Evelyn Moore did not sleep that night.
She lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, the contract resting on her chest like a physical weight. Every time she closed her eyes, Julian Blackwood's voice echoed in her head, calm, unyielding, merciless.
You will marry me.
She had survived heartbreak. She had survived betrayal. She had rebuilt herself from nothing after he walked away years ago. But this was different.
This was war.
At dawn, she was already dressed, her hair pulled back tightly, her face stripped of emotion. If Julian thought he could walk back into her life and chain her to him with threats, he was mistaken.
She would fight.
By eight am, her office was in chaos.
"Ms Moore, the banks are refusing to release the funds."
"The legal team says the injunction hearing has been moved forward."
"One of our biggest investors just pulled out."
Each report felt like another blade sliding under her skin.
She gripped the edge of her desk. "Call every contact we have. I want alternatives. I want solutions."
Her staff scrambled, fear written all over their faces.
By noon, the truth became impossible to deny.
There were no alternatives.
Julian had closed every door before he offered the key.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number.
Her heart sank before she answered.
"Yes," she said curtly.
"You are late," Julian's voice said smoothly.
Her jaw tightened. "I did not agree to meet you."
"You agreed the moment you opened the contract."
She closed her eyes. "I am not marrying you."
A pause.
Then a quiet chuckle. "I admire your persistence. It almost makes this enjoyable."
"Stop this," she snapped. "You have made your point. Whatever grudge you are holding onto, let it go."
Silence stretched.
When he spoke again, his voice had hardened. "Come to Blackwood Tower. Now."
"I said no."
"You have one hour," he replied calmly. "After that, the lawsuit goes public."
The line went dead.
Evelyn stared at her phone, her hands trembling.
An hour later, she stood in the elevator of Blackwood Tower, her reflection staring back at her from the mirrored walls. She barely recognized herself.
This building once symbolized ambition and power. Now it felt like a cage.
The elevator doors opened directly into Julian's private office.
He was standing by the window, hands in his pockets, the city stretched beneath him like something he owned.
"You came," he said without turning.
"I came to end this," she replied.
He finally faced her, his gaze sharp, assessing. "Sit."
She remained standing. "You have no right to dictate anything to me."
He smiled faintly. "You are in my building. You are desperate. I have every right."
She hated that he was right.
"Why are you really doing this," she demanded. "You destroyed me once. Was that not enough?"
His eyes darkened. "You don't get to decide what is enough."
He walked toward his desk and tapped a tablet. The screen lit up, displaying documents, emails, figures.
"Your company's debt is deeper than you realize," he said. "Your father hid it well. You inherited a ticking bomb."
Her breath caught. "You are lying."
"Check the numbers," he replied coolly. "I already did."
She scanned the screen. The figures made her dizzy.
"You could have helped," she whispered. "You could have warned me."
"I did," he said. "Years ago. Your family ignored me. You ignored me."
Her head snapped up. "You left without explanation."
"You believed I abandoned you," he said slowly. "I believed you betrayed me."
The words slammed into her.
"What are you talking about," she asked.
Julian's jaw tightened for a brief moment, but then the mask returned. "That conversation is irrelevant."
"It is very relevant," she insisted. "You accused me of something I never did."
"You were seen," he said coldly. "You were recorded. Evidence does not lie."
Her chest burned. "Then show it to me."
He stared at her for a long moment, then shook his head. "Not today."
Anger surged through her. "You are punishing me for something that happened years ago without even letting me defend myself."
"Yes," he said simply.
She laughed bitterly. "You are insane."
"Perhaps," he replied. "But you are still signing that contract."
She straightened. "I will find another way."
Julian leaned forward, his hands braced on the desk. "There is no other way."
She swallowed. "What do you want from this marriage?"
"Control," he answered without hesitation. "Stability. Appearances."
"And me," she said quietly. "What happened to me?"
His eyes flickered. "You will play your role."
Her nails dug into her palms. "Public wife. Private prisoner."
He said nothing.
"That silence tells me everything," she said.
Julian moved closer, invading her space, his presence overwhelming. "You want honesty. Fine. I want you where I can see you. Where you cannot disappear again."
"I never disappeared," she whispered. "You pushed me away."
He ignored that.
"This marriage will have rules," he continued. "You will not speak to the press. You will not make independent financial decisions. You will attend every public event by my side."
"And my company," she asked.
"Becomes mine," he said.
Her heart shattered.
"You are taking everything," she said.
"Yes," he replied. "And in return, I am giving you survival."
Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
"You don't love me," she said. "You don't even like me."
Julian studied her face. "Love is irrelevant."
She took a shaky breath. "Then why does this feel personal."
For the first time, his composure cracked.
"Because it is," he said quietly.
Her phone vibrated again.
Her assistant.
She answered. "Clara."
"Ms Moore," Clara whispered urgently. "The board has called an emergency meeting. They are voting to remove you as CEO."
Evelyn's legs nearly gave out.
Julian watched her carefully as she lowered the phone.
"You see," he said softly. "Time is not your ally."
She stared at him, fury and helplessness warring inside her.
"You planned this," she accused.
"Yes," he admitted. "Weeks ago."
She closed her eyes.
When she opened them, something inside her had shifted.
"How long," she asked hoarsely.
"One year," he said. "After that, we will renegotiate."
"A year married to you," she whispered.
"A year protected," he corrected.
She laughed weakly. "Protected from everyone except you."
He slid a pen across the desk toward her.
"You have until midnight," he said. "Sign, or lose everything by morning."
She stared at the pen.
At the contract.
At the man who once held her heart and now held her life.
Her fingers hovered over the pen, shaking.
And then she stopped.
She looked up at him. "If I sign this," she said, "I want something in return."
His eyebrow lifted. "You are in no position to negotiate."
"Try me," she said.
Silence stretched between them, charged and dangerous.
Julian finally spoke. "What do you want?"
She met his gaze, her voice
steady despite the storm inside her.
"I want the truth about why you left me."
His expression hardened instantly.
"That is not on the table."
"Then neither is my signature," she replied.
For the first time, Julian looked unsettled.