Chapter 4: I propose that you be my wife.

Gianna looked at him, confused... A deal? What was that man talking about?

—I... I don’t know if...

—You have nothing to lose by listening to me, hearing what my proposal is, and then you can decide if it’s beneficial for you or not. My name is Alexander Harrison.

—I’m Gianna—she finished drying her tears before sniffing once more—Gianna Santos, it’s a pleasure, Mr. Harrison.

—The pleasure is mine—he smiled at her—and well, will you accept the coffee? Perhaps it will help you vent a little and... if you don’t agree with my proposal, I will personally escort you home.

—My home!—she whimpered disconsolately; the house she shared with Ethan, she couldn’t stay living there, and Melly had just moved in with her boyfriend, so she couldn’t stay with her. She had no one else, and returning to the orphanage was not an option... she had no one, nothing in the world, and that felt truly hopeless... her home, she didn’t believe she had a place she could call that.

—I’m sorry—he said upon seeing her cry again—I can take you wherever you want.

—I will accept your coffee—she said with a trembling voice—and I will listen to your proposal; I have... nothing left to lose.

—Thank you. Do you want to go to a specific place, should I choose, or do you want to come to my offices?

—Doesn't your boss get angry?—she wiped her cheek.

—Don’t worry, it’s not a problem; I am the boss—she looked at him in silence for a couple of seconds; perhaps the man wanted to offer her a job, which would be very welcome; she needed to find a new place to live, away from Ethan, and a new job if possible. She needed to disappear so he couldn’t find her; she didn’t believe she could face him, in fact, she didn’t want to.

—In that case, let’s go to your office.

—Alright, follow me this way—Gianna, perhaps at another time, would have acted suspiciously, evasively, or with more caution, she might have fled the place in desperation, but while she didn’t know the man, she also had nothing to lose; she desperately needed a solution, an escape that would help her fix her life... without Ethan. She walked very close to the man, trying not to think about the fact that her life had crumbled, everything she knew, her world, her plans, her dreams, everything had fallen apart, and she didn’t know how to continue. She entered that enormous building with the man, and at the reception, he announced her as Gianna Santos, his companion, and they immediately went up in the elevator, over twenty floors. The door opened in an elegant place, decorated in a sober and delicate manner; Gianna felt uncomfortable, even though she wasn’t poorly dressed, it was obvious that everything there shouted luxury and prestige.

—Welcome, Mr. Harrison—said the woman, showing obvious confusion; he was supposed to return the next day.

—Thank you, Ava, I’ll be meeting with the young lady; don’t transfer any calls, and please have coffee prepared for us.

—As you wish, sir—nodded the young woman. Gianna, who had been silent, following her companion’s orders, entered a spacious and elegant office, very masculine, with an air of sophistication.

—Please take a seat, Ms. Santos.

—Thank you very much, Mr. Harrison—she nodded, sitting where he had indicated. He walked over to a small, elegant fridge located in a corner, took out a bottle of water, poured it into a glass, walked to the desk, placed the glass on it, and after opening the bottle, poured it and handed it to her.

—Thank you—she replied, taking it to drink the refreshing liquid; until that moment, she hadn’t realized how thirsty she was. The man nodded and walked to the chair that indicated his place, across from her, but on the other side of the desk.

—Are you feeling calmer now?—her lower lip trembled a little, so she bit it to stop it.

—I think... I won’t be calm again for a long time.

—It’s not good to hear that; down there, you said you wanted to escape, any specific reason?—she lowered her gaze to the floor.

—I said it because... I don’t know, I don’t even know you.

—but your desire to escape is sincere... Am I wrong?

—No—she looked at him—you're not. The truth is... I’m not going through a good time, and... I just wish I could fall asleep and wake up to find that this day never existed—her voice broke a little.

—It seems we have a lot in common, Ms. Santos; just like you, I would love to erase this day from my life—he said with clenched teeth.

—you... talked about helping me and making a deal... How can you help me?

—If you want to be far away, I can help you with that.

—A job?—she asked.

—Let’s say that... it could qualify as a job.

—You’re not one of those who deceives girls and ends up in a human trafficking ring outside the country, are you?—He smiled.

—No, Miss, that’s not it—he handed her a business card—I’m a respectable businessman—he turned on the computer and turned the laptop toward her, with an internet browser open—you can look up my name; you’ll find everything you need to know about me.

—On the internet?

—you’d be surprised by everything one can find there—Gianna felt a sense of confidence; if he had something to hide, he wouldn’t make it easy for her to find out. She looked at the business card, which identified him as Alexander Harrison, CEO of Harrison Corporation; she looked him in the eyes for a couple of minutes, and he pointed to the computer—go ahead, you are entitled to; besides, you can ask whatever you wish to know about me, I will answer all your questions...

—Are you sure you’re comfortable if I investigate your life? Better tell me what I need to know, and then I’ll take care of verifying if your words are true.

—Alright, Ms. Santos... before I talk to you about myself, I would like to know some details about you to see if you are suitable for what I’m thinking of proposing.

—What do you want to know?

—Age? And I hope you don’t take it the wrong way.

—Of course not, I’m about to turn twenty-two.

—Good. Do you have children?—her expression darkened.

—No, sir.

—Are you married?

—No—she said, looking away for a moment; when her eyes returned to him, they were once again filled with tears.— I have no one, no parents, no children, no... husband.

—I’m sorry; I apologize if I was indiscreet.

—Don’t worry, I... am an orphan.

—I’m sorry—he sincerely apologized.

—So am I—she replied with the same sincerity, then sighed—I would have greatly appreciated having someone else who wasn’t the nuns from the orphanage—she finished in a whisper—I don’t know what deal you plan to propose to me, but if what worries you is that I feel limited, you shouldn’t; I have no one, just... my ex-boyfriend—her voice trembled—today I discovered that... in summary, there’s nothing between us; I don’t have very close friends, just my former roommate, who also grew up in the orphanage with me. I have no support; I need to find a new place to live—she sobbed—because my life has been completely destroyed, and I need a new job, far from him, so... I hope your proposal is good.

—It is—he said gently—I truly regret that you are going through all of this, Miss; it’s unfortunate, but with my proposal, surely we can both find what we need.

—Then say it.

—Ms. Santos, I have a sick mother who could die at any moment; I have a little daughter who grew up motherless since I lost my late wife on the day of childbirth.

—I’m sorry, Mr. Harrison—she said immediately, sympathizing with the unknown child.

—Thank you; you see, the matter is that my mother wishes to see me accomplished, but according to her own methods, my life is going well in many ways, in others... not so much. I’m thirty-two years old, and I run my own businesses; Harrison Corporation is just one of several investments I have. My life is demanding, strict, but satisfying from my point of view.

—Mr. Harrison, I don’t understand where this is all leading...

—you need to run away, a new job, a new home, a new life; I need to get married; I propose that you become my wife.