Chapter 4 The Ultimatum

The penthouse elevator doors slid open, and Jace stepped inside, his reflection glaring back at him in the polished steel. The meeting with his doctor had lasted exactly seven minutes-the amount of time it took to hear the words that would upend his life.

*"The tumor is inoperable."*

His fingers tightened around the medical file in his hand. Six months. Maybe less.

The elevator dinged, announcing his arrival at the top floor. He strode through the foyer, past the silent staff, and straight to the bar. The first glass of whiskey burned going down. The second barely registered.

His phone buzzed-another message from his father.

**Richard Hudson:** *Board meeting moved to 8 AM. Don't be late.*

Jace ignored it. The empire he'd spent his life building suddenly felt meaningless.

A knock at the door.

"Sir?" His assistant, Elena, hovered in the doorway. "Miss Jason is here."

Jace stilled. "I didn't summon her."

Elena hesitated. "She says it's urgent."

Arianna appeared behind her, wearing a simple black dress and a look of pure fury. The bruise on her neck-*his* bruise-had faded to a faint shadow.

"You." She shoved past Elena, slamming a tabloid onto the bar. "Explain *this*."

Jace glanced at the headline:

**"Billionaire's Secret Heartbreak: Jace Hudson's Ex-Fiancee Speaks Out!"**

Beneath it was a photo of Victoria Kensington-perfectly coiffed, diamond bracelet glinting-with a pull quote: *"Some girls will do anything for money. Sad, really."*

Jace poured another drink. "I don't control the press."

"Bullshit." Arianna's voice shook. "This was *your* idea. Parade me around as your latest conquest, then let your ex tear me apart in the-"

"I didn't know about the interview."

"Then why did your PR team release *this*?" She pulled up a press release on her phone-an official Hudson Group statement confirming their "relationship."

Jace's jaw tightened. His father's doing, no doubt.

Arianna laughed bitterly. "I should've known. This was never about saving my job. You just needed a-a *distraction* while you screw over your ex."

The accusation hit too close to the truth. Victoria's family company was his next takeover target.

Jace set down his glass. "Leave us."

Elena vanished.

The moment the door closed, Arianna whirled on him. "I'm done. No more galas, no more pretending-"

"You signed a contract."

"Fuck your contract!" Her hands balled into fists. "Do you have any idea what it's like? My *clients* are canceling. My mother's nursing home got *paparazzi* calls. I can't even-"

Her voice broke.

Something twisted in Jace's chest. He reached for her, but she jerked back.

"Don't." She wiped angrily at her eyes. "Just tell me why. Why me?"

The truth clawed at his throat. *Because you looked at me like I was a man, not a bank account. Because for one night, I forgot I was dying.*

He said none of it.

Instead, he opened the medical file and slid it toward her.

Arianna frowned. "What's this?"

"Read it."

She did. Slowly. Then her head snapped up. "This... this can't be real."

"It is."

"But-" Her fingers trembled on the pages. "There has to be treatment. Experimental trials, *something*-"

"Nothing viable."

The room spun. Jace watched the realization hit her-the way her anger melted into horror, then pity. He hated that look more than anything.

Arianna sank onto the barstool. "Why show me this?"

"Because I need an heir."

Her breath caught.

Jace forced himself to continue. "The board won't let my father regain control. If I die without one, the company fractures. Thousands lose jobs."

"And you want... *what*?" Her voice was barely a whisper. "Me to carry your baby?"

"A business arrangement. Marriage for appearance. The child inherits everything."

Arianna shot to her feet. "You're *insane*."

"I'll pay off your debts. Fund your mother's care. Set up a trust for you-"

"*Stop.*" She backed away, shaking her head. "You can't just-*buy* a family!"

"I'm not asking for a family." Jace closed the distance between them, his voice dropping. "I'm asking for nine months."

Her eyes searched his, looking for the lie. Finding none.

A tear slipped down her cheek. "You really are dying."

The words hung between them, raw and final.

Jace cupped her face, thumb brushing away the tear. "Say yes, Arianna."

She trembled under his touch.

And for the first time in his life, Jace Hudson prayed.