The Marriage Deal

Nora hummed a low, upbeat rhythm under her breath. She pulled a brush through her dark hair, watching the bristles smooth the tangled waves in the cracked mirror of Aunt Tess’s guest room. For the first time in weeks, a genuine smile touched her lips. Last night had been a revelation. It reminded her she was still a desirable woman, someone a striking stranger found alluring enough to strip down and spend hours fucking into the mattress. She slid her feet into her worn flats, slinging her canvas bag over her shoulder.

A sharp knock rattled the thin bedroom door.

"Yes, Aunt Tess?" Nora called out.

"I need you in the living room. Right now," Tess replied. The usual warmth in her aunt's voice was replaced by a tight, frantic edge.

Nora opened the door and stepped out. The residual glow of her one-night stand evaporated the second she turned the corner into the living room. Her father, Arthur, stood rigid near the fireplace. Her brother, Dane, shifted nervously beside him.

"Dad?" Nora froze, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag.

"I told you I didn't want you anywhere near me!" Arthur barked, his voice echoing off the low ceiling. "Why the hell were you asking your brother for money?"

Heat flooded Nora’s cheeks. She darted a betrayed glance at Dane, who stared at the floor. "I’m... sorry. I just needed a small loan to start up my photography—"

"I don't care!" Arthur cut her off, his face flushing dark red. "I asked you a million times if you were sure about that idiot. You swore you loved him. You handed over your inheritance, your trust fund, your dignity, and he ruined you." The bitterness radiating from him was palpable.

"That’s enough, Arthur," Tess stepped forward, her voice a stern reprimand. "She has gone through hell. We are supposed to correct her with love, not break her down further."

Arthur sneered, his lip curling in disgust. "You can do that, Tess. I don't have a single drop of love left to give her."

Nora bit down on the inside of her cheek. The metallic taste of blood grounded her. She refused to let the tears fall in front of him. She had brought this disaster on herself by trusting Bryce Caldwell. He let her down, and she couldn't blame her father for his blistering anger.

"Watch your words," Tess cautioned, stepping between Arthur and Nora.

"I didn't drive across town to get a lecture from you," Arthur snapped. He turned his cold, hard stare back to Nora. "I came here to deliver a warning. If you ever harass your brother for my money again, I will have you arrested."

Nora looked away. The heavy silence in the room was suffocating.

"You can keep her now," Arthur told Tess, adjusting his tailored suit jacket. "She is no longer my daughter. I disown you, disgraceful child."

"Dad..." Nora whispered, but he was already walking away.

"I’m so sorry, Nora. He found out," Dane mumbled, refusing to meet her eyes before he hurried out the front door after their father.

Nora’s knees gave out. She sank onto the edge of the floral couch, barely holding her tears in place.

Tess immediately sat beside her, wrapping her arms around Nora’s shaking shoulders. "I am so sorry, my dear," she said softly. "I’ll talk to your father. He’ll—"

"No." Nora shook her head. "I deserve this."

"No, you don't." Tess tightened her embrace. "You trusted the wrong man. It's not your fault, my sweet girl."

Flashes of Bryce pinning a pregnant Sasha against their kitchen counter burned behind Nora’s eyes. She shoved the horrific images away. She didn't want to dwell on their betrayal, or the crushing weight of her father's rejection. She just wanted to bury herself in work and hold onto the memory of her night with a beautiful stranger.

"I need to go to work, Aunt Tess," Nora said, forcing herself to stand up.

"Should I pack you some breakfast? I made toast," Tess offered, her eyes full of pity.

"I don't have an appetite." Nora kept her voice emotionless. Before her aunt could say another word, she dashed out of the house. "See you later, Aunt."

Nora practically ran to work. She needed the mindless chaos of her waitressing job at Jojo’s. The moment she pushed through the greasy back doors of the restaurant, she headed straight for the cramped locker room. She stared at her reflection in the smudged mirror. She was done playing the victim. She was going to prove them all wrong. Arthur, Sasha, Bryce. All of them.

She tied her apron over her oversized uniform and stepped out into the kitchen.

A coworker carrying a stack of plates bumped her shoulder. "Hey, Nora. Gia called for you. She’s in her office."

"Thanks," Nora replied, plastering a fake smile on her face.

She walked down the narrow hall, doing mental math on how much Gia was going to deduct from her paycheck for missing yesterday’s shift.

She pushed open the office door. "Hey, Gia. You called for me?"

Gia didn't look up from her clipboard. "Yes. You’re fired. Turn in your uniform and other items."

Nora’s eyes widened, her stomach dropping to the floor. "Fired? Just for missing a shift?"

"No." Gia finally looked up, a cruel smirk twisting her lips. "Because I can. And because I got a very good offer to kick you out."

Nora gripped the edge of the desk. "Who paid you to do this?"

Gia’s gaze turned sharp and dismissive. "Miss Sasha. Now, drop your things and leave the premises."

Nora walked out of the office in a daze. She untied her apron, dropping it onto a nearby counter. She was too stunned to even be angry at Sasha's calculated strike.

As she shoved her sneakers into her canvas bag, her phone chimed.

A text from Sasha: *Happy job hunting with a smiley face!*

Nora locked her jaw and braced herself. The day had gone worse than she ever expected. She, the proud daughter of a prominent restaurateur, had just been fired from a shabby, grease-stained diner. But she wasn't going to cry. Whatever situation she found herself in, she would embrace it and move forward. Nora handed in her things and walked out the back alley door into the harsh morning sunlight, having no single plan in mind.

