Chapter 5 - A DANGEROUS BARGAIN
The silence inside the glass conservatory stretched long and deep, broken only by the soft trickling of water from the marble fountain.
Tessa slowly pulled her hand back, breaking the contact.
The moment her fingers left his sleeve, Gael let out a quiet, pained gasp, his posture instantly re-stiffening, his jaw clenching as the cold, familiar armor locked back over his frame.
"You're sick," Tessa whispered, taking a step back.
"It is a neurological condition," Gael replied, his voice returning to its cold, measured tone. "Brought on by severe physical trauma during my childhood. Doctors call it hyper-tactile allodynia. I call it a curse."
Tessa looked at his immaculate face, seeing for the first time the hidden, agonizing cage he lived in every single second of his life. A man who ruled an empire, surrounded by hundreds of people, yet completely, utterly isolated from the most basic human connection.
"And I'm... the exception?" she asked.
"You are the remedy," Gael corrected smoothly. "Which is why I am offering you a contract. One hundred thousand dollars a month. In exchange, you will move into the east wing of this estate. Your duties will be simple: manage the floral displays, dine with me in the evenings, and allow me to sit near you for one hour a day."
Tessa’s mouth fell open. "One hundred thousand dollars a month? Just to... sit near you?"
"Yes."
"No touching?" she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"Only when you permit it," Gael said, his gray eyes locking onto hers with absolute, unbreakable sincerity. "I will never force you, Tessa. I will never cross a boundary you draw. But I am offering you a life where you never have to work until your knuckles bleed again. A life where your mother receives the best medical care money can buy."
Tessa felt a lump form in her throat. Her mother’s medical bills had been a crushing boulder on her chest for three years. This money would change everything. It would buy her mother a private room, specialized physical therapy, and a comfortable life.
"And what if I say no?" Tessa challenged softly. "Will you lock me in a room? Will your bodyguards shoot me?"
Gael looked at her for a long moment, then slowly shook his head.
"If you walk out those doors," Gael said quietly, "you will never see me again. I will pay off your mother's debt, I will grant you ownership of Lin’s Wholesale Flowers, and I will let you go."
Tessa blinked, caught entirely off guard. "Why would you give me all of that if I refuse?"
"Because," Gael whispered, stepping toward the exit door and opening it for her, "you gave me twenty minutes of peace. And to a man living in hell, twenty minutes of peace is worth more than all the gold in this city."
Tessa stood in the center of the conservatory, her heart warring wildly between fear and a deep, unexpected surge of compassion.
She looked at the door. She looked at the cold, lonely man holding it open for her.
"I have three conditions," Tessa said, her voice firming up.
Gael froze, his eyes snapping back to her face. "Name them."
"First," Tessa said, holding up a finger, "my mother gets transferred to the Presbyterian Care Center tomorrow morning, all expenses paid."
"Done," Gael said instantly.
"Second, I keep my car. I will not be a prisoner in this mansion."
"Done. My mechanics will overhaul the engine tonight."
May you like
"Third," Tessa took a deep breath, looking him straight in his intimidating gray eyes. "You tell me the truth about what you do. No lies. No secret violence in the dark."
Gael’s expression darkened slightly, but he bowed his head in a solemn, iron promise. "Agreed. Welcome to the Costa Estate, Tessa."
