“I know it’s a little soon,” he continues.
“A little?!” I screech.
“I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” he continues, his tone easy, like we’re negotiating a business deal instead of a marriage.
Okay, this has all gone far enough.
“Look, Benedict, I lost my mind back there. I was hurt, I’m sick with flu and not thinking straight. I appreciate you helping me out, but we can’t really get married. That would be insane. I was just engaged to your brother like, an hour ago. I think we should just forget this whole thing.”
I expect him to nod in agreement, to let me off the hook, but he doesn’t. Instead, his smile stays firmly in place — dazzling, confident, and completely unshaken. It leaves me momentarily breathless.
“So you don’t want the money,” he asks me. “One million dollars to spend however you like.”
My heart skips. That’s right. The money. One million is exactly the amount I need for my mom’s medical bills and her new treatment. “You’d really give me that much money? Just like that?”