Chapter 54: Chapter 54
"What are you talking about?" Fleur asked, confusion replacing her defensive stance.
"I’m talking about a deal," Christian replied smoothly. "A deal your children made with me just before you arrived here."
Silence fell over the room. Fleur slowly turned toward Chloe and Gabriel. The twins immediately slumped, their faces going pale. Until now, they had been proud of their brilliant plan, but seeing their mother’s twisted expression, they realized they had made a catastrophic mistake.
Fleur closed her eyes, forcing her wolf to remain calm. When she opened them, she fixed Christian with a steady, cold stare.
"Mr. Wayne, they’re five years old." Her voice was remarkably controlled. "I hope you’re not seriously treating a child’s game as a legally binding agreement. That’s just unreasonable, if not stupid."
Christian’s expression remained unchanged, which only made her more nervous.
"They didn’t think it was a game," his deep voice filled the room. "They had me sign a contract." A dangerous gleam appeared in his blue eyes. "And contracts aren’t something I take lightly."
Fleur blinked, even more confused now.
"A contract?" She stepped closer. "You are one of the most successful businessmen in the country. Are you seriously telling me you signed legal paperwork prepared by two kindergarteners?"
To her annoyance, Christian chuckled. The low sound rolled through the room like distant thunder. It was unfairly attractive, and Fleur hated herself for noticing.
"That’s exactly why I signed it." The corner of his mouth lifted. "As a businessman, I never enter an arrangement unless I see value in it." His blue eyes sparkled with amusement.
For one ridiculous second, Fleur forgot what they were arguing about.
The man was infuriating—a ruthless alpha, a manipulative devil, yet possessing the face of a fallen god. Annoyed with her own thoughts, she quickly looked away and turned toward the twins.
"What did you two do?" she demanded.
Chloe immediately pointed at her brother. "Gabriel should explain!"
The boy pointed right back. "It was her idea!"
"It was your idea first!" Chloe gasped.
"No, it wasn’t!"
"Yes, it was!"
The twins began blaming each other so quickly neither could keep up, both desperate to escape their mother’s wrath.
A small smile tugged at Christian’s lips. The sight warmed something deep inside him.
Watching Fleur with the children felt strangely natural and right.
His wolf stirred. For the first time in years, he found himself craving a family. This exact family. Fleur, Chloe, and Gabriel. His. The possessive thought rose instinctively, startling even him.
Before the twins could continue, Christian intervened. "I’ll explain everything."
The children fell silent. Fleur looked at him suspiciously as he leaned back in his chair.
"If you’ll give me the opportunity," he added.
Something about his expression caught her off guard. This wasn’t the cold, ruthless Christian Wayne the media constantly talked about. This man smiled. He joked. He looked almost... human.
"Fine," she said cautiously. "Explain."
"First, sit down. This conversation may take a while."
With a resigned sigh, Fleur returned to the sofa. To her surprise, Chloe and Gabriel sat across from her instead of beside her, completely avoiding eye contact. A warning bell rang inside her head. Whatever they had done, it was much worse than she initially thought.
"Come sit beside me," Fleur ordered. The twins shook their heads.
"It’s fine," Christian said smoothly, picking up his desk phone. "Let them sit where they’re comfortable. What would you like to drink?"
"Nothing. Please get to the point."
Christian nodded. He opened a drawer and placed a thick file on the table in front of her. Fleur opened it reluctantly, flipped to the first page, and froze.
Finally, Christian broke the silence. "You marry me. In exchange, I transfer my businesses, properties, investments, and personal assets into your name."
Fleur nearly choked. "M-marry?" She pointed at herself. "Me?" Then at him. "You?"
Christian nodded. "Yes. I want you to marry me."
Fleur let out a short, disbelieving scoff. "This is a joke."
"No."
"The entire world knows you’re engaged."
A dark shadow crossed Christian’s face. "Not anymore. I broke it off."
"Why?"
His answer came without hesitation. "Because I don’t love her."
The room fell quiet. Fleur rolled her eyes dramatically. "That’s supposed to make me feel better? You didn’t love her, so you left. You don’t love me either."
Christian’s gaze locked onto hers, his intensity making her pulse stumble. "Would you believe me if I said I do?"
The question caught her completely off guard. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. Then common sense returned.
"No. Absolutely not."
A muscle twitched in Christian’s jaw. "Why not?"
"Because one day you’ll wake up and decide you don’t love me either. Just like Carrie."
"This contract protects you," he said, tapping the file. "Everything I own becomes yours."
Fleur studied him carefully, then closed the folder and slid it back across the table. "No. I’m not signing that."
The amusement disappeared from Christian’s face. He leaned back, his expression unreadable. "Did you finish reading it?"
"What does that matter?"
"It matters." Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. "The contract states that if either party signs—which I have—the agreement becomes effective immediately upon presentation. You cannot leave this office without signing."
Fleur stared, waiting for him to laugh. When he didn’t, her smile vanished. "You’re serious. That’s ridiculous. No lawyer would approve this."
"Then have your attorney review it later."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that according to the terms, you cannot physically walk out of here without signing."
Absolute silence fell over the room. Fleur slowly rose to her feet, her wolf bristling with raw irritation. "I can leave whenever I want."
Christian remained seated, calm and dangerously confident. "If you breach the agreement, the penalty clause takes effect."
Fleur’s stomach dropped. "What penalty clause?"
A slow smile spread across Christian’s face. "The one requiring the offending party to immediately surrender custody of the children."
Fleur stared at him, then at the contract, the blood draining from her face. "Excuse me?!"
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