Chapter 6 The Proposal
"Isabella, it’s a code red! Can you scrounge up Mr. Brown’s digits for me?” Emma had hit the block button on him and quit all their shared group chats. Isabella was her last lifeline.
Isabella’s voice, thick with sleep, crackled through. "Who?!"
"Michael..."
"If you're moonwalking through your dreams, it's time to hit the pillow again."
"I can't go into details. I’m in a real pinch!"
After signing the deal, the project lead had jetted off abroad. It was not like she could summon him back stateside just to ink another contract with them!
Isabella sat bolt upright, sensing the gravity in Emma's tone. "I can't snag his number, but why not just pop over to his suite?"
Of course!
Emma ended the call, hastily donned an outfit, and dashed for the hotel's presidential suite.
Upon reaching the top floor, she barely stepped out before the CEO's secretary intercepted her.
"I need to see Mr. Brown!"
The secretary surveyed her coolly. "Got an appointment?"
Emma faltered, saying, "...No."
"Then please leave," the secretary dismissed.
"Could you please just tell him Emma's got an urgent matter to discuss? He’ll see me. I know it."
The secretary did not budge, turning a deaf ear to Emma's plea.
Just as Emma’s hopes were dimming, a familiar baritone voice cut through from within the suite.
"Let her in."
…
With Michael's word, the secretary stepped aside, and Emma gingerly nudged the suite’s door open. Michael was silhouetted against the morning light, clad in his night-dark robe. He was nursing a cup of coffee by the panoramic window.
As Michael's eyes landed on her, Emma’s hands nervously fluttered to her mouth. "Mr. Brown, you didn’t happen to find a contract lying around, did you?"
"Which day are we talking about?" Michael quirked an eyebrow as he advanced toward her, every step deliberate.
Emma instinctively retreated under the weight of his presence.
There was no use dodging the issue; she had to come clean.
"Look, Mr. Brown, I texted the wrong person that night. And my memory became a blur after that. I'm really just here for the contract—"
"Emma, I'm in the market for a wife."
His blunt declaration stopped her cold. "Excuse me?"
"Marry me," Michael said, closing the distance. His gaze upon her shocked expression was intense. "Consider it."
He said it with such casual conviction, as if proposing a stroll in the park, not a walk down the aisle. Emma was so taken aback she wondered if she was hearing things.
She took a moment to collect herself before she responded, "Mr. Brown, you don’t have to probe me."
Emma was smart enough to know that Michael did not lack willing partners. Why on earth would he choose her? This had to be a test.
It was a test to see if she had any ulterior motives, any wild hopes of transforming her life.
Michael was undeterred, laying out his offer as if discussing business. "Your mom’s in the hospital, right? I can secure the top doctors and handle all the bills. If you say yes, we'll make it official tomorrow."
His tone brooked no humor, his expression earnest.
Still...
"Why?"
"Like I said, I need someone to marry, and you—" Michael took a breath. "You fit the bill."