Marry Me

Hazel sat frozen, the breath knocked out of her lungs. While she had been thoroughly entertained by his disastrous date, her intimidating boss had been simultaneously watching her own miserable encounter. The heavy silence between them stretched into a palpable tension as she awkwardly reflected on the sheer embarrassment of eavesdropping on the company's supreme executive.

Before she could formulate a defense, Gideon’s deep, resonant voice shattered the quiet atmosphere, delivering a sentence that defied all logic and reason. "Hazel, what about marrying me?"

The words struck her like a physical blow. Stunned beyond measure, she stared at the impossibly handsome man sitting across from her, her eyes wide with unadulterated shock. Her brain scrambled to process the syllables.

"Mr. Hayes, w-what did you say?" she stammered, her voice trembling slightly.

Leaning forward, his chiseled, aristocratic face devoid of any humor, Gideon repeated his demand with a distinct edge of impatience. "I said, marry me."

When Hazel finally managed to drag her fractured senses back together, she swallowed hard. The deeply bewildered question clawed at her throat. "Mr. Hayes, why me?"

For one brief, irrational moment, a wild thought flitted through her mind. She genuinely wondered if this top-tier, universally desired corporate hunter had somehow harbored a secret, burning crush on her all along.

Before that fantasy could even fully form, Gideon shattered her romantic illusions with a shockingly cold, transactional explanation. "My grandfather is very sick. The doctor said he's left with only half a year to live. His greatest wish now is to see me get married. I bluffed him and told him that I already have a girlfriend and that we're preparing to get married."

Sitting across from him, Hazel still felt a lingering, deep-seated confusion. Out of all the women in the world, why her?

Reading her hesitation, Gideon calmly picked up his exquisite teacup. He took a slow, measured sip and delivered the brutally pragmatic reasoning. "You're an employee in Hayes Group, which will make it easier for him to buy into it."

The harsh reality snapped into place. Hazel unequivocally understood that this was nothing more than a highly calculated business proposal for a fake, contractual marriage. Fully aware that she and Gideon belonged to two fundamentally parallel, incompatible universes, she desperately began racking her brain. She frantically searched for a courteous, watertight way to decline his absurd offer without inadvertently jeopardizing her crucial job at his company.

But just as she opened her mouth to carefully construct her refusal, Gideon struck a raw, agonizing nerve that paralyzed her defenses. Staring deeply into her eyes, he stated with chilling certainty, "I'll take care of your father's medical fees if you marry me."

Hazel’s breath hitched. Her hands instinctively clenched into tight fists beneath the table. For three grueling, soul-crushing years, she had lived a frugal, deprived existence, counting every single penny just to afford the astronomical life-support bills for her comatose father. How Gideon had unearthed this closely guarded secret didn't matter in the slightest; the immense, life-altering weight of the offer was simply too tempting to ignore.

Sensing her crumbling resolve, Gideon ruthlessly pushed his advantage, adding a final, irresistible weight to the scales. "I can hire the best medical team for your father."

In that single heartbeat, every ounce of Hazel's hesitation vanished into thin air. Entering a sham marriage with unimaginable wealth would instantly and permanently solve her most crushing earthly burden. Releasing her clenched fists, she looked him dead in the eye.

"Deal, Mr. Hayes," she agreed, her voice steady and resolute.

The moment the verbal contract was struck, Gideon did not waste a single second. With military efficiency, he abruptly grabbed his tailored coat, his movements sharp and commanding. "We’re getting our marriage registered at the registry office now."

Hazel’s eyes widened, shocked by the terrifying velocity of the arrangement. "Now?" she squeaked. Met with his frigid, uncompromising gaze that brooked no argument, she simply, wordlessly nodded her compliance.

He swiftly ushered her to his car and drove her directly to her cramped, dilapidated old apartment situated on the grimy outskirts of the city. She hastily dashed inside to grab her essential identity documents, her heart hammering against her ribs.

From that moment, everything happened in a dizzying blur of bureaucratic red tape and signed papers.

Mere hours later, stepping out of the imposing doors of the Home Affairs Bureau into the fading light, Hazel stared blankly down at the crimson marriage certificate securely clutched in her trembling hand. A profound, surreal wave of disbelief washed over her, making her feel as though she were trapped in a vivid, bizarre dream.

She slowly shifted her gaze upward, looking at the impossibly tall, suit-clad billionaire standing right beside her. The terrifying reality cemented itself in her mind: she was actually, legally married to her ultimate boss.

Rooted firmly to the concrete pavement, her mind spinning wildly out of control, she lingered in a deep, impenetrable daze. Suddenly, she was seized by a bizarre, impulsive thought, wondering if she should brazenly ask Gideon for a monetary token of appreciation for completing the task.