Chapter 3 Three

Thomas Randolph had seen many things in his life-desperate people, clowns who tried to play innocent when they were rotting to the core, cunning manipulators, and those who thought they could outplay him.

But a runaway bride stumbling into his lap? That was definitely a first... Well, there was a first time for everything.

He studied Mary, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. She looked like a woman on the verge of breaking, but there was something else beneath the fear-determination.

Interesting.

Leaning back in his leather seat, he swirled the whiskey in his glass and took a slow sip, watching as Mary's trembling fingers gripped her phone. A new message appeared on the screen, and she stiffened. Her face paled.

Thomas caught a glimpse of the text over her shoulder.

"You can run, Mary. But you can't hide."

Jason Martin.

Thomas exhaled slowly, weighing the situation. Jason was a name well-known in certain circles-none of them good. A man who used power and debt to crush people, wrapping them in a web until they suffocated. He had destroyed businesses, ruined families, and left a trail of shattered lives in his wake.

And now, it seemed, Mary was next on his list.

She turned to him suddenly, panic in her eyes. "I need to go."

Thomas set his glass down with deliberate ease. "Go where?"

"Somewhere Jason won't find me, somewhere I'll hide until he forgets about me." She clutched her phone tighter, glancing toward the exit.

He let out a dry chuckle. "If Jason Martin wants you, there's nowhere in this city he won't look."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "So what? I should just hand myself over?"

"I didn't say that."

She was grasping for a solution, but she had none. And Thomas-well, he had his own problems.

His ex-wife, Florence, was dragging him through a brutal custody battle over their son, Nathan. Her lawyers painted him as an unfit father-too cold, too distant, too business-focused to raise a child properly.

Nathan needed stability. A mother figure, even if it was just for show.

Thomas needed a wife and Mary needed protection.

A slow smirk tugged at his lips. A mutually beneficial arrangement.

He leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "I have a proposition for you."

Mary's wary eyes flickered at him. "What kind of proposition?"

"You need to disappear." He swirled his glass, watching the amber liquid coat the sides. "And I need a wife."

She blinked, wondering if what she just heard was correct. "What?"

"A marriage of convenience." His voice was smooth, deliberate. "Get married to me, and I'll ensure Jason never lays a hand on you and your family again."

She inhaled sharply, her body tensing. "Why on earth would you want to marry me?"

He let out a dry chuckle. "Don't flatter yourself. This isn't about romance." His expression hardened. "I'm fighting for custody of my son. My ex-wife is using every dirty trick in the book to take him away from me. A stable home life would strengthen my case."

Mary shook her head. "This is insane."

"Is it?" He tilted his head slightly. "You need a way out. I'm offering you one."

She stared at him, her mind visibly racing. "And what happens after?"

"One year." His voice was firm. "We stay married for a year, and then we divorce. You get your freedom back, and I get custody of my son."

She hesitated.

Thomas could see the war in her eyes. Logic told her this was madness, but desperation and fear were louder.

Finally, she exhaled shakily. "And you'll clear my father's debt?"

Thomas smirked. "Consider it paid in full the moment you say 'I do.'"

Silence stretched between them.

Then-Footsteps. Heavy ones filled with purpose and anger.

Jason's men were back.

Mary's breath hitched as she grabbed onto Thomas's sleeve. He felt her trembling.

Thomas turned toward her, his voice low. "Decide now."

She swallowed hard, her fingers tightening against his sleeve. She looked back and saw them coming quickly. Then, in a whisper-

"Yes."

His lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

Showtime.

The doors to the lounge swung open, and two men stepped inside. Jason's men. One was tall and broad, the other lean with sharp eyes that scanned the room.

The taller one stepped forward, his gaze landing on Mary. "We need to talk to the lady."

Thomas leaned back in his seat, wrapping an arm lazily over Mary's shoulders. "She's not available."

The man's eyes narrowed. "This isn't your business, Mr. Thomas."

Thomas smirked. "Actually, it is." He glanced at Mary, then back at them. "Meet my fiancée."

The men exchanged stunned looks.

The lean one scoffed. "Bullshit."

Thomas barely hesitated before turning Mary toward him. His fingers tilted her chin up, his grip firm but careful.

Then-he kissed her out of nowhere.

It was brief but deliberate and smooth.

When he pulled back, Mary was wide-eyed, her lips parted in shock.

Thomas turned back to Jason's men, his smirk unwavering. "Satisfied?"

The taller man's jaw tightened.

"This isn't over," he growled.

Thomas chuckled, adjusting his cufflinks. "It is for tonight."

A tense minute passed before the men finally turned and left the lounge.

Only when the doors shut behind them did Mary exhale shakily. Her hands gripped his suit like she might collapse.

Thomas pulled back, adjusting his tie like nothing had happened. "Well," he said smoothly, "that was entertaining."

Mary just stared at him. "You kissed me."

He smirked. "Consider it part of the act."

She shook her head, her voice low. "This is madness."

"Maybe, Maybe not." He downed the rest of his whiskey, then stood, straightening his suit. "But it's your best option."

She hesitated. "So what happens now?"

Thomas offered her his hand, his brown eyes gleaming with something mischievous and unpredictable.

"Now," he said, his voice deep and unwavering, "you follow me."

And with that, they left the hotel together, stepping into a world neither of them could have predicted would happen.