•Seth•

When Levi had told me he found someone who was willing to marry, my suspicion grew even more. How did he manage to find someone during that short visit to York? All my suspicion was replaced with anger once he told me who it was. I remember chewing him out on why he decided to ask that girl to marry me. I still felt angry when I remembered the confidence the girl had in calling me out on some non-existent bullshit. 

Levi had taken all my berating with humility. He still tried convincing me to at least give it a try, reminding me of what Samuel had said. It had been more than a week since the incident with no call or any form of contact from the girl. I was honestly relieved that she didn't bother calling back.

I leaned back into my chair, going through documents which contained the latest recruitments into the company so far. I was far gone into the contents of the document when my phone rang.

“Hello?” A voice belonging to a woman spoke when I answered the call.

 I remained silent.

“This is Maxine.” She continued.

“I don't know a Maxine.” I said into the phone, preparing to end the call.

“I'm the girl you met at York the other day. The one whose drinks you accidentally spilled.” She added.

My throat tightened with those words. Truthfully, I had found myself thinking about her a few times since that day, wondering if she’d bother reaching out. I’d never say that out loud though.

“Okay? What is it you want?” I asked, after a few seconds of silence.

“I agree to your proposition.” She replies.

With how clearly she spoke, you wouldn't easily detect the small bits of nervousness etched in her voice. I didn't blame her. It's not every day you get a marriage proposal from a billionaire.

“I'll send you the directions to my office after this call. Be here in the next one hour.” I ended the call, not waiting for a reply from her.

I called for Levi, pushing the documents to the side. He walked into my office in less than a minute.

“I want you to draft a contract for the marriage. It should contain all the rules and conditions and the duration of the marriage. You can add whatever it is you feel is also important in this contract.”

Levi failed to hide his smile. “Does that mean the girl called you back?”

“I don’t remember asking for your input.” I glared at him.

“Right. I'll get started on that.” He didn't try to hide his smile this time as he walks towards the door.

I shook my head as he left my office. He was taking my leniency on him for granted. Still, he was the person I trusted the most when it came to my business. He's both reliable and efficient though I don’t plan on admitting that.

After about forty-six minutes, Levi walked back into my office with a huge stack of documents in hand. I raised an eyebrow when he plopped the documents on my table with a thud. How did he manage to type all this out so fast? 

“I've had the documents typed and saved on my computer for a while now.” He said as if reading my mind.

I narrowed my eyes at him which only made him chuckle. 

“How long have you had this planned?" I asked inquisitively.

He simply shrugged, trying to suppress his smile. I shook my head before moving the documents closer to me. I flipped through each page, scanning through it to make sure the main idea and conditions were stated. I opened the last page which had a space for my name and signature. There was another space beside mine for Maxine’s name and signature as well. 

I grabbed a pen and wrote down my full name. I was about to sign when a thought made me pause. What if at some point in the marriage Maxine decided she wanted out? I only knew so little about her. She could end up exposing the truth to the public and that would mean I lost my inheritance. I leaned back into my chair. I'd never had to put this amount of trust in some stranger before. I took a deep breath before signing the document.

Just as I finish signing, Levi's phone started to ring. He answered the call. Not even some seconds later, he ended the call.

“Sir, she's here.”

I nod my head before answering him. “Bring her in.” 

Levi gave a nod in return before walking out of my office. I looked down at the documents wondering if it was too late to just rip them to shreds. My question was answered when Maxine walked into my office. I kept my face neutral.  She was wearing a baby blue dress that passes mid-thigh paired with black heels and a small black purse. I quickly hardened my face when she caught me staring.

“Mr. Seth.” She said in acknowledgment. I beckoned on her to move closer to my desk which she did. I pushed the documents closer to her.

“This is the marriage contract. After you sign this, there is no going back. I hope you understand what you're getting into.” I said in attempt to scare her away.

She only gave a nod. taking her time to go through each page of the document. After a long time of her reading through all the documents, she grabbed a pen and wrote down her full name and signature. Maxine Bennett. 

Her silence unnerved me. I expected some fit or complain but so far, nothing but compliance. 

“You have no idea what you're getting yourself into.” She only smiled in return. I couldn't help the discomfort that grows in the pit of my stomach. I had to focus on the prize. This contract would be a thing of the past in a matter of time.