...........! ** Disclaimer ** !...........

...[this is not my novel, I'm just translating and posting it here for free."]...

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...Alice...

My eyes scanned the contents of the medical

report, my heart sinking with each word. I could not make sense of the jargon, but with

my brother's heart condition, I was able to

understand the gist of it.And it did not look good.

"Wh - - What does it mean?" I asked, even

though I already knew what the doctor was

going to say.

He fixed me with a gentle stare, his light blue

eyes shining with compassion.“You don't have

to worry, Miss Gardner, yet. However, the

sooner you get this surgery done, the better."

"I understand," I muttered, willing my heart to

slow down. “But there's still time, right?"

"Of course. But the more you delay, the more

difficult it'll be for him in the long run," he stated.

I nodded. “I understand. Thank you, doctor.

Thank you so much." I stood up and promptly

exited the doctor's office and into the waiting

area, not sure whether to feel relieved or

worried.

You need to be worried. Extremely worried.

You need to get him surgery which you don't

have the money for. How are you going to do

it?

The realization had me stopping and holding

on to the wall next to me because my knees

were threatening to give out from under me.

Tears stung my eyes, but I did my best to stay

strong. I couldn't cry. I couldn't be weak. I sat

down on a nearby chair, waiting until my body

returned to normal.

The hospital waiting area wasn't busy at the

time of the day. There were a few people

scattered all around, and a couple of ladies sat next to me, busy talking to each other. No oneknew me.

No one was going to bother me. I

would sit here for a few minutes and then go

home.

"Are you going to go?" The woman to my

immediate right said to her friend. Dark hair

flowed down her back like a curtain, and she

was wearing an olive green dress.

"I want to, don't you? I mean, he's the most

eligible bachelor in the country. I would love to be his wife and live a life of luxury" her friend replied, who, upon a covert glance, turned out to have dark blonde hair and was clad in a floral printed dress with a pair of pink wedges.

“As much as I love a life of luxury, I have no

desire to have children. So I think I'll pass,"

green dress said.

"Not even for a million pounds? I would sell

my soul for a million pounds, and he is only

asking for a child. I think Il do it," pink

wedges said.

A million pounds? Who? What? How?

"Um, excuse me?" I said to them. "Forgive me, I couldn't help overhearing your conversation.

Is there some sort of a lottery happening?"

I could make out the gist of their conversation, but I didn't want to assume anything, and a million pounds was no less than the lottery for me.

Green dress gave me a friendly smile and

rolled her eyes, but it was the lady with the

pink wedges who said,

“If you call marrying

the sexiest man alive and giving him a child in

return for a million pounds a lottery, then sure,

I guess there is a lottery happening."

"Pardon me?" Was she serious? Who would do that and why?

"Here, read it for yourself." Before I could say

anything, the lady thrust a newspaper in my

hands and pointed at the advertisement, which had been circled in red.

Bride wanted.

Bride Wanted.

I quickly read through the advertisement,

feeling perplexed by the minute. I stared at the strange advertisement again, still wondering how it could be real.

Gideon Maslow, world-renowned billionaire

entrepreneur, owned the world's biggest business empire. A man so rich and powerful,

he was practically Royalty.

The UK's sexiest man alive, ten years in a row.

And he wanted a wife, a woman who could

provide him with an heir for his vast kingdom

in less than a year. And this marriage would

only last for one year.

And what would the woman get in exchange

for her body and soul, rented out for twelve months?

One million pounds in cold, hard cash.

After the baby is born, you're expected to give

away your baby, shake hands, and walk away

flush with cash.

What kind of girl would agree to such an

advertisement?

Well, I would.

It was only for a year. I could be a stranger's

wife for a year.

*****

"What a disgusting pig!"

I winced and looked up as yet another

beautiful woman stalked out of the CEO's

office, her face red with fury. I could tell she'd,

been crying. Her mascara was running down

in thin black streams while her gray eyes were

bloodshot.

The woman stormed toward the lone elevator

on the floor and stabbed the call button

repeatedly until the elevator arrived. She gave

the room full of waiting women one last

disgusting stare and scoffed. But as the

elevator door slid shut, I swear I heard a

muffled sob escape her.

Dear lord, could he really be so bad? I fidgeted

uncomfortably. Perhaps I should've stayed

home instead of bothering to come down here for an interview.

That's how Gideon Maslow was planning on choosing his bride. And I still couldn't

understand why he was doing this.

As far as I knew, the man could have any

woman he wanted, so why was he planning to

marry a complete stranger?

“Number twenty-seven, Ms. Hannah, Mr.

Maslow will see you now," the bored lady at

reception said in a monotone.

A lady with jet-black hair and green cat-like

eyes stood up gracefully and smoothed her

already smooth pink dress. Pasting on a

seductive smile, she confidently sashayed

inside the office.

My confidence faltered for the twenty-seventh time as she marched across the waiting room and into Gideon Maslow's office, self-assuredness plastered on her face.

I knew I was nothing compared to these

Women. Even though I wore my best dress and coat for this, I wondered if I even stood a chance...

I had absolutely zero interest in the man

himself, I was interested in what he was

offering.

Money.

