The lights in H&K Industries were harsh at 6:48 p.m., buzzing softly over the nearly empty office floor. Most departments had closed an hour earlier, but Maya Johnson was still there, typing furiously on her aging laptop, her eyes burning from lack of sleep.
Her inbox was full, deadlines tight, and her salary barely enough to breathe — but today, that wasn't even the worst part.
Her phone vibrated again.
Aunty Grace.
Maya's stomach twisted. She didn't want to answer, but ignoring her aunt only made things worse later.
She inhaled shakily, stood from her desk, and slipped into the deserted hallway near the storage closet — anywhere she could avoid curious coworkers. She pressed the phone to her ear quietly.
"Hello, Aunty…"
The voice on the other end sliced straight into her chest.
"Maya, your mother's bill has increased again. The hospital is saying they need a deposit by tomorrow morning. Tomorrow! What are you doing about it?"
Maya closed her eyes. Her throat tightened.
"I know, Aunty. I'm trying. I'm doing everything I can. I just need a little more time—"
Grace hissed sharply.
"Time doesn't pay bills, Maya! You think hospitals run on pity?"
"I'll find the money," Maya whispered. "Please, just don't shout—"
"Oh, now you're tired of shouting?" her aunt snapped. "If you were responsible, I wouldn't have to raise my voice."
Maya bit her lip until she tasted blood. Responsible? She had been taking care of herself and her mother since she was nineteen. She had never asked her aunt for money — not once.
She didn't mention any of that.
She simply begged, "I just need help… please. Just this once."
There was a cold, mocking laugh.
Then her aunt delivered the blow:
> "Stop disturbing me with your useless problems.
If you can't afford your own mother, that's on you.
Don't dial my phone unless you have something important to say."
Maya's heart dropped. Completely.
"Aunty… how can you say that? She's your sister."
"Exactly," the woman barked. "MY sister. Not my responsibility. If you're so desperate, marry the man I arranged for you. He has money. He will take care of things."
Maya's stomach rolled.
"That man is old enough to be my father," she said sharply. "I'm not marrying him."
"Then figure out your life yourself. And don't call me again until you do."
The call ended.
Just like that.
Maya stared at her phone as if it had betrayed her. Her vision blurred with tears she refused to let fall. She gripped the edge of the wall, forcing her breath to stay quiet. Not here. Not where someone could hear.
But today, everything was breaking at once — her mother's worsening condition, her empty bank account, the pressure crushing her chest.
A small whimper escaped her lips before she slapped a hand over her mouth.
She didn't notice the tall figure standing at the end of the hallway.
Not until his low voice cut through the silence.
"Are you finished?"
Maya jolted, nearly dropping her phone. She spun around — eyes wide — and froze.
Standing a few steps away, hands in his pockets, expression carved from stone…
Adrian Velasquez.
Her boss.
CEO of the company.
冷, unreadable, terrifyingly calm.
He must have heard everything.
Her blood went cold. "S-sir… I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was— I didn't mean to—"
He stared at her, eyes dark and unreadable.
"You're crying," he said flatly.
She wiped her cheeks quickly, embarrassed. "I wasn't— I mean, it's nothing."
"Nothing?" His gaze sharpened slightly. "You told someone you needed money urgently. That your mother is in the hospital. That someone is forcing you into marriage."
Maya's knees nearly gave out.
He heard everything.
Her life — her shame — exposed to the one person who never showed emotion. Not even a smile.
"I… it was a personal call," she muttered, voice trembling. "It won't affect my work."
Adrian didn't blink. Didn't look away. Didn't move.
Then, slowly, he stepped closer.
Each step felt like thunder.
Maya's pulse raced.
When he spoke again, his voice was low, cold, and strangely… deliberate.
"Come to my office."
Her breath hitched. "Sir?"
"There's something we need to discuss."
He didn't wait for her response. He simply turned and walked away, his dark aura filling the hallway.
Maya stood frozen for three seconds before her legs remembered how to move.
She had no idea that stepping into his office tonight…
would change her life forever.
Maya followed Adrian down the quiet hallways, every step heavy with dread. She kept her hands folded in front of her, trying to steady her shaking, but it was impossible. The office doors were all closed, the lights dimmed to a warm amber glow, yet she felt exposed, small, and completely visible under his gaze.
