Chapter Two

The sun shone brightly over the quiet small town of Meadowbrook. Sophia Grey sat behind the counter, in her father's bookstore, her fingers moved slowly as she opened an old ledger and started to study it. The numbers on its pages were just not balancing.

This morning though, she just felt a bit different. She pulled her cardigan tighter, trying to focus on the ledger she was studying and shake off the worry. Meadowbrook was always quiet, but this morning the silence felt weird.

The doorbell rang suddenly, frightening her. She stood up in shock because she was far gone in her thoughts and she just stared towards the doorway and she was surprised to see who it was.

Ethan Hayes stood in the doorway.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop. He was taller now, he had more broader shoulders. His dark hair looked very perfect, and the sharp suit he wore showed how wealthy and successful he had become. But his eyes, those stormy blue eyes, hadn't changed. They were the same eyes that used to meet hers when they hid in the bookstore together as kids, reading comics.

Sophia's heart pounded in her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm. This wasn't the Ethan she knew years back. This was someone else, a man who had left Meadowbrook years ago only to come back as a billionaire. A man she couldn't recognize anymore.

Something about him now, made him seem different and considering the fact that they lost communication for years, made everything seem weird. She wondered what must have brought him to their bookstore.

"Ethan," she said, keeping her voice calm even as she felt a surge of emotions within her "What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him.

"I heard about the bookstore," he finally said, his deep voice breaking the tense silence.

"How did you hear about it?" Sophia asked.

"You know how news flies very fast," said Ethan.

She didn't want his pity. She didn't want anyone's pity.

"We're fine," she said quickly, "We are managing."

Ethan's eyes moved to the list of bills they have not been able to pay written on the ledger that was layed open on the counter, then back to her. He raised an eyebrow, a bitter smile on his lips. "Managing?" he repeated. "Sophia, I know you better than that."

She started to sweat. She wanted to argue with him to remind him that he doesn't know her anymore since it's been years since they saw each other but then she knew he was right. They weren't just managing. The bookstore was falling apart.

"What do you want, Ethan?" she asked, with a sharper voice.

He didn't move. He slowly brought out a folder from his pocket and placed it on the counter between them. "I have a proposal," he said.

Sophia frowned, "What kind of proposal?"

Ethan continued staring at her and he said, "A marriage contract."

The words hit her hard and she thought she didn't hear him very well.

"A… what?" she asked in disbelief.

"Marry me," Ethan said, his tone calm and very gentle "And I'll save your father's bookstore."

Sophia blinked, she was in shock. This must be a complete joke she thought to herself. Then she said "You are not serious."

"I am." His voice was firm. "The bookstore is on the brink of bankruptcy. You need help. And I need…" He stopped, and later continued. "I need a wife."

Sophia laughed hard. "This isn't the 18th century, Ethan. People don't get married for convenience anymore."

"Maybe not," he replied. "But this isn't about tradition. This is about what's important, you have your reasons while I have my own reasons. This is a contract marriage that would benefit us both"

She wanted to tell him to leave, to take his unreasonable proposal and walk out the door. But the weight of reality pressed down on her. The bills, the debt they owe, the fear of losing the bookstore.

"What would you gain from this contract marriage?" she asked curiously.

Ethan's expression changed and he replied, "That's not your concern."

Her frown increased. "If you want me to even consider this, it is my concern."

He just sighed and Sophia thought she saw a glimpse of the caring boy Ethan used to be before he became the man he is now.

"There's a business deal," he said finally. "A merger I've been working on. The investors care about family and being stable. Having a wife would improve my image."

"So, you want me to be some kind of accessory? Something that would make you look good in public."

"It's not like that," Ethan said quickly. "You would have everything you need both financial security and the freedom to do whatever you want."

His words hit her more than they should have. Probably because she was pained of their marriage being just a contract and it hurt her.

"I don't know," she said.

Ethan moved closer to her while maintaining eye contact. "Sophia, this is a chance to save your family's legacy. I'm creating a way out for you, you must not decide now, you can think about it first"

He straightened, leaving the folder containing the contract document on the counter. "The contract is inside," he said. "Take your time. Read it. And if you decide to say yes, my phone number is inside the folder, you can call me."

He walked towards the door but just before he would step outside, he stopped and looked back and then told her "I never stopped caring about you."

He finally left, leaving Sophia alone to her thoughts.

