Her mind whirled, her thoughts racing as she tried to fathom what he had just said. She had expected terms, conditions, but not this. Marriage? It was an outdated concept, a relic of the past. And yet, here he was, proposing it as a condition. Was he insane, or was she the insane one for considering this seriously? She swallowed hard, her throat feeling dry and constricted. "You're...you're seriously asking me to marry you?" she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.

He nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering. "If you fail to pay me back, I expect you to honour the deal and marry Me." he replied, his voice nonchalant as if he was discussing the weather.

Her mind whirled, her thoughts racing as she tried to fathom what he had just said. She had expected terms, conditions, but not this. Marriage? It was an outdated concept, a relic of the past. And yet, here he was, proposing it as a condition. Was he insane, or was she the insane one for considering this seriously? She swallowed hard, her throat feeling dry and constricted. "You're...you're seriously asking me to marry you?" she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.

He regarded her with a steady gaze, his expression betraying no hint of humour or sarcasm. He was completely serious. He nodded slowly, the motion deliberate and almost predatory. "That's right," he confirmed, his voice soft but firm. "You either pay me back the money you owe, or you agree to become my wife. The choice is yours, little rose."

She stared at him for a long moment, her mind still struggling to comprehend the enormity of what he was proposing. He was asking her to give up her life, her freedom, in exchange for money. It was insane, it was ridiculous. And yet...there was something about him that made her hesitate, something in his steady gaze that demanded her attention.

"I...I can't...I don't understand," she finally stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why...why would you even want to marry me? I'm just a stranger, a young girl desperate for money."

He chuckled softly, the sound sending a shiver down her spine. "You think I want to marry you for love, little rose?" he mused, his voice tinged with amusement. "No, this isn't a normal marriage. This is a deal. You agree to marry me, and in exchange, I lend you the money you need." He leaned forward, his gaze pinning her in place. "This is no fairy-tale, no romantic story with a happy ever after. This is a business arrangement. A transaction. One that requires certain...collateral."

He paused, letting the words sink in. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, the intensity of his attention almost tangible. "You will become my wife, legally and officially, until the day you've paid back every cent you owe me," he continued. "Not because we're in love, not because we have some kind of connection. But because you owe me money, and I own you."

She felt a pang in her chest at his words, a mix of anger and desperation coursing through her veins. He made her sound like a possession, an object to be used and discarded. But at the same time, she knew he was right. This was no fairy-tale, no romance novel come to life. This was the real world, and in the real world, love didn't always win. Sometimes, you had to make deals with the devil.

The room was silent for a long moment, the only sound the ticking of the clock on the wall. She could feel her heart thudding in her chest, her mind reeling as she tried to come to grips with what he was asking of her. She didn't love him, didn't even know him really. He was just a stranger, a means to an end. But he held all the power in this situation, and she knew she had little choice but to accept his terms. He waited, his gaze fixed on her face as he waited for her response.

She swallowed hard, her throat feeling dry and constricted. This was insane, she thought. Insane and reckless. But what other choice did she have? Without his help, she would be forced to go back home, to face the disappointment and shame of failure. And without his money, she would never be able to continue her studies. It was a no-win situation, but somehow, this deal seemed like her best option.

Her mind was reeling, a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions roiling inside her. She couldn't believe this was happening, that she was even considering what he was proposing. It felt like something out of a nightmare, a sick and twisted joke. She found her voice, her anger and desperation finally giving her the courage to speak her mind.  "This...this isn't right," she protested, her voice shaky with anger and desperation. "You can't just ask me to marry you, like I'm some...some commodity to be bought and sold. I'm a person, not an object!"

He smirked at her outburst, an amused glint in his eye. He was clearly enjoying her protest, the fight and fire in her voice. "But isn't that what you're doing, little rose?" he countered, his voice smooth and mocking. "You're using me as a means to an end. You're marrying me to get money, to pay for your education. Isn't that a form of transaction? Of buying what you want?"

She felt her cheeks burn at his words, realizing the truth in what he was saying. She was using him, just as he was using her. But somehow, his casual dismissal of the situation angered her. He was treating it like just another business deal, another transaction. As if marriage was something to be taken lightly, to be bought and sold like a property.

She gritted her teeth, her anger bubbling up inside her like a cauldron about to boil over. "I know I'm using you," she admitted, her voice ragged and breathless. "But that doesn't make this right. You can't just...just demand that I marry you, like I'm some sort of collateral. That's not how marriage works!"

He chuckled softly, the sound sending a chill down her spine. "Oh, my sweet little rose," he purred, his voice dripping with condescension. "You're still so naive. Love doesn't matter in this world, not really. This is all about power, about control. And you, my dear, are the one with the leverage. You need money, and I have it. You can fight me all you want, but at the end of the day, you know you have no other choice."

She wanted to scream, to lash out at him, to punch him in his smug, self-satisfied face. But she knew he was right, damn him. She needed his money, and he knew it. She had no other options, no other way to pay for her education. She was trapped, caught in a web of her own desperation and his cold, calculating logic.

Her heart pounded in her chest, her body taut with tension as she met his gaze. She hated him in that moment, hated him for making her feel weak, for making her feel helpless. She had always prided herself on her independence, on her ability to stand up for herself. But somehow, this man had managed to strip away all her defences, all her bravado. "I hate you," she muttered, her voice low and venomous. "I hate you for making me feel this way, for making me feel like...like I have no choice. Like I'm just a pawn in your game."

He chuckled softly, the sound sending a chill down her spine. "Oh, my sweet little rose," he repeated, his voice patronizing and taunting. "You were always a pawn. From the moment you walked into this office, looking so desperate and desperate and vulnerable. You thought you were in control, that you had the power. But the truth is, you've never had any power at all. Your choices were always an illusion. The only thing that matters is what I want, and what I want is for you to marry me if u fail to pay the debt."

