As I glanced out the window of my father's expansive office, I let out a sigh after ending yet another fruitless call. Men and their desperation.
Five years after I had been abandoned and ruined by Jake and my life had taken a drastic turn. It had been five years since that fateful day when I discovered I was pregnant.
Five years since I had been handed over my father's business, and I had taken it to a very great height. Now, I stood in competition with global conglomerates like the Greenwood Empire, far above Jake's meager company.
I was known as Eva White, the powerful CEO who ran Whitestone conglomerate with the wisdom of a sage. The formidable woman who had taken her father's legacy to heights it never would have dreamed of reaching even in the next fifteen years.
It was the least I could do in honour of his memory.
I had been so busy building my father's business that I barely had time for love or anything that didn't have to do with the growth of my father's company or the betterment of my little angels—Nathan and Noah.
It had been a huge challenge going through the pregnancy and also running my father's company. However, holding my bundles of joy in my hands, I knew it was worth it. Finally, I had my own children.
I didn't care about their father at first. I had found out two weeks after the encounter with the stranger that I was two weeks pregnant and just a day before that encounter, Jake and I had slept together.
Their father could be Jake, and it could as well be the mystery guy I had had the one night stand with, but that was not a mystery I was going to stress myself about.
Jake didn't deserve them, and I couldn't remember the stranger for the life of me.
But they needed a father figure in their life. It had troubled my mind for weeks. Their demands for a father kept growing by the day and I couldn't hold them off much longer.
This was why I had sent out a notice, silly as it sounded, for a man willing to stand as their father for a handsome pay.
It had been weeks of screening but I had not found the perfect man. Almost all of them were after my money and didn't care about my sons. They all failed every test I gave them woefully.
The ringing of my phone broke through my train of thoughts. It was Mr. Hart.
"Good morning, Ms. Eva. Are you prepared to meet with Mr. Mason Green?"
I let out a sigh and reassured myself. Of course I was ready. "I've never been more ready, Robert."
As I walked towards the conference room where I would be meeting with the global business mogul and the competition of my company, I shook off my nerves.
After my many attempts to reach out to him for a partnership on a project, he was finally responding. The arrogance!
As I walked into the room, I kept my head up and my shoulders squared. Mason Green would not intimidate me.
But as I laid my eyes on him, my heart skipped a beat. He sat reclined into the chair at the other head of the table with a cool, relaxed look. His eyes pierced into mine with a glint that sent shivers down my spine. Why did he look so familiar and why on earth was he so handsome?
Ignoring the probing thoughts, I offered him a professional smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Green. Shall we get down to business?"
His lips curved into a smirk, a maddeningly smug expression that made my stomach tighten. There was something disarming about his calm, composed demeanor. It was almost like a predator sizing up prey.
"Straight to the point. I like that." His voice was smooth, carrying a subtle note of amusement. "Please, take a seat."
I took the chair opposite him, my gaze steady and focused. Despite his casual confidence, I refused to let him think I was intimidated.
"I've gone through the proposal," he began, fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. "I must admit, it's an ambitious plan, but there are... concerns."
I arched a brow, wondering what he was playing at. "Concerns?Mr. Green, Whitestone has a proven track record of executing projects with precision and efficiency."
He chuckled softly, a low, rumbling sound that seemed to reverberate through me. "Oh, I know all about your track record, Ms. White. You're quite the powerhouse. I've been... keeping up."
There was a glimmer of something in his eyes that made my heart skip. Keeping up? With me? Why did it sound like more than just business research?
"Well, I hope my achievements have been impressive enough to ease your concerns, Mr. Green."
He leaned back, his gaze still fixed on me. "Impressive is an understatement. But you see, Whitestone and Greenwood are not just any competitors. We're the top players in this industry. A partnership between us could be revolutionary... or catastrophic."
His words hung in the air, charged and weighted. I opened my mouth to respond, but then something shifted — a fleeting expression flashed across his face. It sent a wave of familiarity through me that hit me like a gust of cold air.
It couldn't be.
"Mr. Green... Have we met before?" I finally asked, my voice steadier than I felt.
A smirk tugged at his lips again, this time more pronounced. "Have we?"
My heart hammered as I tried to figure out where I had met him before. My memory failed me however as it was hazy. My fingers curled into my palm.
His smirk widened slightly, and I knew that he knew something. Something about him told me that he knew me beyond just the jurisdiction of business.
"It seems we've crossed paths somewhere before," he said smoothly. "Funny how fate works, isn't it?"
My throat went dry, but I swallowed the panic, forcing a controlled smile. "Well, fate or not, I believe our focus should be on business, Mr. Green."
"Of course," he drawled. "Strictly business... for now."
My stomach twisted in discomfort for the rest of the meeting. I was glad Robert was here to take notes because Mason's words barely registered. The familiarity of his gaze, the knowing smirk — it ate at my mind.
As the meeting concluded, I gathered my things, ready to reclaim my composure, but Mason's voice halted me.
"Why don't we make this partnership more solid?"
I turned slowly, my guard snapping back into place. "I'm not sure I follow."
His eyes gleamed with a confidence that bordered on a little too much audacity. "I've seen your little notice on the search for a father for your sons."
My heart dropped. How did he—
"How about we merge the deal with a marriage?" he continued, his gaze never leaving mine. "You get a father for your kids, I get a wife for personal reasons, and we become partners in more ways than one."
My mind blanked for a moment. A marriage? A transactional deal disguised as a partnership? The colors drained from my face, but I managed to muster a controlled response.
"Excuse me?" My voice was low, sharp and had a warning edge.
Mason's smirk only widened. "Think about it, Ms. White. It's practical. Beneficial. After all, business is just another form of relationship, isn't it?"
I met his gaze, my pulse racing. There was more to this man and this proposal than I had realized.