Emma walked out of the penthouse without looking back.
The quiet inside was too much. It felt heavy on her chest and made it hard to think. Ace didn't try to stop her. He didn't say anything when she stood up from the couch, touched her messy hair, and picked up her bag.
He just stayed in his seat, drinking his coffee, and looking at her like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't just said yes to marrying her.
"You'll hear from me," she said, keeping her voice calm and her eyes on his.
Ace gave a small nod. "I'm sure I will," he said.
That was it. No goodbye. No questions. No sign that they had just made a choice that could change everything in their future.
She got into the Uber waiting outside, closed the door, and leaned back in the seat. She closed her eyes, but she couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept at all last night. They were moving too fast. Her heart was beating hard, not because she was scared, but because she knew how serious this was.
The next date, Emma had coffee with Lola at the café close to their office.
"Where did you disappear to last night?" Lola's loud voice filled the café the moment Emma walked in. She sounded happy and full of energy.
Emma almost dropped her tea.
Lola was already sitting by the window. Her sunglasses were on top of her head, and she wore a bright flower jumpsuit that looked like summer. She smiled and waved at Emma. "Don't tell me you finally went home with someone?" she said, grinning.
Emma gave her a look. "Technically… I did."
Lola's eyes lit up. "No way. You had a one-night stand?"
"Not exactly," Emma said, sliding into the seat across from her.
"What do you mean by 'not exactly'? You either did or you didn't." Lola leaned forward, eyebrows raised.
Emma stirred her coffee slowly. "Let's just say I may have solved my inheritance problem," she said, trying to sound casual.
Lola stared at her, eyes narrowing. "Emma. What did you do?" she asked slowly.
Emma took a breath, steadying herself. "I asked someone to marry me," she said.
Lola blinked, mouth slightly open. "You're joking," she said in disbelief.
"I'm not," Emma replied firmly.
"Who?" Lola asked, already leaning in.
"Ace Blacke," Emma said, meeting her friend's gaze without flinching.
Lola remained silent for a few seconds. Then she appeared as if she could suffocate on air.
"Ace Blacke?" The Ace Blacke? The guy who despised you throughout college? "The person with the killer glare and the billion-dollar business?"
"Same," Emma confirmed.
"You're saying you reunited with him after all this time, had a conversation for one night, and proposed to him?"
"That's precisely what happened," Emma replied.
Lola stared. "Emma, are you insane?"
"Maybe. But the deadline's in two months. I had to do something," was all Emma could say.
Lola leaned back and whistled. "Damn. I really should drag you to more parties."
------------------------
An hour later, she made an appointment with Linus Dante, a very good friend of hers who is a family lawyer. By
Late afternoon, she was sitting in his office
It hadn't changed much: same polished desk, same neat rows of legal books, same smell of leather and ink. He stood up when she entered.
"Emma Ocean," he said, smiling slightly. "You said it was urgent?"
Emma handed him a folder. "I need you to draft a marriage contract."
Linus opened the file, brows drawing together as he read. After a minute, he looked up. "Is this a joke?"
"Not at all," Emma replied. "It's serious."
"You're getting married just to obtain your inheritance," he said slowly, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Yes, I am, and I need your total discretion, because I don't want any member of my family or my parents' lawyer knowing that my marriage is a contract." Emma explained.
He read the name again. "Ace Blacke?"
"Correct." Said Emma.
He looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "Emma…"
"I know what it sounds like. But this is the only way," emma cut in.
Linus sighed and dropped into his chair. "Does he agree?"
Emma sat across from him, her tone calm. "Reluctantly."
"Why would a man like Ace Blacke agree to something like this?"
"Because I gave him two options," she said. "Say yes, or deal with a scandal about the dare. Or lose ten percent of his company."
Grayson removed his glasses and rubbed his temple. "So… blackmail."
"No," she said firmly. "Strategy."
He let out another sigh. "You're just like your father."
Emma's face didn't change. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"One year?"
"One year. No strings."
Linus hesitated, then picked up his pen. "You'll have the contract by tomorrow."
Emma smiled and said , "I owe you one."
-------------------------
At Blacke Tech, Ace sat behind his glass desk, staring at nothing.
His phone remained undisturbed. His laptop display shone with unread messages. But he hadn't shifted for hours. His jaw tightened as he tapped a finger on the desk.
Brian, his best friend and CFO, walked in with coffee. Here. "Before your quietness escalates into aggression."
Ace didn't reach for the cup.
Brian narrowed his eyes. "Okay. What's wrong?"
Ace didn't speak.
Brian pulled a chair and sat down. "You've been off all morning."
"I'm always off," Ace muttered.
"You're always quiet. Not like this."
Ace looked away. "Do you remember Emma Ocean?"
Brian blinked. "The heiress? Rafael's old girlfriend?"
Ace nodded once.
"You saw her?"
"We spent the night together."
Brian nearly dropped the coffee. "What the hell?"
"Nothing happened," Ace said. "We drank tea. We talked. Or didn't talk."
Brian stared. "And?"
"She asked me to marry her."
Brian stared harder. "I knew you were broken, but this is next level."
"It's not real. One year. Contract. No press."
"You agreed?"
"I didn't really have a choice."
There was a long pause. Brian leaned closer. "What's really bothering you?"
Ace didn't answer.
Brian raised an eyebrow. "You still like her."
"No," Ace said too fast.
Brian smirked. "You made her tea."
"It was polite."
"You don't do polite. You do silence and threats. Tea is flirting for you."
Ace turned away, staring out the window.
Brian kept going. "You hated seeing her with Rafael. You couldn't even say her name for a year after we left school. And now she shows up with a marriage contract, and you're acting like a kicked puppy."
"You are overreacting here; I still don't like her," Ace said coldly.
"Sure," Brian said. "But she's back. And you said yes."
Ace didn't answer. But in his mind, he saw her again. Emma, sitting on his couch, eyes sharp, voice calm. The way she didn't flinch when she asked him. The way she didn't beg.
She just knew what she wanted.
Later that day, Ace received the official marriage contract from Mr. Linus Dante. As he read through the pages, he saw everything Emma had promised: one year, no strings, no press, no emotions. It was real. Emma had followed through without hesitation. She hadn't changed a bit. She is still sharp, still fearless, still able to shake his carefully controlled world.
Standing by the window, with the noisy city below and silence around him, Ace realized the truth.
She wasn't just stepping back into his life.
She was kicking the door down, and part of him might've left it open.