Aurora Grey – POV
The bell above the café door jingled lazily. Morning sunlight shines through the glass,with the bells jingling every time a customer Enter the cafe. Behind me, the espresso machine groaned like it, too, was tired of pretending everything was fine. Another day, another double shift.
"Aurora!" Percy hissed from the counter. "Package for you."
I frowned. "I'm not expecting anything."
She arched a brow and pointed. A delivery man in a black suit set a pristine white box-tied with a silk ribbon-on the counter. Without a word, he nodded once and walked out.
"No note?" I asked cautiously.
Percy leaned in. "Are we about to get murdered or married?"
"I don't know .."I say as i eye the box suspiciously.
My hands trembled as I pulled the ribbon loose. Nestled in pale cream tissue was a handbag. Not just a handbag. A Birkin.
I nearly dropped it.
"Is that-?" Percy's voice cracked. "Aurora, is that the crocodile-skin Hermès Birkin? The ten-million-dollar one?"
The café lights caught the glossy leather, the gleam of gold hardware. It looked absurd here, sitting among cracked countertops and pastry crumbs.
"I can't keep this," I said flatly.
Percy cradled it like a sacred relic. "Are you sure? Because, babe, you could literally feed a small country with this thing."
But I already knew who it was from. I didn't need a note.
Ace Wolfe.
Storm-grey eyes. A man who looked at me like I was a puzzle only he could solve.
Why me? Why this?
My phone buzzed in my apron pocket. Unknown number.
I hesitated. Then answered.
"Did you receive the package?" His voice slid through the line-deep ,smooth, controlled, arrogant in the way only men who never heard 'no' could be.
"You didn't even leave a note," I said evenly. "Anonymous ten-million-dollar gifts are... dramatic."
He didn't laugh. "Would you have accepted it if I had?"
"No," I replied. "And I still don't."
A pause. Then: "Would you like to come return it in person?"
My throat went dry. "Where are you?"
"My office. Wolfe Tower. Fifth Avenue. You can't miss it."
"I'll come," I whispered.
"I'll send the car."
The line went dead.
Ten minutes later, a black Maybach slid to the curb outside the café. Percy's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Girl," she whispered, peeking through the window blinds, "you are not just broke and pretty anymore. You are officially main character energy."
I grabbed the Birkin, still wrapped like treasure, and shot her a look. "I'm just returning it."
"To your billionaire stalker?," she said, eyes gleaming. "God, I hope he's shirtless when you get there."
"Percy!"
"Manifesting."
Wolfe Tower rose like a monument to power. All glass and steel, sharp lines that cut into the sky. Even the air outside smelled different-like success, like money you could never touch.
Inside, a uniformed attendant greeted me. "Miss Grey, this way."
The elevator soared to the top floor like a rocket, my stomach tightening with every passing second.
When the doors opened, the world shifted.
Cool white marble stretched across a minimalist office. Black leather, sleek lines, floor-to-ceiling windows spilling the city at our feet.
And Ace Wolfe stood by the glass, the skyline at his back, hands in his pockets. He didn't turn until I stepped forward.
"Miss Grey."
"Wolfe." My voice was steady, but my pulse wasn't. I lifted the Birkin and placed it on his desk. "I'm here to return your gift. I'm not for sale."
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Pity. You wore it well."
"I'm serious."
"So am I." He moved toward me, unhurried, deliberate. "The bag wasn't the real offer."
My heart thudded. "Then what is?"
He reached for a sleek black folder, sliding it across the polished surface.
"You need money," he said simply.
I stiffened. "Excuse me?"
"Your mother. The hospital bills. Your sister. You've been drowning since last year. Extra shifts. Selling what you can. I do my research." His voice was calm, factual. Brutally invasive.
"I'm offering a solution."
I looked down. The words on the document swam in front of me.
A marriage contract.
"You're insane," I whispered.
"I'm pragmatic," he corrected. "You get financial security.we get married, And I get an heir and we get divorced in one year ."
The air drained from my lungs. "A child?"
He nodded. "Within three months. That's the condition."
A laugh broke from me-sharp, breathless. "So what am I? Your breeding project?"
He studied me, unblinking. "You're the only woman I've looked at in a long time and thought... maybe."
Heat flushed up my neck. "This isn't love."
"No." His voice was firm. "This is a transaction."
"And if I say no?"
His eyes darkened, steel hard. "Then someone else will say yes."
I didn't touch the folder. Didn't look at the terms.
But I didn't walk away either.
Because for the first time, I could see a way out.
And I didn't know if I was strong enough to refuse it.