The Proposition
Emma’s challenge hung in the air between them. Alex shifted uncomfortably in his executive chair, loosening his tie slightly – a tell she’d learned meant he was about to say something he’d rehearsed.
“Actually,” he cleared his throat, straightening the already perfectly aligned pen on his desk, “that’s why I called you here. I’ve been thinking about our… situation. In light of recent developments, I believe it would be in everyone’s best interest to maintain our current arrangement.”
Emma felt her heart constrict. Of course. Another business solution.
“The divorce papers,” he continued, pulling them from his desk drawer, “I’ll have them destroyed. We can continue as we have been, present a united front for the board and shareholders. It makes the most logical sense, given your condition.”
“My condition,” Emma repeated softly. “You mean your child?”
Alex flinched slightly but pressed on. “Yes, well, that’s precisely why we need to handle this pragmatically. A divorce scandal while expecting a Barrett heir would be… problematic for the company’s image.”
Emma closed her eyes, suddenly transported back to where it all began. The memory washed over her with painful clarity – the crisp autumn day at Harvard Business School, the weight of her textbooks, the literal collision that would change her life.
She’d been struggling with three oversized finance texts and a laptop bag outside Baker Library when Alexander Barrett, already a rising star in the business world at twenty-eight, had walked straight into her, too absorbed in quarterly reports to watch where he was going.
“I’m so sorry,” he’d said, helping her gather scattered papers, then pausing with a half-smile. “Though I have to admit, anyone highlighting market projection analyses in their free time has my attention.”
That smile had been different then – genuine, unguarded, before the weight of the Barrett empire had fully settled on his shoulders. They’d fallen into an easy friendship: study sessions that evolved into coffee dates, heated debates about business strategy that lasted until the library closed, shared dreams about modernizing traditional industries.
Those early days had been filled with possibility. Alex had been different – more open, more willing to challenge conventions. They’d spend hours in their favorite café, plotting ways to revolutionize Barrett Industries, their ideas flowing seamlessly between them until they lost track of time.
“Emma?” Alex’s voice pulled her back to the present. “Did you hear what I said about the terms?”
“Terms,” she echoed, the word tasting bitter. Just like their first arrangement, proposed in that same café two years after they met. She remembered how he’d laid it out, precise and practical: a two-year marriage of convenience, mutual benefits, clean exit strategy. She’d agreed, ignoring the part of her heart that had already begun to hope for more.
Emma smiled sadly at the memory of those early days. Alex had been different then, before the weight of his family’s empire had fully settled on his shoulders. He’d been more open, more willing to challenge the status quo. They’d spend hours discussing ways to modernize Barrett Industries, their ideas building off each other until they lost track of time.
The marriage proposal had come two years later, over coffee in the same café where they’d spent countless hours studying. It wasn’t romantic – it was practical, business-focused, a solution to both their problems. Alex needed to prove his stability to the board and shake off his playboy image. Emma needed capital for her startup and connections in the industry.
“It makes perfect sense,” Alex had said, laying out the terms as if it were any other business deal. “Two years, mutual benefits, clean exit strategy. We already work well together – why not use that?”
Now, standing in his office years later, Emma felt history repeating itself. Another business arrangement, another contract disguised as a relationship.
She met Alex’s gaze, her expression unreadable. “You’re saying you want us to stay married for the sake of the baby, but you’re asking a lot more than that, aren’t you?”
Alex looked down, a hint of frustration on his face. “I know I have no right to ask you for anything,” he replied, his voice tense. “But if you’re willing, we could find a way to make this work — for the child, and maybe… for us.”
She folded her arms, her tone cautious. “I’m willing to consider it, but I’m not going to be another piece in your business strategy, Alex. If I stay, it’s going to be on my terms.”
His brows furrowed slightly, but he nodded. “I’m listening.”
Emma took a steadying breath. “First, no more secrecy. I’m not going to live in the shadows while you manage the Barrett family’s perception. If we’re in this, then we’re both in it. And second,” her voice dropped to a fierce whisper, “I won’t stand for Victoria’s games anymore.”
A muscle in Alex’s jaw twitched at the mention of Victoria, but he nodded slowly, accepting her conditions. “Fair enough. Okay then – no more games. No more secrets.”
She looked at him, her heart pounding, the weight of his words resonating deeply. She took a breath, meeting his gaze. “I have one more condition.”
He raised a brow, waiting.
“If we’re going to be in this together, then I need to know… that I matter. Not just as the mother of your child, but as… me.”
The vulnerability in her voice softened his gaze. “You do, Emma,” he said softly, surprising them both. “More than you know.”
