Chapter 2
In the hospital’s VIP room, Talia watched the man lying on the bed. His eyes were closed, his powerful presence subdued for the moment. completely unguarded as he lay on the pillow,
His face was flawless, striking a perfect balance between youth and maturity. The warm sunlight streamed in casting a glow over his features, making him look like a breath of fresh spring air.
No wonder he was called “the man sent from heaven” by global magazines.
Even though, in the past, Talia had been completely wrapped up in Edric, she’d still heard of him–Edgar Binder
He was the head of Zenith Cay’s four major familes and the president of the Binder Group
Compared to him, Edric was nothing–like a speck of dust
Edric had tried and failed repeatedly to break into Zenith City, constantly thwarted by Edgar. Eventually. Edric had been forced to retreat to Sampion City.
Soon enough, Edgar opened his eyes. The moment he did, his aura of p
Edgar’s sharp gare landed on Talia’s face, his eyes narrowing slightly.
power surrounded her, making Talia instinctively turn her gaze toward him.
“It’s you?” His voice was low and magnetic, warm and soothing to the ears.
“You know me!” “Talia asked, surprised.
Edgar turned his gaze away, not answering. It seemed she didn’t remember him.
Talia paused for a moment, then drew her own conclusion.
gossips about her plastered all over the internet.
In her past life, she was constantly trapped in Nina Greer’s relentless schemes, with rumors and gos With how connected the world was, it was no surprise Edear knew about her.
She figured it was better this way–at least she wouldn’t have to introduce herself
Talia lowered her gaze, expertly removing the silver needle from his arm. You were unconscious. I uved you!
Edgar froze for a moment, silently absorbing the change within hir
Lhimself. The intense anger he had been to
He looked back at her, his expression now sincere. “Thank you for saving me. 1.
terling seemed to dissipate,
“How do you plan to repay me for saving your life? Talia interrupted him calmly, a slight awkwardness crossing her face. This was the first time she’d tried to extori someone.
Edgar paused, a complicated look crossing his face. “You’re asking about something in return!” His stunning eyes held a flicker of disbelief that was almost imperceptible.
Talia raised an eyebrow, puzzled by his response. She retorted, “Haven’t you heard! When someone saves your life, you’re supposed to repay them. Mr. Binder, are you trying to back out of this”
“You are the one who’s backing out,” he shot back
“1… backing out” Talia frowned, the situation becoming stranger by the second. But then, she noticed that Edgar’s expression had shifted to one of businesslike seriousness, his tone softer now,
“Go ahead. What’s your price?” he asked.
“150 million dollars. Talia was blunt.
Ernie was someone who would always seek revenge, and with the Russell family now firmly established as one of the major powers in Sampton City, she needed money–lots of moncy–to escape and take her revenge.
ask for
She didn’t think 150 million dollars was too much to ask for the life of a billionaire CEO
*150 million dollars. Edgar repeated her words slowly, his brows furrowing slightly. He wondered, So, she saved me for money?
“You’re asking for quite a lot. You should have made that request before you saved me then you’d have had leverage over me”
“Leverage“” Talia’s expression darkened, “I don’t deal in petty schemes
12:17 PM
Chapter 2
She met his gaze squarely, her tone steady. “I will save your life, but I expect something in return. I have urgent matters to take care of
“If Mr. Binder plans to repay me with nothing more than a “thank you, then there’s nothing I can do about it. But I won’t be satisfied with just that,”
She had never asked for anything in return when saving others, But now, in this time, with nothing but a deck of bad cards in her hands, she had no choice but to demand something.
She had no foundation, no way out.
When Edgar remained silent, Talia shook her head, no longer interested in wasting any more words. She picked up some gauze and began wrapping it around her forehead.
Edgar’s illness was si
strange–he was teetering on the brink of death.
To save him, Talia had neglected herself. She had been so caught up in her efforts that she hadn’t even noticed how exhausted she was, using up the precious medicinal herbs her mother Wynne Miles had left her before passing away.
As he was looking at her now–drenched, shivering her face pale, with dark circles under her large, expressive eyes–Edgar’s lips tightened.