She wandered down the cracked sidewalk, lost in her dark thoughts, when a sleek black car swerved to the curb beside her. The back door swung open, and a hefty man in a dark suit stepped into her path.

"Mrs. Caldwell. Miss Hayes. You have to come with me," the man ordered.

Nora stepped back, giving the man a cautious, bitter look. "It’s just Nora. I'm not a Caldwell, and probably not a Hayes anymore. You'll have to try harder than that." She pivoted, already walking away.

"Mr. Roman wants to see you."

Nora froze mid-step. Her boots scuffed against the concrete. She turned her head. "Roman?"

"Yes, ma'am." The bodyguard nodded, pointing a thick finger toward the leather interior of the car.

Nora weighed her options. There was nothing left for her. She could either go back to Aunt Tess’s house and cry herself to sleep, or follow this massive stranger to meet the man who gave her the only shred of pleasure she’d felt in months. She chose the latter.

The man drove through town in total silence. Shortly after, the car pulled up to a towering corporate building. Nora bit her lip as she stepped out onto the pristine pavement. She glanced down at her faded jeans and the cheap, oversized blouse. She felt vastly underdressed for whatever meeting this was.

The bodyguard led her into a spacious elevator. They rode up to the top floor, stepping out into a sprawling, high-end office area.

"He's in there," the man gestured to a heavy gold door with a plaque that read: *Roman Thorne.*

Nora swallowed hard as she pushed the door open.

It was him. The hazel-eyed stranger. But the dark, hungry lust she had seen last night was gone. His eyes now looked furious.

"Hello," Nora said, offering a small, sheepish smile as he stood up from behind his massive mahogany desk and approached her.

Roman didn't smile back. He closed the distance between them, his hand shooting out to grab her wrist. He pulled her hard against his chest. "What did Bryce ask you to get from me?"

Nora gasped, her chest colliding with his solid muscles. The pure rage rolling off him made her breath hitch. "What?"

His grip tightened, his fingers digging into her skin. "You think you can charm me and fool me?"

"You're hurting me!" she cried out, twisting her arm.

Roman released his crushing grip but didn't let her step back. "Answer me!"

Nora flinched at the volume of his voice. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I am talking about Bryce. Your husband. What did he send you for?"

"He didn't send me anything! And he is my ex-husband now," she explained, planting her hands on his chest to pull away.

"Liar!" Roman yelled, his voice echoing off the glass walls. "He sent you to get information from me, right?"

A violent surge of hurt and disgust crashed over Nora. This man actually thought she had slept with him to get business secrets? "You are despicable!" she yelled, using her anger to finally free herself from his hold. "Why would I need anything from you? Who even are you?"

"I'm Roman Thorne," he announced.

The name clicked in her brain like a loaded gun.

He was billionaire Roman Thorne. The other half of the legendary Thorne brothers. She knew exactly who his brother was because Bryce wouldn't shut up about how badly he wanted to surpass Dante. It was partly why she invested her entire trust fund into Bryce’s tech firm, just so he would stop yapping about how Dante was buying up all the prime real estate and making more money.

"It makes sense now," Nora muttered, stumbling back a step. "You think I slept with you for information?"

"I wouldn't know," Roman said. His tone remained harsh, but the murderous edge in his hazel eyes began to soften. "Your husband got information to frame my brother for fraud."

"Ex-husband," Nora corrected sharply, annoyed that there was still conversation surrounding Bryce. "And he is with my best friend now. I didn't know that. I don't work for Bryce. If you thought I did, well, sorry to disappoint you." She spun on her heel, turning to leave.

"Prove it," he challenged.

Nora halted. She looked back over her shoulder. "Prove what?"

Roman moved closer. The calculating, intense expression she saw last night returned to his face. "Prove to me that you don't work for Bryce."

She folded her arms across her chest. "How exactly would I do that?"

"Marry me."

Nora threw her head back and let out a harsh laugh. "I can't marry you. That is absurd."

Roman marched to his desk and took out a thick manila file. "If it’s true that Bryce is now with your best friend, then do it. A contract marriage for six months." He walked back and handed her the file. "He framed my brother. He cheated on you. Let’s take our revenge on him."

Nora took the file. Her heart pounded with a sudden, violent excitement. Roman was compelling again, drawing her into his orbit. She found herself liking the dangerous idea. But then reality set in. She hesitated. "No. No, I can't." She tried to hand the file back to him.

He didn't take it. He moved closer, stepping directly into her personal space. His voice resonated in the quiet room. "What do you want? Money? Power? I'll make you the most powerful woman in California."

Nora considered his offer. She thought about her empty bank account. Her pain. The smug look on Gia's face and Sasha's cruel text message. "What's in it for you?"

Roman chuckled, a dark, rich sound. "Publicity. I need to create a distraction for my brother. Think about your photography business. I'll make it the biggest in the country," he said calmly.

And that did it. The promise of ultimate independence won Nora over. She stared right into his hazel eyes. "Give me the pen."

Roman smiled, looking deeply pleased. He reached into his jacket pocket and handed her a silver pen.

Nora walked to the edge of the mahogany table. She opened the file, her eyes skimming the dense legal jargon, and signed her name with swift, decisive strokes. She closed the folder and handed it back to him.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Thorne," Roman whispered. His warm fingers brushed deliberately against hers as he took the signed document. "The world awaits you."