Gideon Maslow owned the largest business empire in the world, and was the very definition of wealth. He was practically royalty. There was nothing in this world that man could not buy. He owned five private islands and was planning to buy one in the Bahamas, something I discovered after I saw the ad in the newspaper and did some research on it. It

Seeing the hefty amount the man was paying

was the only reason I was sitting outside his

office, waiting for my turn, ignoring the pangs

of anxiety attacking my stomach.

When I saw the amount, I knew the money

would be enough for my brother's surgery, and

I needed to do everything I could to make sure

Mr. Maslow picked me to be his wife.

All I had to do was give him an heir, and then I

would be able to save my little brother's life

from his horrible disease.

The door opened once again, and the lady,

Hannah, stormed out looking livid. Her lips

were pulled back in a snarl. Grunting angrily,

she stormed toward the elevator.

"That idiot rejected me because I'm not a

virgín ! What planet is he from?!"

she shouted, earning gasps from a few women.The elevator doors opened, and Hannah wasted little time in getting in. Once the elevator doors closed, the chatter of women erupted all of a sudden around me.

Women were talking amongst themselves, and I heard a couple of them say how they weren't virgíns and didn't expect Gideon Maslow to be so incredibly backward.

However, I could feel my chest relaxing, and it

was only because I had a secret that I'd kept

with me since high school.

For a long time, I'd been ashamed of it, but

now it just might be my saving grace.

I was still a virgín.

But still, there must be at least one other virgín here with me. This couldn't really improve my chances that much.

I started fiddling with the necklace around my neck. Nico, my younger brother, gave me this necklace for my nineteenth birthday. It wasn't anything fancy, just a simple rose gold charm on a thin gold-plated chain, but it was very important to me. It had been four years and I had never taken it off: It was my good luck charm.

"Number twenty-eight. Madam Alice, sir. Maslow will see you now,” the woman at the front desk said in the same monotone voice as before.

"Number twenty-eight. Madam Alice, sir. Maslow will see you now,” the woman at the front desk said in the same monotone voice as before.

My heart started beating fast as I slowly stood up, trying my best to look graceful and imitate the other women, but I knew I wasn't exactly successful.

Tightening my coat belt around my waist, I pressed my briefcase to my chest and walked slowly toward the wooden door that may or may not help save my brother's life, feeling my heart hammering hard against my ribcage.

Taking a deep breath, I gently turned the doorknob and entered Gideon Maslow's office. The office was beautiful, to say the least. The interior wasn't fancy, but it looked expensive. There were two large white sofas, one in front of the huge glass window that went from floor to ceiling, and the other in front of the first, separated by a small glass table. To my right was a desk with neatly organized office supplies and a large dark brown swivel chair behind it. Against the wall were several large cabinets, made of dark wood, and throughout the room there were potted plants strategically positioned to complement the look. Sitting on the sofa against the glass window were four immaculately dressed men. Everyone was wearing expensive, designer clothes.

The man sitting in the left corner appeared to be the oldest, with dark brown, slightly graying hair, and piercing brown eyes. His face was implacable, with only a few wrinkles that betrayed his older age. Next to him sat a young man who looked no older than twenty. He looked similar to the man on the left, except for his curly blond hair and brown green eyes. His face was smooth, and his body was slender.

Then my eyes found the man at the head of the table and my mouth went dry.

It was him.

Gideon

Fućking

Maslow.

The pictures and tabloids did not do him

justice. He had a sharp jawline, thick brown

hair, and piercing sea-green eyes. Just looking

at him had a shiver running down my spine

The man looked fatal, ready to strike.

I stared into his eyes and he stared back, his gaze full of nothing but ice and venom. I might as well have been making eye contact with a tiger. A Sexy Tiger.

I knew he was the kind of man who wouldn't hesitate to take down his opponent, no matter who it was. The next man in line looked to be about 25 years old, with curly brown hair and soft brown eyes. His handsome face wore a slight smile, which strangely made me feel more at ease. He was a little chunky, like he worked out a lot. But I really liked him.Of the four men, only the last one didn't make me feel like I'd just walked into a lion's den.

— "Sit down, miss. We don't have all day ,” said the fatal man. His voice was rich and smooth, like melted chocolate, but he spoke with a dangerous tint in his tone. it was a voice that sent shivers down my spine for some reason.

I quickly sat down on the sofa opposite them and placed my documents on the glass table, and the fatal man immediately took them, opening the folder and quickly scanning its contents with his eyes, his face expressionless.

— "What's your name?" — the oldest of the four men asked. He had a deep voice and spoke with determination.

“Alice Gardner, sir,” I replied politely, digging my nails into the palms of my hands to try to stop my heart from beating so fast.

- "Where are you from?" — the same man asked.

“East End of London, sir,” I replied.

— "You are poor "— stated the fatal man, with green eyes.

His voice was rich and smooth, like melted chocolate, but he had a certain venom in his tone. His eyes looked stern as they examined me, making me feel like a lab rat under observation.

"— I-I..." — I was speechless. I couldn't deny the fact that I was really very poor. But hearing it in such a derogatory way made me feel stupid for even thinking about trying to get picked.

“Why did you come here?” the youngest of the four men asked me.

My hand instantly flew to my necklace as I felt oppressed, sitting in front of those rich men. “I need the money,” I replied frankly.

— "Wow, how honest!? And here we thought you were going to profess your undying love for my brother,” the burly man declared with an amused smile.