Chapter 2 - The Gilded Cage
Clara awoke the next morning in a bed softer than anything she had ever felt.
Sunlight poured through floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing a sprawling, minimalist penthouse perched high above the city skyline. She was wearing a silk robe that someone—a female housekeeper, she hoped—had changed her into. Her bruises had been treated, her cuts bandaged.
She walked out into the massive living area. Alexander was sitting at a glass dining table, wearing a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, reading a tablet while drinking black coffee. He looked up as she entered.
"My physician checked on you last night. You are malnourished, exhausted, and mildly concussed," he stated, his tone professional, yet strangely gentle. "Eat."
He gestured to a plate of fresh fruit and warm pastries on the table. Clara sat down hesitantly.
"Why are you helping me?" she asked. "Men like you do not do favors without a price."
"You are correct," Alexander replied, setting his tablet down. "For the last six months, I have been systematically dismantling your stepmother’s empire. Victoria stole your late father’s shares, forged documents, and manipulated the board. She is currently trying to secure Mr. Gallagher’s capital to block my hostile takeover."
Clara’s hands trembled. "That’s why she gave me to him."
"Yes. But she failed." Alexander leaned forward, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. "According to your father’s original will, which my legal team unearthed three hours ago, you inherit fifty-one percent of the Sterling enterprise the moment you marry. Victoria hid this from you to maintain control."
Clara stared at him, the weight of the betrayal crashing over her. Her father hadn't abandoned her. Victoria had stolen everything.
"So what is the price for your help, Mr. Croft?" Clara asked, her chin lifting defiantly.
A faint, impressed smile touched the corner of Alexander’s mouth. "We marry. Temporarily. We trigger the inheritance clause, strip Victoria of her power, and seize the company. You get your freedom and your father’s legacy. I get the shipping ports I require for my logistics network."
May you like
It was a business transaction. But looking at the man who had pulled her out of the rain, Clara realized it was the safest deal she had ever been offered.
"Draw up the papers," she said.
