“I want you to marry me.”
Nadira Anindya fell silent.
She stared at the man in front of her in disbelief. For several seconds, it was as if her brain had stopped working.
Arkana Pradipta, CEO of Astra Group.
The boss who had been the reason Nadira took several deep breaths before entering the conference room for the past three years.
The boss who managed to make Nadira lose her patience at least once every week.
The most annoying boss she had ever known.
And now, that man had just asked her to marry him.
“Sorry, Mr. Arkana.” Nadira set down the document she had been holding. “Could you repeat that?”
“I want you to marry me.”
“Marry?”
“Yes.”
“With me?”
Arkana lifted his gaze from his laptop screen. His expression remained calm, as if the request he had just made were an ordinary business matter.
“You don’t need to repeat it three times.”
Nadira drew a deep breath, then stared at him for a long moment.
The room suddenly fell silent.
Then her gaze dropped to the desk in front of her.
A black folder with her name printed on the front lay on the desk. There was no company logo. No Astra Group letterhead.
Only her name was written on the front.
NADIRA ANINDYA
She opened the first page.
MARRIAGE CONTRACT.
Her heart began to beat faster.
“Is this a joke?”
“No.”
“Are you punishing me because I argued against the investment decision earlier?”
“No.”
“Then you’ve lost your mind, sir.”
Arkana leaned back in his chair.
“I need a wife.”
“And out of all the women in this city, you chose me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I know you.”
That answer only left Nadira more confused.
They did know each other.
Three years of working at the same company had taught Nadira exactly how Arkana wanted his reports, how he looked at people who arrived late to meetings, and even how one of his eyebrows lifted slightly whenever he found a mistake.
But marriage? That was going too far.
Nadira read through the contract again.
One year. The marriage would last one year.
The marriage would be legally valid, but it would not be announced to the public.
Astra Group employees could not know about their relationship.
Both parties’ immediate families could know.
After one year, they would end the marriage amicably.
Nadira stopped at the compensation section.
Her father’s medical expenses would be covered in full.
Her family’s mortgage debt would be paid off.
Her younger sibling’s education would also be covered through the completion of the first year of college.
Nadira raised her head. “Did you investigate my family?”
“I made sure this agreement could solve your problems.”
“This isn’t just an agreement.”
“I know.” Arkana’s voice softened. “Your father needs surgery.”
Nadira clenched her fists beneath the desk.
She hated that this man knew just how desperate she was.
More than that, she hated that his offer was so difficult to refuse.
“Why do you need to get married?”
Arkana was silent for a moment. “My grandfather set a condition.”
“A condition?”
“I have to get married before my thirty-second birthday if I want to keep my position as CEO and retain the company’s controlling shares.”
Nadira stared at him. “So you want to use me to fulfill that condition?”
“And you’ll use this marriage to save your family.”
The sentence sounded cold. But it was honest.
No one was pretending this was a love story. It was a transaction.
Nadira looked at the figure in the contract again.
It was enough to save her father.
Enough to keep their house.
Enough to keep her younger sibling in college.
One year. She only had to endure one year with the man she disliked most.
“I have conditions.”
Arkana nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“You can’t control my life.”
“Agreed.”
“At home, I’m not your subordinate.”
“Agreed.”
“Don’t ever look down on my family because of this marriage.”
“Agreed.”
“And after one year, I’m free.”
Arkana looked at her. “Free.”
Nadira picked up the pen.
Her hand paused in midair. She knew that once she put her signature on that contract, her life would never be the same again. But then her father’s face came back to her.
Nadira finally signed the contract.
Arkana took the document and signed his portion.
“From now on,” he said, “we have an agreement.”
Nadira stood. “An agreement, not a relationship.”
“Correct.”
She walked toward the door.
“Nadira.”
She turned around.
Arkana looked at her seriously. “No one at Astra Group can know about this marriage.”
Nadira nodded. “Including my friends?”
“Including them.”
“Our families?”
“Our families will be informed. This marriage is legally valid. It’s just not for public consumption.”
Nadira sighed. “All right.”
She opened the door. Before leaving, she turned back once more.
“Mr. Arkana?”
“Yes?”
“Are you really sure you want to marry me?”
Arkana looked at her without hesitation. “No.”
Nadira frowned.
“But I’m even more certain that you’re the safest choice.”
Nadira snorted. “How romantic.”
“Nadira,” Arkana called softly.
She turned around. Arkana looked at her with an unreadable expression.
“Don’t fall in love with me.”
Nadira nearly laughed. “Don’t worry, Mr. Arkana.” She opened the door. “You’re not my type.”
The door closed.
Nadira didn’t know that the decision she had just made would do more than change her marital status. It would slowly change her heart.
Three days later, Nadira Anindya would marry the most annoying boss in her office.
Their love story would begin there.