Bargain with Fate

Eva's POV

One Year Earlier...…

I recall the day it all began, the day my life was irreversibly altered. It was a sunny autumn afternoon, with clear air and everything sounded exaggerated. 

I was sitting in my tiny flat, scrolling through employment promotions and wondering about how I would pay my rent for the next month.

 My phone rang, and I saw my father's number on the screen. I was vanquished with anxiety. He called occasionally, and whenever he did, the news was never good.

"Hello?" I responded, trying to keep my voice calm. "Hi, Eva. This is Dad. "We need to talk," he said, his voice urgent. 

"What's wrong?" I inquired, my heart sinking.

 "It is about the company. "We are in trouble," he remarked, his voice breaking. 

"We have lost everything. If we don't find a solution quickly, we'll lose our home." 

I felt a lump in my throat. "What do you mean by everything?" "How did this happen?"

"There were some bad investments, some deals that went south," he told me. "But there is a way out. There is a man named Alexander Blackwood.

 He offered to assist, but there was a condition." 

I knew who Alexander Blackwood was. Everybody did. He was a formidable and ruthless businessman, capable of making or breaking fortunes with a single choice. "What condition?" I inquired, fearing the response.

"He wants you to marry his son, Adrian," my father remarked, his words striking me like a blow in the gut. "It's a planned marriage, but it will help us. Thank you, Eva. We do not have any other options."

I felt the room swirl. Marry a man I don't know? A man known for being cold and calculating? But the anguish in my father's voice gave me no choice. "Alright," I murmured, just above a whisper. "I'll do it." 

The following several weeks were a blur. Meetings were scheduled, papers were signed, and before I knew it, I was standing in the sumptuous foyer of the Blackwood house, ready to meet my future husband.

 I felt like a lamb being brought to slaughter, but I kept telling myself I was doing it for my family. Adrian strode into the room, and my initial impression was of his tremendous presence.

He was tall, with a dominating presence that made the air crackle with tension. His grey eyes were piercing, and his face was unreadable.

 "Miss Kensington," he continued, his voice soft and controlled. "I'm Adrian Blackwood." 

I mustered a grin and extended my hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Blackwood." 

He grasped my hand firmly. "Please, call me Adrian."

We sat down, and as the talk continued, it became evident that this was a commercial transaction for both him and his father. 

He inquired about my background, interests, and opinions on the arrangement. I answered as truthfully as I could, but it was evident that he was evaluating me, determining if I would be an advantage or a problem.

 "I understand this isn't what you wanted," Adrian explained after a time, his tone softening somewhat. "But we both have our reasons for agreeing to this."

 I nodded. "Yes, we do."

He looked at me for a long time before saying, "My father can be very influential." But I want you to know that I am not going to thrust anything on you.

 This marriage is a means to an end; it does not have to define us." His statements astonished me. 

Behind the frigid veneer, I had a glimpse of something human. "Thank you, Adrian," I responded, feeling a glimmer of hope.

As the weeks passed into months, I endeavored to adapt to my new reality. The engagement parties, public appearances, and continual scrutiny were overpowering. 

But, through it all, I held on to that tiny flame, believing that we could somehow make this work. And yet, here we were, entangled in a web of lies and deception. 

The trust we were attempting to establish was fragile, and each new revelation threatened to fracture it. But I could not give up. Not now. Not with so much at risk.

When I glanced at Adrian, I saw a man dealing with his own demons, a man who, despite everything, was looking for a way out. 

And in that instant, I realized we were more akin than I had previously assumed. We were both trapped, battling to survive in a world that needed more than we were ready to provide.

 But maybe, together, we could find a way to escape the shadows that threatened to devour us.

Adrian and I proceeded to negotiate our dangerous situation with an unsaid understanding. We were the embodiment of a power couple in public, but our relationship had unstable underpinnings in private. 

Despite the brief moments of honesty and the tenuous ceasefire we had built, the shadows of our secrets loomed big. 

One evening, while I was getting ready for bed, my phone vibrated with a message from my father. The sight of his name on the screen filled me with fear.

 We need to meet. Urgent.

My heart raced when I replied back, saying I'd meet him at a discrete café downtown the next morning. I knew that this encounter would only lead to additional problems and complications.

 The following morning, I slipped out of the estate unseen and got a taxi to the café. My father was already there, looking exhausted and nervous. It hurt my heart to see him that way. 

"Dad," I whispered quietly as I sat down. "What's going on?"

He leaned forward, his gaze darting about nervously. "Eva, things are worse than I expected. Alexander Blackwood is strengthening his hold.

 He wants more authority over our company, and if we don't comply, he'll wreck it." 

I tightened my fists beneath the table. "What does he want now?"

"He wants you to gather information about Adrian," he murmured, barely above a whisper.

 "He believes Adrian is hiding something that can be used against him. He wants you to discover what it is and report back to him.

My spine felt frigid. "You can't take this seriously. How am I supposed to do it? Is Adrian not his son? Furthermore, Adrian will never trust me again if he finds out.