When they reached his office, Adrian opened the door and gestured for her to enter without a word. The room smelled faintly of leather and expensive cologne. Floor-to-ceiling windows displayed the city lights, but Maya barely noticed. Her focus was on him — on the way he stood perfectly still behind the massive mahogany desk, hands clasped, expression unreadable, his dark eyes scanning her like she was some puzzle to be solved.
"You can sit," he said finally, his voice cold, clipped. He didn't smile. Not even a hint. His lips remained firm, emotionless.
Maya lowered herself into the leather chair, feeling the weight of the situation crush her. Her throat was dry. Words stuck somewhere between her mind and her mouth.
Adrian studied her for a long moment, silent, measuring. Then he spoke.
"I overheard your conversation in the hallway," he said, flatly. "About money. About an old man. About your mother's hospital bill."
Maya's eyes widened. She opened her mouth, then closed it. There was nothing to say.
He continued, still calm, still deadly serious. "It seems you need money urgently. Am I correct?"
"Yes," she whispered. Her hands clenched in her lap. "I… I don't know how to—"
"You don't know how to survive," he interrupted softly, almost thoughtfully. "Yet you've managed this long. Alone."
Maya flinched. "I… I try. I try so hard. I don't… I never ask anyone—"
"Clearly." He leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving her face. "And yet, here you are, on the brink of desperation."
"Yes…" she whispered, embarrassed tears threatening to spill.
"Let me make something clear," he said. His voice dropped, low and deliberate. "I don't smile. Rarely. And I don't make idle offers. I'm not going to pity you. But…" He paused, eyes glinting in the soft light. "I can help. Under conditions."
Maya's heart skipped. "Conditions?"
"Yes," he said, standing and beginning to pace slowly behind his desk. Each step echoed in the office, precise, controlled. "You need money. I need a solution to a problem of my own. A… contract marriage. Six months. No more. No less. We act as husband and wife — publicly and privately — under agreed rules. In exchange, your mother's hospital bills are paid, your rent and debts are cleared, and you get a financial cushion to start fresh."
Maya blinked. The words barely registered. "You… you want me to marry you? For six months?"
He stopped pacing, stood perfectly still, and leaned slightly forward over the desk. His voice was quiet now, but every word hit like steel.
"Yes. Temporarily. No emotional strings. No surprises. You follow the rules, I follow mine. After six months, we walk away."
Maya's mind spun. "I… I don't know if I can—"
"Do you want a way out?" he asked suddenly, cutting through her hesitation.
"Yes," she breathed. Her voice was barely audible, but her heart thumped loudly in her chest.
"Then it's simple," he said, dark eyes locking onto hers. "We both get what we want. One contract. One agreement. And your life… changes."
Maya's hands trembled as she folded them in her lap. She realized then that her mother's surgery — the bills, the debt, the impossibility of handling it all alone — would be solved in an instant if she agreed.
Her mind raced with fear, anticipation, and an inexplicable pull toward the man standing so close. She barely knew him. And yet, something about the intensity of his presence, the rarity of a real smile, the cold command in his voice, made it impossible to refuse.
"I… I'll do it," she whispered finally, her voice shaking but firm. "I'll sign."
Adrian's lips remained firm, unreadable. He didn't smile. Not fully. But his gaze lingered on her a moment longer than necessary, and in that instant, Maya felt both terrified and… strangely reassured.
"Good," he said finally, stepping back. "We start immediately. Your life will change, Maya. Make no mistake — this isn't a game. Follow the rules, or there will be consequences."
Maya nodded, swallowing hard. "I understand."
He paused, letting the weight of his silence hang in the air. Then he gestured toward a folder on his desk. "Sign here."
With a trembling hand, Maya reached for the pen. The contract wasn't just a sheet of paper. It was the key to her mother's life. It was the bridge to safety. It was terrifying. And it was the start of a world she never imagined — a world ruled by a man who rarely smiled and whose power could crush her completely.
As she signed her name, Adrian's cold gaze never left her. And for the first time in a long while, Maya realized — nothing in her life would ever be the same again.