The CEO's Hidden Card

“Marry you? You must be joking.”

My voice barely sounded like my own—strained, incredulous, and trembling beneath the weight of his audacious proposal.

The dining room seemed to shrink, the crystal chandeliers above glaring down like an interrogation light.

Across the table, Alexander Steele’s expression didn’t flicker.

His gaze locked on mine, sharp and unyielding.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

His tone was as cold and calculated as the man himself.

Alexander Steele didn’t offer lifelines—he threw anchors disguised as deals.

And this? This was no different.

“You think I’m that desperate?”

I leaned back, my chair scraping against the marble floor. I wanted to laugh, to rage, to do anything but face the reality of his proposition.

“I think you’re smart,” he said, his voice infuriatingly calm.

“Smart enough to see this is the only way to save what’s left of your reputation. And your company.”

His words cut deeper than any insult Mia had hurled my way.

Because they weren’t just words—they were facts, cold and indisputable.

Without Steele Enterprises’ backing, Lancaster Designs wouldn’t last another month. And worse, if Mia had already sold out to them...

“You don’t own me,” I snapped, clinging to the last shred of defiance I had.

“Not yet.”

The words hung between us, heavy and suffocating.

His confidence was maddening, like he’d already mapped out every move I could make and dismantled them before I even tried.

“Why me?” I demanded, the question escaping before I could stop it.

“You could have anyone. Why—”

He leaned forward then, his elbows resting on the pristine white tablecloth.

The shift in his posture sent a ripple of unease down my spine.

“Because you need me, Olivia. And I need someone who understands the stakes.”

My pulse hammered in my ears.

He wasn’t lying—at least not entirely.

But there was more to this, something lurking beneath his polished surface.

“And what’s in it for you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“What do you get out of marrying a woman whose life is in ruins?”

His lips curved into a faint, humorless smile.

“Leverage.”

That one word sent a shiver down my spine.

Leverage. He didn’t want a wife—he wanted a pawn.

“Forget it,” I said, standing abruptly. “I’ll find another way.”

But as I turned to leave, his voice stopped me cold.

“You won’t.”

He was right, and we both knew it. Still, I didn’t turn around.

Not until he delivered the final blow.

“If you walk away now, I’ll make sure Lancaster Designs is blacklisted across the industry.

Mia’s betrayal will be the least of your worries.”

The threat hit like a slap, leaving me rooted in place.

Slowly, I turned to face him, my hands curling into fists at my sides.

“You’re a monster,” I whispered.

“And you’re out of time,” he countered, rising from his chair.

The distance between us felt insurmountable, but his presence loomed over me like a shadow.

“The choice is yours, Olivia,” he said, his voice a lethal blend of steel and silk.

“Sink with your pride, or survive with me.”

My chest tightened as his words settled over me like a noose.

Pride or survival?

Love or leverage?

Neither felt like a choice, yet here I was, cornered by a man who never played fair.

My lips parted, the bitter taste of surrender already on my tongue.

But before I could speak, the door burst open, and a familiar voice shattered the tension.

“Olivia, don’t do it!”

I turned, my heart lurching as Mia stepped into the room, her face pale but defiant.

And just like that, the game had changed again.