She stared at the folder on the counter with hurt in her eyes, she wanted to just tear it up but then she thought to herself, he was actually right. She needed help.

But what would it cost her?

Sophia sat in her chair, her eyes full of sadness, this wasn't the life she wanted, her dreams of romantic fairytale has been shattered. This situation was different from a fairytale. It was a difficult choice between saving her father's dream and losing herself in the process because the Ethan she knew that always cared about her in the past didn't seem like the same Ethan anymore. Even though there were times she had hoped that she would have a fairytale life with Ethan while they were growing up. Ethan was no longer the same sweet and caring soul. She was confused and lost in thought.

She was confused on what to do.

Later in the evening of that same day. Sophia was in the kitchen with both her parents. She sat on a chair close to the kitchen table but she was lost in thought. while her father sat beside her and her mom was standing, stirring soup that was cooking on the fire.

Sophia didn't know how to tell her parents about her encounter with Ethan but deep down she knew she had to tell them, this was important. "There is something important I need to tell you," she began.

"What is it, Sophia?" her mother asked, as she continued stirring the soup on the fire.

Sophia looked down at her hands, nervously. "It's about the bookstore," she began, her voice low. That caught her father's attention.

"What happened to the bookstore." Her father asked.

Sophia paused. What she needed to say was too heavy but she needed to say it out. "Ethan came to see me today." She finally said.

Both her parents stopped what they were doing. Her mother stopped stirring her soup. Her father sat up in his chair, looking at her with confusion written all over his face. "Ethan Hayes?" her mother asked, surprised.

Sophia nodded, biting her lip. "Yes. He… he had something to say. About the bookstore."

Her father looked more confused. "What does Ethan Hayes have to do with our bookstore?" he asked.

"He knows about the problems we're having," she said quietly. "He knows we're struggling."

Her mother calmly kept the spoon she was using to stir the soup on the kitchen counter and then faced her daughter. "So what does he want to do about the bookstore?" She asked

Sophia delayed a bit before she finally replied again, "He… he proposed something," she said finally, her voice was very low.

"What kind of proposal?" her father asked, He looked at her, trying to study her face.

Sophia took a deep breath, forcing herself to meet their eyes. "He said he would save the bookstore. But there's a condition." Her voice trembled.

"A condition, what kind of condition?" her mother asked further.

Sophia paused for a bit and then decided to say the words at last. "He said he wants to have a contract marriage with me to save our bookstore."

The kitchen went completely silent. Her father stared at her while her mother was in shock.

"A contract marriage?" her mother said, her voice sharp with shock. "He wants you to marry him to save the bookstore?"

Sophia nodded, "Yes. He says it's the best way to keep the store running."

Her mother laughed. "This is really absurd, marriage is not what you use to solve business problems." What is he thinking?" her mother said.

Her father's face was very serious, "I don't like this idea at all, my daughter having a marriage of convenience." he replied.

She actually did expect this kind of reaction from her parents but it hurt her more to hear it from them. " Of course I don't like it either but what can we do, the bookstore needs help and fast, the bills and debts are piling up."

Her mother looked very worried and she looked at her daughter with concern, "Sophia I know how important this store is to all of us but I can't put you in that position, of you not following your heart." Her mother said.

Sophia felt tears around the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away. "I know you both mean well for me but sometimes we just have to sacrifice for people we care about."

Her father sighed deeply, regret written all over his face. " We didn't wish this kind of life for you, it really hurt me that I ended up putting my daughter in this kind of position." he replied.

Sophia looked at the worried faces of her parents. "Don't worry I'm not giving him my reply immediately, I just needed to tell you both. I needed to hear what you both think."

Her mother came to her side and held her hands. "We are not forcing you into anything, we would never do that okay, so don't put pressure on yourself, this is your life, Sophia. It's too important to decide in a hurry."

Her father nodded. "Listen to your heart, Sophia," he said. "Not just the bookstore. Not just the pressure. Think about what you want."

"Don't worry, I won't rush into anything, I promise you both that I would think about it." Sophia said.

Her parents exchanged a look at each other, their expressions still full of concern, but they nodded. The room fell quiet again, except for the soft sound of the soup.

Sophia sat down in her seat, her mind went very far. She knew she had to make the right decision but she was really confused, she didn't know what to decide on. Her father's bookstore is on the verge of bankruptcy. She knew she had to make a decision very fast.