He thought, ‘So, she’s thrown herself into saving me without a second thought, without caring for her own well–being
pon the screen
Suddenly, his phone lit up, a voice message popped up on
It was from his grandmother Valeria Binder. He didn’t even need to listen. He knew exactly what it said.
More voice messages followed, each one a manure long–each one a reminder of the pressure bearing down on him
Out of the corner of his eye, Edgar caught sight of her delicate, fragile frame.
all
Unlike all the people who came after him for money, hiding behind fake smiles and playing their games, be honestly preferred someone who was straight up and real.
150 million dollars. I’m in. But there’s one catch” he said.
“What’s it?” Talia asked, her brow furrowing
“I need a fake fancer”
Talia’s mind instantly went into overdrive. A contract marriage” She frowned, thinking. This sounds like a headache?
Just as she was about to refuse, Edgar jumped in again. “It’s just fi
for a month. It’s tom
make my grandmother happy so she can bead at
Labrand fr
treatment.
“Don’t worry, there’s no paperwork, no physical contact, no public announcement. It be low–key,
“It
It won’t affect your
reputation, no one will know, and there won’t be any hassle.
“Instead of calling it a contract marriage, think of it more like a job. Em hiring you to act for a month.
“You need the money, I have it, and I can get it to you quickly, with the least amount of trouble for you, and the biggest payour”
By the end of his sentence, Edgar leaned in, his sharp eyes studying her like he was calculating his next mov
His lips curled into a sly, almost predatory grin, and Talia got the feeling he wasn’t about to let this go
No wonder he’s the youngest head of the Binder family–dude can read people like a book. All her doubes were almost gone
Talu felt a slight shift inside her. “What he said makes sense…
But then, the lessons from her past hit her like a ton of bricks
The mess she got caught in between Edric and Nuu had scarred her for good. She wasn’t about to step into another disaster like that.
Noticing her hesitation, Edgar’s eyes narrowed a little as he leaned in closer. “Miss Miles, what’s holding you back? Got any concerns?”
Talia locked eyes with him, her face stone cold. “I’m not here to be your shield, and I’m definitely not getting dragged into your mess of love dramus”
“I don’t have any
any romantic baggage, so don’t worry about that, Edgar said before she could even open her mouth, his voice firm and without hesitation. “This is strictly business. No emotions, no strings attached”
“Love and marriage are never rational. Only fools fall into them”
Chapter 2
Talia nodded. “Good, Let’s keep it business, then. I can accept that.” But one small question still nagged at her. “Why me?”
A flicker of something dark passed through Edgar’s eyes, and he extended his hand. “Do you agree?”
Talia glanced down at his hand. Since she was already agreeing to the deal, there was no need to press him further. She reached out and shook his hand. “May our cooperation go smoothly”
The moment their hands touched, she felt the warmth of his palm–large, steady, almost… familiar
Edgar’s eyes softened as he noticed her cold hand. It feh lifeless, like she hadn’t seen warmth in years. He thought, What has she been through?
Before he could reflect too much, the door suddenly opened, and his assistant, Eden Pascall, rushed in. “Mr. Binder! How are you? You two-
When Eden saw them, he stopped dead in has tracks, his eyes wide with shock. His jaw nearly hit the floor
He thought. “My supposedly closeted CEO is holding a woman’s hand? And not letting go?
Talia quickly pulled her hand away and handed a piece of paper in Edgar. “I should go now. Remember our deal.
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and started walking away.
then keep a
As she passed Eden, she called out without looking back, “He’s still really weak. Get him two doses of the Heart Consolidation Soup, then eye on him for twelve hours”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it had this tone that
it made it impossible to argue with
“Got it” Eden replied automatically. But then be froze, confused. Why the hell did I just agree to that so easily!”
“Eden,” Edgar said, his voice calin but commanding. He ran his fingers over the scrap of paper in his hand, which had a phone number and bank account details written on it. “Find out everything you can about her
“Got it. What about the Heart Consolidation Soup?” E
Ellen asked
“Just do what she said”
Over the years, Edgar had always trusted Jerry Peterson’s prescriptions. Jerry was the one person whose advice he never questioned
Once they were outside the hospital, Talia hailed a cab Take me to Cityscape Heights
The Sunset Mansion. Her old home. The place she’d once shared with Edric before everything went to hell and she got tossed back in time.
G