* * *
A knock at her office door the next morning interrupted her brooding. Victoria stood there, elegant as always in a tailored white suit that probably cost more than most people’s monthly salary.
“Do you have a moment?” Victoria’s smile was practiced to perfection. “I think it’s time we had a proper chat, just us girls.”
Emma gestured to the visitor’s chair, steeling herself. She’d been expecting this confrontation.
“You know,” Victoria began, smoothing her skirt as she sat, “I remember you from business school. Always in the library, always working so hard to prove you belonged there with all the trust fund babies and legacy admissions.”
“If this is a social call, Victoria, I’m rather busy.”
“Did you know Alex and I met before Harvard? Summer in the Hamptons, charity galas, all the proper society events.” Victoria’s smile sharpened. “Tell me, what do you think the board would say if they knew your marriage was a business arrangement? That you essentially bought your way into Barrett Industries?”
Emma’s hand instinctively moved to protect her stomach. “Is that a threat?”
“Oh, darling, no.” Victoria’s laugh was like breaking glass. “Just a friendly observation. Though I must say, getting pregnant to trap him? That’s a bit desperate, even for a scholarship girl.”
“You seem to have constructed quite a narrative,” Emma replied, keeping her voice steady. “Why are you really here, Victoria?”
“To make you an offer.” Victoria opened her designer bag, withdrawing an envelope. “Walk away. Take the settlement Diane offered – I’ll make sure it’s more than generous. You can have your baby, live comfortably, maybe even start that little company you dreamed about in school.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then certain documents might find their way to the board. Emails discussing your arrangement, the original terms of your agreement…” Victoria sighed dramatically. “The shareholders take fraud very seriously. And Alex… well, he’d have no choice but to distance himself completely.”
A throat cleared from the doorway. Marcus stood there, his expression making it clear he’d heard enough.
After Victoria’s departure, he closed the door with deliberate care, double-checking to ensure it was properly sealed. His usual easy-going demeanor had vanished, replaced by an intensity Emma rarely saw outside the operating room.
“What I’m about to tell you… the Barrett family went to great lengths to keep this quiet.” he said, pulling up a chair beside her desk rather than across it. “Victoria is not just Alex’s ex – she’s obsessed with him. Has been for years.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been investigating.” Marcus pulled out his phone, showing Emma a series of articles and documents. “The reason she left before wasn’t for opportunities abroad – she was asked to leave. There were incidents, things the family buried. She didn’t just stalk Alex; she systematically destroyed anyone she saw as competition for his attention.”
“Marcus, you’re scaring me.”
“I’ve been digging into Victoria’s past for the last week. Called in favors from colleagues in psychiatry, contacted old classmates, even hired a private investigator.” He paused, running a hand through his disheveled hair.
“Look at this – psychiatric evaluations from 2019, right before she supposedly left for that ‘amazing opportunity’ in London. She didn’t leave voluntarily, Emma. The Barrett family’s lawyers orchestrated her departure after a series of… incidents.”
Emma leaned forward, scanning the documents. Her eyes widened at phrases like “persistent delusional disorder” and “extreme obsessive behavior.”
“There was an intern,” Marcus continued, swiping to another document. “Sarah Harmon. Bright young woman caught Alex’s attention during a project. Three weeks later, her career was systematically destroyed. Accusations of corporate espionage, leaked personal information, mysterious accidents. The poor girl ended up moving to Singapore to escape it all.”
He swiped again. “Then there was Patricia Mueller, an executive from their German office. She and Alex worked closely on a merger. One month later, her office was broken into, personal files stolen, reputation ruined. The pattern repeats at least four more times.”
Emma felt her throat tighten. “Why hasn’t anyone told Alex?”
“His parents…” Marc’s expression darkened. “They thought they were protecting him. Diane Barrett especially – she helped cover everything up, paid off the victims, buried the police reports. Victoria’s family is old money, well-connected. They helped make everything disappear.”
He pulled up another file. “But look at these photos from Victoria’s apartment in 2019, taken by her housekeeper.” The images showed walls covered in photos of Alex – at work, at social events, even through windows. Newspaper clippings, scheduled movements, detailed notes about his daily routines.
“The housekeeper tried to report it, but Victoria’s family paid her off and had her deported.” Marc’s voice was grim. “Every time someone tried to expose her, money and influence made the problem vanish. But the pattern is clear – she doesn’t just stalk Alex, she strategically eliminates anyone she perceives as a threat to her relationship with him.”
Emma unconsciously placed a protective hand over her stomach. “And now…”
“Now you’re the biggest threat she’s ever faced.” Jack reached out, squeezing her hand. “You’re not just another woman in Alex’s life – you’re his wife, carrying his child. In her mind, you’ve taken everything she believes should be hers.”
