The Proposal

The studio lights buzzed overhead as Lydia Roberts adjusted the mic on the news anchor’s blazer. Her fingers were steady, but her mind wasn’t. Deadlines, camera angles, scripts—everything swirled in her head like a quiet storm. She’d been working at the station for two years now. Behind the scenes. Invisible. Safe.

And she liked it that way.

“Lydia!” her manager barked from the hallway. “There’s someone here to see you. You’re holding up Studio B!”

She sighed and muttered an apology, quickly stepping into the hallway. Her boots clicked softly against the marble floor as she turned the corner—and stopped cold.

A tall man in an all-black suit leaned against the wall like he owned the place. His black button-down was open at the throat, revealing a glimpse of tattoos curling up his neck. His face was carved perfection—strong jaw, stormy eyes, lips that held a smirk like he knew every secret in the room. Dangerous. Beautiful. And utterly terrifying.

Jake William.

The name alone sent shivers down her spine. The infamous mafia boss. The most feared man in the city—and the most devastatingly handsome. She’d seen him in whispers and news headlines. Never up close. Never like this.

“Miss Roberts,” he greeted, his voice like dark velvet. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything... ordinary.”

She blinked. “What are you doing here?”

Jake’s smirk deepened. “I don’t waste time, Lydia. I’m here to offer you a contract.”

“A... what?”

He stepped closer. Too close. His scent—clean, masculine, expensive—wrapped around her like a noose. He reached into his coat and pulled out a folder.

“You’ll find the details inside. Four years. You belong to me. In every way that matters.”

Her stomach dropped. “Excuse me?”

“Physically. Intimately. Exclusively. You’ll live where I say. Eat what I provide. You’ll never have to worry about money again. I’ll handle everything.” His eyes darkened. “In return, you’ll give me what I want.”

She took a shaky breath. “Why me?”

Jake leaned down, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear like he had every right. “Because you’re the only woman I can’t stop thinking about. And when I want something, Lydia... I take it.”

Her heart thundered. “This is insane.”

“You’re right,” he said smoothly. “And yet, here I am. Offering you a deal that could solve every one of your problems.”

She hesitated. Her father’s medical bills were piling up. Their home was on the verge of being taken. She was drowning—and he knew it.

“I’m not for sale,” she whispered.

Jake’s voice dropped to a near-growl. “Then consider yourself claimed.”

She shoved the folder back at him, but he didn’t take it. He simply walked past her, brushing his fingers down her arm as he did.

“I’ll give you three days,” he said. “After that, the offer disappears—and so does any chance of saving your father.”

Her breath caught.

She turned to yell after him, to curse him—but he was already gone, like smoke.

All that remained was the contract in her hands… and the terrifying pull of a man she knew she should run from.

But couldn’t.

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