Chapter 6 A Cold-Blooded Offer

“Two hundred thousand dollars?” The words escaped Eva’s lips in a barely audible whisper.

Her eyes widened. Her heart, which had been pounding fiercely with desire just moments ago, seemed to stop beating for a fraction of a second before hammering back to life, matching a far more violent rhythm.

Adam did not break his gaze. He kept Eva trapped between his arms, which rested heavily on the desk, thoroughly enjoying the shock written across her beautiful face. A faint, arrogant smile of victory curled at the corner of the tycoon's lips.

‘Two hundred thousand dollars a month. Without having to worry about that suffocating investment penalty,’ Eva’s mind raced chaotically.

‘I could afford the surgery and the entire medical treatment for Mom at the best hospital without begging for loans ever again. I could also cover the operational costs of my clinic, which is currently deserted because of those vicious slanders.

I could clear my name and live comfortably.’ However, the exact moment her eyes locked once more with the cold flash in Adam’s dark irises, a harsh slap of reality snapped her back to her senses.

"But in return? To satisfy his biological needs? How is that any different from being a mistress?" Eva swallowed hard. She remembered how things had been since their first meeting. Adam had always viewed her with suspicion and disgust.

If he was already treating her like a slut who could be bought right now, what would happen once she actually signed this "devil's pact"? Adam would surely trample all over her self-respect until every last shred of her dignity as a doctor was utterly crushed.

Her inner turmoil was mapped clearly across her face. Her brows furrowed, her lips trembled, and her eyes darted nervously, avoiding Adam's piercing gaze.

Noticing her shifting expression, Adam began to lose his patience. To him, time was money, and he was not accustomed to waiting, especially not for a woman who was so clearly under his thumb.

“Why the silence, Eva? Answer me,” Adam demanded, his voice dropping into a heavy, commanding growl.

He leaned his face a few centimeters closer, completely eliminating the remaining air between them. “An offer like this doesn't come twice. Answer me now. Yes or no?”

Eva drew in a long, deep breath, attempting to gather the scattered fragments of her courage. “I-I cannot give you an answer right now, Mr. Adam.”

Adam frowned, seemingly unable to believe what he had just heard. “What did you say? You can't answer?”

“Yes,” Eva replied, her voice slightly steadier this time, even though her chest was still heaving unevenly. “I need time to think about this. This is not an easy decision.”

Hearing her plea, Adam let out a hollow, jarring chuckle. To Eva, the laugh sounded incredibly cynical and mocking.

“What’s there to think about when it comes to two hundred thousand dollars a month and the complete elimination of your investment debt?” Adam shook his head, staring at Eva as if she were the most illogical creature in the world.

“My offer is astronomical! What woman out there would turn down such a sum for a task that, frankly, is incredibly enjoyable?”

Thump!

Eva’s blood ran hot, this time fueled by a searing heat that flared from her chest. Indignation and fury instantly incinerated whatever lingering embers of desire she had left.

‘See?’ Eva thought, a bitter smile forming in her heart. ‘We haven't even started, and he is already degrading me like this. To him, I am nothing more than a commodity with a price tag.’

Eva clenched her fists. The hesitation that had been weighing her down vanished into thin air, replaced by the fierce pride of a woman who refused to have her worth measured solely by material wealth.

She looked up, staring directly into Adam’s dark eyes with a defiant gaze. “If you cannot grant me the time to think,” Eva said, her tone suddenly turning as cold as ice, “then my answer is an immediate no, right now!”

Adam froze. His body tensed instantly. His eyes widened, flashing with sheer disbelief.

In his entire life leading a business empire, surrounded by women who would do absolutely anything just to catch his eye, no one had ever dared to reject his offer so bluntly. Least of all a woman hovering on the very brink of bankruptcy like Eva.

“You are refusing?” Adam asked, making sure his hearing wasn't playing tricks on him. “Do you realize what you just said? You are turning down two hundred thousand dollars?”

“Yes, I am fully aware, my dear Mr. Adam,” Eva retorted, seizing the moment of his shock. Before Adam could regain his composure and hurl another threat, Eva used all the strength left in her arms to shove his broad chest away.

The sudden, forceful push succeeded in making Adam stumble two steps back. Breaking the intimate cage that had trapped her for so long.

Eva quickly readjusted her clothes. Her hands still trembling slightly as she fixed a button that had shifted.

“Excuse me. Thank you for your 'interesting offer,' but I still possess a sense of dignity that cannot be bought with any amount of money.” She took wide strides toward the exit.

“Wait!” Adam stopped her in her tracks.

With her hand already resting on the doorknob, Eva took a deep breath. "What else is there, sir?"

“Fine! I will give you time. But only one week. Seven days from now, you must have an answer. I expect you not to reject this offer,” the man declared.

Eva smiled bitterly. "We'll see," she replied. Without waiting for Adam's response, she slammed the door shut with a sharp thud and walked out without even looking back.

Bram!

The heavy teak door shut tight, leaving behind a suffocating silence in the room. Adam stood rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed on the closed door. The quietness in the room felt deafening after the storm of confrontation that had just passed.

Slowly, the shock on his face faded, replaced by an unreadable expression. He touched his own lips with the tip of his index finger.

The lingering sweetness and warmth of Eva’s lips still remained there, as if reluctant to fade away. Her breath, her sensual yet soft perfume, still hung faintly in the air.

The man let out a soft scoff, and a second later, a mysterious smile graced his handsome face. This time, it wasn't a smirk of disdain, but a smile of dangerous fascination.

His anger gradually ebbed away, replaced by an overwhelming wave of curiosity that swelled within his chest. “A refusal, huh?” Adam murmured to the empty room, his voice low and raspy. “Very interesting.”

“But don’t get too excited, Honey. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you accept my offer,” he murmured, his lips curling into a dangerous grin.