Chapter 6 - The Unthinkable Proposal
The silence in the office was so absolute you could have heard a pin drop on the thick Persian rug.
David Sterling threw his hands up in exasperation. "An engagement?! Ethan, have you lost your absolute mind? You are fighting a multi-million-dollar hostile takeover by a ruthless corporate raider, and your brilliant counter-strategy is to marry your executive assistant?!"
"It’s not a spur-of-the-moment idea, David," Ethan said, his eyes never leaving Natalie’s face. His thumb gently stroked the back of her hand. "Under corporate governance bylaws, an executive romantic relationship with a subordinate constitutes a terminable offense *unless* it is declared prior to disciplinary action as a pre-existing, binding engagement. Furthermore, a CEO’s personal life and marital status are protected under executive privacy clauses from hostile board interference."
Natalie stared at him, her mind racing. "You’re rewriting the corporate rulebook to protect us."
"To protect *you*," Ethan corrected softly. "Vanguard wants your scalp to break me. If we announce we’ve been quietly engaged since before the contract closed, the timeline changes entirely. It’s no longer a scandal. It’s a personal matter protected by company policy."
"And the board?" David challenged, folding his arms. "Do you honestly think Richard Vance and the Vanguard loyalists are going to buy a sudden engagement announcement twenty-four hours before a takeover vote? They’ll tear you apart!"
"They can try," Ethan said, a dangerous, cold edge returning to his voice. "Because the engagement isn't just a legal maneuver."
He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box.
Natalie’s breath hitched.
Ethan popped the lid open. Resting inside was a stunning, vintage-cut diamond ring that caught the light of the Chicago skyline. It wasn't flashy or modern; it was timeless, elegant, and unmistakably real.
"Ethan..." she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "When did you..."
"I bought it three months ago," Ethan confessed, a rare, vulnerable smile touching the corners of his mouth. "Before I even had the courage to ask you out. I was waiting for the right moment. I didn't think the right moment would involve Marcus Vance trying to destroy us both with a dirty dress shirt."
Natalie looked from the ring up into his eyes. All the fear, the doubt, the corporate politics—it all melted away. She knew the risks. She knew the media circus that would follow, the whispers in the hallways, the target it would paint on her back.
And she didn't care.
"Yes," Natalie whispered.
Ethan’s shoulders dropped in a massive exhale of relief. He took the ring from the velvet box and slid it onto her left ring finger. It fit perfectly.
May you like
David Sterling watched them, shaking his head with a wry, defeated smile. "Well. God help us all. If this blows up in our faces tomorrow, I’m retiring to the Bahamas and changing my name."
***
