The Proposal.

Chapter 3 — The Proposal.

The silence inside the car felt heavy and a bit suffocating.

Jasmine sat by the window, her fingers playing with the strap of her bag as the car smoothly made it's way to their destination . The night outside looked too beautiful for how hollow she felt inside. She hadn’t planned this — sitting in a stranger’s car, her entire life tilting toward something she couldn’t understand.

Alexander Phillips did not speak. He was seated beside her, calm in that unnerving way people are when the world always bends to their will. The glow from the dashboard caught the hard line of his jaw, the slight shadow of stubble, the watch glinting on his wrist — subtle, expensive, understated power. Everything about him screamed control.

When the car finally stopped in front of a quiet, waterfront restaurant, Jasmine blinked repeatedly confused.

“I didn’t agree to dinner,”she said, trying to sound firm.

Alexander opened his door first, calmly like the world works with his time. “You didn’t say no either.”

Her stomach twisted. She hadn’t eaten all day —except from the bagel she bought on her way to her dad's, hadn’t even thought about food since she left the hospital. Her head was aching from hunger,and the funny thing was that she didn't even realize it until now. Maybe this would help… even if it felt wrong.

“Fine,” she muttered, stepping out.

Inside, the restaurant was decorated in gold and silver light. Jazz murmured from hidden speakers, and glasses clinked softly from other tables. It was the kind of place where people came to celebrate power, not love.but again she wasn't sure this had anything to do with love

The waiter lead them to table near a glass wall, she could clearly see the dark river. When Alexander sat, he didn’t look at the menu. The waiter didn’t even ask — just nodded respectfully and left, as if already knowing what to bring, maybe this was how it was in this expensive restaurants.

Jasmine took her seat opposite him, aware of every breath she took, trying not to seem too eager to eat . He wasn’t even looking at her, yet she felt his presence .

For a while, neither spoke and silence filled the air humming with things unsaid.

Finally, he leaned back slightly, his tone even and low.

“I assume you already know why we’re here.”

Jasmine’s fingers pressed on the edge of the table. “Because of the arrangement?”

He nodded, the movement barely noticable. “Liana was supposed to take that role. Now you are. I wanted to see for myself who my fiancée has become overnight.”

There was no warmth in his tone — just fact. The kind that left no room for argument.

“I understand,” she said, her voice quiet

He studied her for a long moment, like he was cataloging every detail. “You’re different from what I expected.”

Her brows lifted. “Is that a compliment?”

“An observation.”

She looked away, unsure whether to take it as an insult or a compliment

The waiter returned briefly with two glasses of wine. Alexander didn’t touch his.

“My parents will meet you tomorrow,” he said. “They’ll have plenty to say. Most of it will sound like advice. Ignore it.”

She looked up, startled. “Ignore… your parents?”

He gave a faint, humorless smile. “They think they know what’s best for me. They’re wrong.”

There was something dark in his tone — something that told her not to ask.

He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the table. “They’ll tell you this marriage is a chance to change me. That if you try hard enough, I might fall in love, settle down, become the man they want me to be and blah blah blah.”

His eyes found hers — calm, adamant, too steady. “You won’t. And I won’t.”

“So this marriage…” she managed quietly, “it’s just business.”

He didn’t hesitate. “Exactly.”

A waiter arrived again, setting down their food — steak for him, a delicate pasta for her — and left silently. Alexander didn’t pick up his fork. Instead, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a slim black folder.

He slid it across the table. “This is our agreement.”

Jasmine frowned. “A contract?”

“Everything between us will be in writing,” he said. “I don’t make verbal promises.”

Her pulse jumped. “A marriage contract?”

Alexander nodded. “The arrangement lasts until the board approves my succession. After that, we’ll finalize a quiet divorce. You’ll receive ten million dollars.”

She froze, almost choking on her food,blinking. “Ten million?.

“It’s compensation,” he said, tone unbothered. “For your time. And your silence.”

She almost laughed. “That’s… generous.”

He looked at her then — really looked. “It’s practical.”

Her eyes drifted down the page again until she hit the last clause. She read it twice, thinking maybe she misunderstood.

“No sex ?” she said, with a mix of surprise and relief in her voice.

He didn’t flinch. “Correct. There will be no physical relationship between us.”

Her head snapped up, meeting his gaze. “Why?”

His lips curved slightly, the faintest ghost of arrogance there. “Because once a woman sleeps with me, she falls in love with me. And I’m not ready for that kind of… commitment.”

Jasmine stared at him, caught between disbelief and something dangerously close to laughter. “You sound sure of yourself.”

He didn’t deny it. “Experience.”

Her throat itched . This wasn’t just arrogance — it was conviction. The kind that came from a man who’d had the world at his feet and was still bored.

He leaned back, folding one hand over the other, his voice calm but cutting. “You’ll play the role of my wife in public. You’ll be polite, presentable, convincing and all that. But we both know the truth. When this ends, we walk away clean. No attachments. No confusion.”

She hesitated, then asked softly, “And if something… changes?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Then the marriage extends. You’ll receive an additional one million.”

Jasmine stared at the papers again. Her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her throat. It wasn’t just the money — it was the finality in his tone. Like every word was already decided, and her feelings had never been part of the deal.

“You talk about marriage like it’s a transaction,” she said finally.

“That’s exactly what it is.”

The word hung in the air like a warning.

She exhaled slowly, looking down, trying not to show her burning happiness because of the money

Her fingers brushed the edge of the paper, tracing the black ink. She looked up again, trying to read the man in front of her, but his face gave nothing away.

Alexander finally lifted his wine glass, his movements precise and elegant. “Sign it tonight. My driver will deliver a copy to your address. Tomorrow, we meet my parents. After that…”

He paused, his gaze lingering on her face for a heartbeat too long.

“…we start the act.”

Jasmine didn’t answer. She could feel him watching her, the quiet burn of his attention as she looked out at the city lights. The world outside glittered, reflected in the water like shattered glass — beautiful, unreachable, cold.

And for the first time, Jasmine realized she might have just stepped into something she couldn’t walk away from.

She hadn’t just agreed to a deal.

She’d agreed to a man who didn’t believe in love .

and worse, one she might not be able to forget and she wasn't sure where her life would go from here.