Emily inhaled. Pride rose in her chest, but need pressed harder.
“Sir… do you know if there’s any work nearby?” she asked quietly. “Anything. I clean, cook, watch kids—I learn fast.”
Jonathan was silent for a moment, not awkwardly, but as if weighing a decision.
“Yes,” he said finally. “I have an opening.”
Hope flickered in her eyes.
“What kind?”
He met her gaze directly.
“I have an opening… for a wife.”
Emily froze. She couldn’t tell whether it was a cruel joke—or the only lifeline left.
Silence stretched between them.
“What did you say?” she asked.
“I know how it sounds,” Jonathan replied calmly. “Let me explain. If you don’t agree, I’ll take you to the nearest terminal myself.”
Noah clutched Emily’s skirt. Sofia stared at the car as if it were unreal.
“You have one minute,” Emily said. “That’s all.”
Jonathan nodded.
“My grandmother died six months ago. She left me an inheritance, but with one condition—I only receive it if I’m married and can prove a stable family life for six months. She believed I’d end up alone, buried in work.”
“Then find someone who wants that,” Emily snapped.