way, I am powerless to refuse his offer. I've thought it over for three days, and as much as I don't want him or his micropenis anywhere near me, I happen to need him as much as he needs me.
Maybe even more.
Not that I'd ever admit it to him. I can barely admit it to myself.
Besides, Mrs. King and Karen are right. The King name carries weight, and it could open an awful lot of doors for me. Simply being associated with Alexander will do that. And I am currently in need of a benefactor to help with the next phase of building the fortune I hope to one day leave to my son. Because I also have Elijah to think about. And I've been working hard to give us both the kind of life I know my father would've wanted us to have. Often at the expense of not seeing him for days while I build a legacy for him to inherit when he becomes of age.
In agreeing to this, I'd be able to prove my mother wrong, and Elijah and I would both be set for life. Not because I'd be tying us to the King's... but because of the plans I have for the money they're willing to pay me.
I plan to use it to grow everything my father ever dreamt of into the empire he wished it to be.
Alexander is a resource I simply cannot ignore, nor turn down. No matter how shady his family or the way they've gone about this might be.
Also, it helps that he's easy on the eyes.
I mean, as long as he keeps his mouth shut.
I think I can stomach three years of being married to and sharing a bed with him as long as I keep my eyes on the prize. Hell, the last time I married for love he divorced me for my sister.
Why not marry for comfort instead?
Many women sleep with men for free and get into these situationships where they get absolutely nothing out of it other than orgasms and heartaches.
I'd be making out like a bandit.
And at least I don't have to worry about him pretending to love me.
Besides, there are worse men I could marry than Alexander King.
Picking up the pen, I stun both Winston, Mrs. King, and Alexander by confidently signing the agreement, then sliding it back over to them. And just like before, Winston snatches up the paperwork. Tucking it away in a locked drawer before I can change my mind.
"Now that that's over, you may begin your examination." Mrs. King leads the way to her husband's room. Carting me away from Alexander before his mouth has a chance to run me off again.
It takes an hour and several scans of Abraham's brain for me to grasp the full extent of his situation. When I am done. I share my medical opinion with Alexander and his mom.
"I'm afraid his cancer has gotten progressively worse. I need to operate, but I need to confer with my team first. Also, he will probably need to undergo two separate surgeries. And the second surgery will cost extra."
Alexander picks up his phone, and without me telling him how much the second surgery will cost, he initiates another transfer of one-hundred million dollars.
I haven't even performed the surgery yet.
"That's too much money." I gawk at him. "Take it back."
Regardless of what he and his family might think, or what my agreeing to this sham of a marriage might suggest, I am not for sale.
"No." He refuses. "Think of it this way... you now have two-hundred million reasons to keep my father alive and well. And that's exactly what I'm expecting you to do."