Chapter 3 The Offer and conditions

AMY'S POV The receptionist handed a key card to me. "Take the elevator up, his office is on the 30th floor. He's expecting you," the receptionist instructed and I nodded still in shock. Did he know what happened between me and Derek? Or about my mom? Did he already predict that I would come to him for help? That was impossible. I nodded slowly, forcing myself to act normal as I took the card and walked toward the elevator. The moment the doors of the lift slid shut, I let out a shaky breath and pressed my back against the cold metal wall. Calm down. Keep it together, Amy. I tapped the key card against the panel. The elevator hummed to life, carrying me higher and higher. Maybe it was just my imagination or nervousness but the air felt thinner the closer I got. 25th floor, 26th, 27th till the lift came to a stop at the 30th floor. A soft chime echoed, and the doors glided open. When I stepped out, I noticed that there was only one office here. A massive, double-door entrance at the end of the dimly lit hallway, and sitting just outside it, a man whose posture was straight as he typed away at his laptop. I concluded it was Richard's secretary and walked closer to him. As soon as he saw me, he stood up and gestured toward the doors. "The Alpha is waiting for you, Miss Hart." He smiled and moved to open the door for me. I nodded, thanking him as I stepped inside, my gaze immediately landing on the man behind the desk. Richard Wellington sat in his massive leather chair, flipping through a file like he wasn't aware of my presence when he had prepared for my arrival even before I decided to come. His forest green eyes flicked up from his papers, locking onto me. The man was unfairly attractive for his age. He looked unbothered and composed. His expensive suit was perfectly fitted, the top button of his shirt undone, revealing a glimpse of tattoos peeking from his collar. He was perfect in every way. "Good evening, Miss Hart," he said smoothly with his deep voice. I took a breath, forcing down my nerves. "Alpha." I bowed slightly. "Have a seat." I did, trying to keep my posture straight and confident despite the storm raging inside me. "Tea or coffee?" he asked. "Neither. I'm fine." Richard frowned slightly before picking up the telecom. "Send in a pumpkin spice latte." My body went rigid and my eyes widened in shock. How did he know my favorite drink? He leaned back, watching me with something close to amusement. "Don't think too much. Derek talks a lot about you." My stomach tightened at the mention of my cheating mate but I didn't show any sense of hurt or anger. Instead, I kept my gaze trained on Richard. "You know what he did, don't you?" He smirked. "I warned you, didn't I? He is a terrible choice for a husband." I clenched my fists ignoring his remark for now. "Why do you hate Derek?" His smirk didn't fade. "Hate? No, I don't hate him. But I dislike him." I raised my eyebrows at him. "He's a spoiled child that has never suffered a day in his life. Never had to fight for anything and only thinks with his dick. But my main reason is that he and his family always looked down on me in the past and ridiculed me because my mother was the late Alpha's mistress. I plan to repay them for all the humiliation they put me through " This was it. This was my chance. I lifted my chin. "In that case, I have an offer for you." His eyes flickered with interest and I took it as a cue to continue. "Marry me. Give me enough money to save my mother. In return, I'll give you a wife on paper and a way to make your little nephew and his family a laughing stock." For the first time, Richard froze. I watched as he leaned back, studying me. Then, his lips curled into a smirk. "You're pretty straightforward. I expected you to take more time to come around." My fingers dug into my lap. "I don't have time for that. My mother needs emergency Bypass surgery. Are you willing to help me or not?" He stood up slowly and walked toward me. "Your offer is very tempting but tell me, Amy what else are you willing to give? Because making Derek and his family a laughing stock is something I can do without marrying you." He was right. He truly didn't need me for that. But I needed him desperately. My wedding with Derek was set for two months from now. If I didn't get married, I would be the one people laughed at. My friends, my high-school classmates, the very people who had seen me flaunt my relationship with Derek on social media for years. The image of Derek sleeping with another woman and him telling me to let it go burned in my mind, making me boil in anger. I wanted him to suffer. That's when I realized that this wasn't just about saving my mother. If I only needed money for that I could just borrow it from him. Not just him, I could go back to the loan sharks and take more money from them. They wouldn't decline me, in fact they would only be happy to see me paying back my debts for the rest of my life. But I wanted to destroy Derek. I wanted to rip him apart from the inside. Make him feel even a fraction of what I had felt when I walked in on him with someone else. I didn't mind getting married to someone almost twice my age to achieve that. I inhaled deeply, staring at Richard. If he wasn't going to marry me, he was useless to me. "I'll give you a wife on paper and nothing more," I said firmly. "I have nothing else to give." That was the truth or so I thought. Silence stretched between us before Richard began to move closer to me again. His eyes narrowed at me and the air between us grew heavy, thick with an intensity I wasn't prepared for. I forced my body to stay still, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. After what felt like an eternity, he stopped directly in front of me and leaned down to bring his lips to my ear. "You want to marry me and have my name, Amy?" His breath grazed my ear, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. "Then you'll take everything that comes with it." My eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?" He brought his smiling face directly in front of mine with our noses almost touching. "You have to take everything," he murmured. "My money, my status and my body." My breath hitched but I quickly shook my head. No. No, I couldn't do that. "I want a strictly contractual marriage. With a time limit," I said, my voice steady, but my hands clenched into fists. His lips curled into a smirk. "And a contract marriage is what you'll get. No feelings. No strings attached. One year." I narrowed my eyes, "I won't sleep with you." I truly didn't trust myself around a man like him. If I actually slept with him, what if I developed feelings? There was no way I would let myself fall for another Wellington. His next words however knocked the air right out of my lungs. "Oh, no, I need you to understand this, sweetheart. There will be no sleeping. Only fucking." My entire body stiffened and my eyes widened. He continued with his voice, smooth and teasing. "I will marry you, make you my Luna and fuck you whenever i want. If you can accept that, I will make sure Derek grovels at your feet. I'll ensure your mother's surgery is done by the world's best surgeon." He straightened, studying my reaction before he delivered the final blow. "And I'll make sure you go back to school and pursue your dream of making cars." My pulse thundered as I stared at him in shock. He listed everything I needed. Everything I ever wanted. If my mother fully recovered, she wouldn't be upset with this decision. I could go back to school, focus on my studies and graduate without worrying about money. And all I had to do was give myself to the most powerful Alpha in New York city. It would be stupid to decline such an offer. But could I really do this? Could I really sell my body to this man for a year? I bit my lip, his unwavering stare making my heart pound. After what felt like forever, I inhaled deeply, forcing my thoughts to clear. Finally, I met his gaze head-on. "Fine. I accept your conditions."