He leaned back in his chair, his expression almost bored as he flicked a finger in the air. Almost instantly, one of his minions appeared from the shadows, a large suitcase in hand. He watched as the minion placed the suitcase on the desk in front of him, a smug satisfaction on his face. He entered a swift and complex passcode on a keypad, the suitcase clicking open to reveal stacks of neatly organized bills. He picked up the cash and placed it in front of her, the money sitting there like a tantalizing offering.

He gestured towards the documents lying on the desk. "Here's the money you need," he said, his tone almost nonchalant. "But of course, there's a catch. You'll have to sign this agreement if you want to walk away with this cash. Take this offer or exit is that way”

She looked at the money on the desk, her eyes widening at the sight of so much cash. It was more than she ever imagined, enough to cover her tuition and then some. But her gaze was drawn to the agreement lying next to it, the pages filled with fine print and legal jargon.

She swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the stack of money and the agreement lying on the desk. It was tempting, so horribly tempting. The cash was right there, offering her a solution to her problems, a way to continue her studies without debt. But the agreement loomed over it like a dark cloud, filled with promises and demands she wasn't sure she could keep. She reached out a trembling hand, her fingers hovering over the papers.

She looked up at him, meeting his gaze with a questioning look. "What exactly am I agreeing to here?" she asked, her voice surprisingly steady despite the turmoil inside her. "What does this agreement say?"

He smirked, leaning back even further in his chair. "The agreement, little rose," he began, his tone dripping with condescension. "It means that if you fail to pay me back within the agreed upon timeframe, then you'd have to become my wife. Until you've paid off the debt completely, of course." He chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "You see, my dear, I like my investments to be well-secured. And a wife is a pretty good security, don't you think?"

Her heart lurched in her chest at his words, a mix of fear and anger swelling within her. He was serious, dead serious. He was willing to force her into a marriage, into a lifetime of servitude, all to secure his investment. It was madness, it was insanity.

She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, the blood thrumming through her veins. She wanted to flee, to run as far and as fast as she could from this madman and his insane demands.

But at the same time, she knew she couldn't. She needed that money, needed it to continue her studies and pursue her dreams. She was trapped, caught between a rock and a hard place. It was a choice between sacrifice and failure, between selling her soul to the devil and giving up everything she had worked so hard for. She was trapped, caught between a rock and a hard place. But she knew she couldn't. She needed the money, she needed the agreement. She had no other options, no other way out of this mess. She was trapped, caught in a web of her own desperation and his cold, calculating logic.

She looked back down at the agreement, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions. She wanted to resist, to fight back against this insane proposal. But deep down, she knew he was right. She didn't have any other choice, any other way out. If she refused, she would lose everything - her education, her dreams, her future. And if she agreed...well, she would be putting her entire life in his hands. She would be his to control, his to use and discard as he saw fit. There was no happy ending here, no fairy-tale ending. Only...only the hard cold reality of her situation.

And yet, there was a part of her that still held out hope. A small, almost desperate part of her that whispered that maybe, just maybe, there was a way out of this. Maybe if she played his game, if she agreed to his terms, she could still find a way to win. She could find a way to beat him at his own game, to take control and claim victory for herself. It was a risky gamble, and deep down she knew it was a long shot. But what other choice did she have? What other options were open to her?

She met his gaze, her eyes narrowing with determination. "I'll do it," she said abruptly, her voice cutting through the silence. "I'll sign the agreement. But I have one condition."

He raised an eyebrow, his expression growing curious. "A condition, my little rose?" he asked, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "You're in no position to make conditions, my dear. But do go on. I'm all ears."

She took a deep breath, steeling herself against the wave of trepidation that washed over her. "I'll sign the agreement," she repeated, "but only if you agree to one thing. If I fail to pay you back within the agreed upon time frame, I won't just become your wife. I'll become your wife in name only. No physical contact, no intimacy, no nothing. I'll be your wife in name only until the debt is paid."

He considered her proposal for a moment, his gaze locked on her face. She could see the wheels turning in his mind, his eyes calculating as he weighed the pros and cons of her proposal. Finally, he spoke, a smirk spreading across his lips. "A clever little clause," he murmured, his voice dripping with mockery. "You know, I'm almost impressed. You're not quite the naive little rose I thought you were after all."

He paused, drumming his fingers on the desktop in front of him. "I'll accept your condition," he said finally, his tone nonchalant. "But remember, my dear, a marriage in name only is still a marriage. And I'll expect you to uphold the rest of the agreement, even if we're not...intimate, shall we say."

She felt a pang of frustration at his nonchalance, at the way he treated her condition like it was nothing more than a minor detail. But she knew she couldn't push him further, couldn't ask for more. This was as good as she was going to get. And if she wanted the money, if she wanted her future back...she had no choice but to take it.

She looked down at the papers in front of her, her mind racing as she read through the agreement one more time. It was all there, laid out in black and white. Her promise to pay back the money, the agreement to marry him if she failed to pay, and the clause about their marriage being in name only. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she read the words, realizing the full scope of what she was agreeing to.

Her hands trembled as she picked up the pen, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew what she was doing was crazy, insane even. But she also knew it was her only way out, her only chance to save herself from ruin. With a deep breath, she scrawled her signature at the bottom of the page, her handwriting shaky and uneven.

She placed the pen down on the desk, her eyes fixed on the signature she had just written. It was done. She had agreed to his terms, had signed her future away. She looked up at him, her gaze steady despite the turmoil inside her. "There," she said, her voice steady. "It's done. I've signed the agreement."