The smile vanished. "You think I sabotaged your company."
"Did you?"
"No." His voice went cold. "I don't need to sabotage anyone to get what I want, Aria. I'm good enough to win without cheating."
"Then who did? Who manipulated our reports?"
"That's what I intend to find out. Whoever destroyed Chen Industries wasn't just targeting your family. They were targeting me."
I blinked. "What?"
"Think about it. Your company's bankruptcy forced your father into my arms at exactly the right time. Someone knew about my situation, knew I needed" He cut himself off abruptly.
"Needed what? What do you need so badly that you'd tie yourself to a failing company and a woman you don't even know?"
For a long moment, he didn't answer. Then he reached into his jacket and pulled out a document, sliding it across the table.
"My grandfather's will. Read section five, paragraph three."
I scanned the legal text until I found it.
"Adrian Marcus Blackwood shall inherit controlling shares of Blackwood Enterprises (51% voting stock) upon his 33rd birthday, conditional upon his marriage to a suitable partner of good standing. Should Adrian remain unmarried on his 33rd birthday, controlling shares shall pass to the next eligible heir."
I looked up sharply. "When do you turn thirty-three?"
"Four weeks from today."
Understanding crashed over me. "That's why the rushed timeline. You need to be married before your birthday or you lose control of your own company."
"Half right. I lose control to my father. Marcus Blackwood is seventy-two, traditional, and has been trying to force me into marriage for years. He thinks I'm too focused on business, not interested enough in 'legacy and family.' If I don't marry, he takes over again. Everything I've built, every change I've implemented, gets rolled back."
"So you're using me."
"We're using each other. You need money and security for your family. I need a wife to maintain control of my company. It's symbiotic."
"Why me, specifically? You could marry anyone. That Olympic skier you dated, or the surgeon, or literally any woman in New York who'd jump at the chance to be Mrs. Adrian Blackwood."
His jaw tightened. "Because they'd want something from me. Love, attention, the fairy tale. You don't. You've made it abundantly clear you hate the situation, hate the Blackwood family, probably hate me. Which means you won't expect me to be something I'm not. We can both be honest about what this is."
"A prison sentence."
"A partnership. With clear boundaries and mutual benefit." He paused. "And because you're strong enough to handle it. Most people would crumble under the pressure of this family, this life. You won't."
I didn't know whether to be insulted or flattered.
The waiter appeared, mercifully interrupting the tension. We ordered I chose the first thing I saw on the menu, barely tasting anything. The food was probably exquisite, but I was too wired to notice.
"You said you're taking me somewhere after lunch," I said finally.
"The family estate in Connecticut. My parents want to meet you before the wedding. We're expected for dinner at seven."
"That's in" I checked my watch. "Six hours."
"Which is why we're leaving as soon as we finish here. I have a helicopter waiting."
"A helicopter." Of course he did.
"Unless you'd prefer to sit in traffic for three hours?"
I took a long drink of water, wishing it were something stronger. "What are your parents like?"
"My father is exacting, traditional, and doesn't believe women belong in boardrooms. My mother is social, strategic, and will judge everything about you from your shoes to your posture. They'll both be looking for weaknesses."
"Wonderful. Anything else I should know?"
"Yes." His expression turned serious. "Vanessa will be there."
My stomach dropped. "I can't"
"You can. You will. This is the first test, Aria. If you can't face her in a controlled environment with me beside you, you won't survive the wedding or anything that comes after."
"I don't need you beside me to face her."
"Maybe not. But you have me anyway. For better or worse." He stood, extending his hand again. "Shall we?"
I stared at his outstretched hand, at this man who'd bought my family and now expected me to smile and play house with the people I hated most.
Then I thought of my mother's tired face. My father's defeated eyes. The eight hundred and forty-seven million dollars of debt crushing my family.
I put my hand in his and stood.
"Let's get this over with."
His fingers tightened around mine, warm and solid. "One more thing, Aria."
"What?"
"Whatever happens tonight, whatever Vanessa or anyone else says, you don't face it alone. We're partners now. Act like it."
Then he led me out of the restaurant, and toward a future I still couldn't quite believe was real.
The helicopter was waiting.
The helicopter was sleek and black, sitting on the private helipad like a predatory bird. Adrian's hand was still wrapped around mine as we approached, and I tried not to think about how natural it felt.
I pulled away as soon as we reached the aircraft. "I can walk without assistance."
"I know you can." His voice was neutral, but something flickered in his eyes. "The pilot is waiting."
Inside, the helicopter was all leather and polished chrome. I'd never been in one before, but I'd die before admitting that to Adrian Blackwood. I slid into the seat, fumbling slightly with the complicated harness.
"Here." Adrian leaned across me, his fingers brushing mine as he took over the buckle. He was close enough that I could see the flecks of blue in his gray eyes, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body.
"I can do it myself," I said, but my voice came out breathier than intended.
"I know." He finished securing the harness, but didn't pull away immediately. "You can do everything yourself. You've made that abundantly clear. But sometimes, Aria, it's okay to let someone help."
Then he was gone, settling into his own seat with practiced ease. The pilot's voice crackled through the headset, and moments later, we were lifting off.
Manhattan fell away beneath us, the afternoon sun glinting off glass and steel. From up here, the city looked almost peaceful. You couldn't see the chaos, the desperation, the lives crumbling behind closed doors.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Adrian's voice came through the headset, startling me.
"It's a view."
"You're allowed to appreciate beauty, even in the midst of crisis. The two aren't mutually exclusive."