The Proposal

A male voice interrupted them. "Nicholas!"

Allegra turned to see a sturdy man dressed in a brown suit, walk into the office.

"It's great to see you back in office." His voice was loud and cheerful.

Allegra watched her boss and the stranger shake hands. "I would stand to greet you if I could, Thomas." The frown on Nicholas Greyworth's face had disappeared. "Have a seat."

Thomas Lawson, Chief Financial Officer of Sterling Holdings. He interrupted at the perfect time, saving her from the claws of unemployment. Allegra could have leaped with joy.

When The CFO was seated, Allegra offered to get him coffee and he heartily agreed.

Allegra expected her boss to send for her after the meeting and fire her, but surprisingly, he did not say a word to her for the rest of the day.

Nicholas was always the last person to leave the office. This time, he sat with his thoughts for several hours. Nobody had challenged him like that in a long time. She was brilliant, beautiful and bold. Whilst trying to regenerate his billion dollar empire, reconcile his household and recover through physiotherapy, Nicholas needed a partner. He had never been the type to stay unmarried for long anyways.

"We should be on our way now, sir." Deaton said as he walked into Nicholas' office.

"Find out everything there is to know about that young woman. Allegra."

Deaton was shocked by the order. "Did something happen, sir?"

"I have give you an order. Get it done before 8pm."

"Yes sir." Deaton said. "But do you mean basics like her age, where she's from or more personal details like family, previous relationships, credit reports---"

"Everything."

Allegra could not sleep. The air conditioning in her apartment was faulty and she needed to have it looked at, but that too, involved money which she did not have. She decided to go out for a walk and soon found herself wandering in the city.

She entered at a small antique store, run by an old lady who she had met years ago, when she and Trisha first moved to Wells City.

The first thing that caught her eye was a gold trinket. It looked so similar to the one her mother gifted her as a child.

"You can have it."

Allegra whipped her head around, to see the man who had interrupted her thoughts. "Mr Greyworth." She was surprised to see her boss in a tiny antique shop she was sure not even thirty people in the city knew about. "Wh--what are you doing here?"

"I come here sometimes for solitude. " He said as he moved his high tech wheelchair towards her. "It's not like this store is an undiscovered treasure."

"You don't have to be so mean." Allegra scolded, turning to make sure the old lady was out of earshot.

"She doesn't hear much, little secretary." Allegra bit her tongue as Nicholas continued. "Why do you come here?"

"I've been coming here for five years. Tonight's outing was a result of bad air conditioning. I couldn't find sleep." Allegra replied honestly.

"A pity." Allegra could not detect a shred of sympathy in her boss' voice. "Take a seat with me, Allegra."

Allegra watched her boss wheel himself to one end of the store, where there was a wooden seat. She sat opposite him, so they were staring at each other's faces squarely.

"I'll go straight to the point, Allegra." Nicholas started. "I'm a very busy man, as I'm sure you know. Work, my family and now my legs. I'm simply cannot stay unmarried. I need a wife and if you consent, I'll marry you right here and right now."

Allegra's jaw dropped. She was speechless for several minutes. "Mr Greyworth, I--- I don't know what to say. This is absurd! I mean, handsome as you are, aren't you like fifty?"

"Forty-two" Nicholas corrected.

"I've never dated anyone ten years older than I am, not to talk of fifteen. That's one crazy age difference." Allegra protested.

"Nobody said anything about dating, this is very different." He went on to state the terms of the agreement. "We don't have to be intimate, we will be married for a duration of your choosing_nothing less than five years_ children need not be involved, three is already a handful as you'll soon find out. If you choose to see other men, it must be carefully planned and NDAs must be involved."

"What makes you think I would agree to this...this contract?" Allegra almost spat.

Nicholas' gaze softened. "I know you have a family back home to take care of. I know you have loans to pay off_why you took so many loans, I have no clue, but I know your salary cannot possibly cover all those expenses." Nicholas smiled. "I can offer you all the financial freedom you need, Allegra."

"For five years of my life." Allegra shuddered at the thought of becoming Nicholas Greyworth's fourth ex-wife. "Is that how you collected so many ex-wives, Mr Greyworth?"

Allegra watched his expression change. "Believe it or not, I married them all for love. I have grown to realize that love is an illusion, you will too. I do not love you, I barely even know you, Allegra. But I need a queen for my kingdom and I believe you are the right fit. Do not mistake my vision for affection, the crash took the last piece of my heart and the last woman I will ever love." Allegra knew he was talking about Michelle Perez, the woman whom he had been engaged to for four years. "I cannot love you, but I can give you financial freedom like nothing you ever imagined."

Allegra, who had always been a lover girl, quickly got up. "I don't want your money if it involves losing my integrity."

She walked out of the antique store, surprised and somewhat amused by the man's audacity. He had really just tried to buy her, she thought as she crossed the road.

Nicholas Greyworth, CEO of Greyworth Consolidated and multibillionaire, wanted to marry her. Allegra could not wait to tell Trisha. Would Trisha even believe her? Allegra would not expect anyone to believe her, it all sounded so ridiculous and unreal, like a stupid dream.

But Allegra realized she was not in a dream after all when she opened the door to her apartment, locked it behind her and turned on the lights.

A small scream escaped her throat as she stared at the intruder. "You."

"Yes, me."