C5 Deal Or Not

Michelle’s POV

“Yes, Michelle, I can help you,” Jason said again, his tone steady and sure.

I looked at him, arching a brow. “How exactly?”

He rose from the couch, walked toward the window, and with an effortless calm, turned back to face me. “Pardon my manners. I’m Jason-Jason Godson. The heir to the entire Godson empire.”

I blinked.

“Oh… the elderly woman mentioned something like that,” I muttered.

“Godson Empire,” I repeated under my breath, the name finally clicking. “Wait… you mean the Godson Empire? The one that practically owns half the conglomerates in this country? Including… my company?”

Jason nodded his hands in his pockets. “That one.”

I stood up abruptly. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you earlier. Since my company started operating under your umbrella, I’ve only dealt with Richard. I never thought”

“You don’t have to be formal with me,” he said, waving it off with a small smile. “If Richard gets a message, it gets to me. That’s how we operate.”

I sat down slowly, my pulse still racing. I had slept with the heir to the Godson Empire and hadn’t even realized it.

“You said you could help me get my company back,” I said, leaning forward now. “Were you serious?”

Jason tilted his head. “Does your ex-boyfriend know you’re aware of his plan?”

“First of all, he’s no longer my boyfriend,” I said, voice firm. “And second, no. He doesn’t know. Not yet.”

“Good,” Jason replied. “That gives you an advantage. And yes, since your company is under ours, I can help. But... I have a condition.”

My eyes narrowed. “A condition?”

“Not greedy,” he added quickly, hands raised. “Just… personal.”

“Okay,” I said, suspicious but intrigued. “What do you need me to do?”

He exhaled, then met my gaze dead-on. “I want you to sign a marriage contract with me. Just pretend to be my wife for a short period. Until my parents are convinced I’ve moved on.”

I blinked, once, twice, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard.

“Wait-what?” I said.

“You heard me.”

“And why exactly would you want me to pretend to be your wife? Is it because you slept with me? Is this some twisted favor-exchange situation?” I asked, voice rising slightly. “Because if that’s the case, then”

“That’s not the reason,” Jason cut in, suddenly looking… uncomfortable.

“Then explain it to me,” I challenged. “Because I’m not some toy you picked up off the street.”

Jason ran a hand through his hair. “I had a girlfriend. For two years. I loved her… more than I should’ve. I gave her everything, planned our future. But one day, she handed me an invitation to her wedding. To my cousin.”

I stared at him.

“She married my cousin barely months after we broke up. My family didn’t know what to say. They think I’ve been hung up on her ever since, and now that their anniversary is coming up next week, my parents are forcing me to show up with a new woman, or else they'll marry me off to one of their business partners’ daughters.”

“And you think parading me in front of them as your wife is a solution?”

“It’s perfect,” he said with a shrug. “And it benefits you, too. If I’m your husband fake or not it’ll shake your ex. And since your company is under mine, Seth can’t make a single move without going through me.”

I stared at him, trying to read between the lines. “So, you’re using me to get back at your ex?”

“No. I’m asking you to help both of us win. You want to reclaim your power. I want my family off my back.”

I hesitated.

“Can’t you just help me without this marriage contract?” I asked. “You have the authority. Why not just?”

“If you weren’t part of my family by contract, I couldn’t interfere without drawing suspicion. My father co-owns the empire. He’d question my involvement in internal company affairs. But if you were my wife…”

“…Then your actions would seem personal,” I finished slowly.

He nodded. “Exactly.”

I didn’t respond. I just looked at the floor, letting it all sink in.

“I’m not rushing you,” Jason said, his voice softer now. “Think about it. You don’t have to decide today.”

I nodded silently.

“Are you heading home now?” he asked after a pause. “I can drop you off.”

I looked out the window, the night pressing against the glass like a ghost.

“Can I spend the night here?” I asked quietly. “It’s late. And if I go back there… I’ll have to relive it all.”

Jason studied me. “Of course. You’re welcome to stay.”

He moved toward the door. “If you eventually consider my offer, don’t let your ex know you’re onto him. Keep your cards close.”

He paused at the door. “Take a warm bath. Miss Mane will bring you clean clothes. Join me for dinner downstairs.”

And with that, he was gone like he hadn’t just offered me a deal that could change everything.

I was about to step into the bathroom when I heard a knock. Miss Mane entered, carrying a neatly folded set of clothes.

“Ma’am, your outfit,” she said, placing them gently on the bed.

“It’s Michelle,” I corrected, smiling a little.

She gave me a nod. “Jason doesn’t usually talk much to people. But he’s talked more to you in the last 24 hours than I’ve seen in the past year.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

Miss Mane chuckled. “You’re not the only one with heartbreak.”

I paused mid-step. “His ex… she really married his cousin?”

“Yes,” Miss Mane confirmed, a softness in her voice. “Everyone thought she’d be our little madam. Even I liked her. But she fooled us all. Left Jason heartbroken and humiliated.”

I sighed. “I’m sorry he went through that.”

Miss Mane gave me a motherly smile. “It’s in the past now. But you go bathe. Don’t keep Jason waiting.”

She left before I could ask more.

I stood there, holding the clothes against my chest, my mind racing.

So heartbreak wasn’t just for the poor or the weak. It didn’t care about your name or your wealth. Jason had been betrayed, just like me. Maybe worse.

But that didn’t mean I’d let him guilt-trip me into pretending to be his wife.

Just because he saved me didn’t mean I owed him a favor that big.

Still… the offer wasn’t entirely selfish.

It would shake Seth.

And Kiara.

If I returned to that office wearing a wedding ring, married to the man behind the empire their ambitions depended on they’d panic. They’d scramble.

I would have the upper hand.

The element of surprise is a powerful thing.

I smiled slightly and stepped into the bathroom, letting the water wash away the day.

Tomorrow, I would decide.

Not as the victim.

But as the woman who’d finally taken control.