The Proposal (Currently Under Editing)

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Picture Ryan sees of Annalynn on the side ——->

"That's $500,000 out of my bank account, Fred. Do you really think I'm gonna let him get away with this? Well, I'm not, if that's what you think. I want that guy to pay back every cent or you better put him behind bars."

Ryan slapped the pile of papers on the desk and strutted off.

"Ryan, wait. Yes, $500,000 is a lot, to a normal person, but you are a billionare whose net worth grows by the hour. Your families riches have been growing since the time of the Puritans. Yes, I know it's wrong to steal so of course he can't just get away with it but this man has nothing wrong on his record. He's a single parent living on an okay side of California whose daughter goes to Harvard. He isn't rich and she doesn't get financial support to pay the school besides some scholarships she's earned. I think he stole to help her. Why don't you just make some sort of deal? Say he does some work for you until he pays it off or he gives you something in return. He has a family, Ryan, a family that consists of only one person who I'm sure he'd kill to protect."

"Well he definitely wasn't thinking about his family when he stole my money! And give me something in return? What could he possibly own that's worth $500,000? If he stole it then he obviously didn't have it."

"Well then you can make some type of deal. You can't put him behind bars, Ryan. He has a daughter. Top of her class in Hardvard. She's an aspiring lawyer. Who do you think helps her with all of that? If you arrest her father, there is no way in hell that she's going to make it through college. Besides, it's the beginning of her last year."

Ryan sat down in frustration. After twenty minutes of silence he spoke up. "Let me see that daughter of his. How many kids does he have, anyways?" Fred handed him a couple of pictures slightly annoyed that he wasn't paying attention to anything he was saying. "Just her."

"Wow, what a beauty."

"Yes and very smart. Maybe you can settle something with her. Maybe she can pay off the debt when she becomes a lawyer."

"I have a better idea." Ryan put the pictures back down and rose from his seat. "Forget the $500,000, I want her. I want to marry her. Write some forms saying that she HAS to marry. If she doesn't then her father is going behind bars. You can discuss it with him first, I don't really care. Just get me that girl. Got it?"

"But, Ryan ... Sir." He corrected himself at the end to see if it added any emphasis. "You can't force someone into marriage."

"No, no but's. You either get her or the man is going to jail. Your choice. And of course you can, loopholes. Just find a way."

"Alright. Whatever you want."

"Isn't that how it always works?" He slowly strutted off with pride.

"What a jerk." Ryan turned around from his prance.

"Excuse me?"

"Uhm, I said 'Oh the perks.' You know, the perks of being the assistant of such an amazing and handsome guy."

"Right. Of course. Now stop mumbling and get to work."

_:-~*~-:_

"You want me to do what?" Alan's forehead creased as he sat in disbelief.

"You are to give your daughter, in marriage, to Sir Ryan Colon for two years to pay off your debts and felony. Either that or you must go to jail for fifteen years. Not to worry, Ryan has promised not to report you or tell a soul about your ... um, actions. After two years have passed, your daughter is given the option to stay in the marriage or get a divorce."

"No, my wife has left me and now you want to take my daughter? You can't. It has to be Illegal. Somehow, I don't know how but it has to be!"

"What is illegal is what you have done, you are very lucky to even have an option. Now you have these two choices. Choose."

"Isn't there something I can do to pay it off? Some type of service for him? He has a lot of land, I'm sure he can use another person around." Fred was about to interupt, shaking his head, but Alan carried on. "I can't just give up her life like that. You have to understand. Don't you have children?" This made Fred hesitate, knowing how much it pained him inside.

"That, sir, is none of your business. Please stay on topic."

"What about her school? Her dreams? You can't take that away from her."

"You should've thought about that when you stole $500,000, Mr. McCormick!" Fred yelled from across the table, growing frustrated with the topic.

Ryan took a chance at roughing him up a little from a different angle. "Look, all I want to do for her is good. You being in jail isn't going to do any good in her life. I know she has a scholarship that pays 40% but who's going to there to pay the other 60%? Also, how do you think she's going to cope with her father being in jail? It'll distract her from classes and where her mind really needs to be. Besides, she'll live better. She can have anything she wants. She'll definitely be somewhere better than this piece of..."

"And you suppose that she's going to cope just fine with the fact that she has to marry someone she doesn't even love, move in with that person and not see her family all because her father was stupid and stole a lot of money? Do you really think that's going to play off any better?"

"No, so you must tell her that it's because you have been borrowing the money to pay for her college from me. You tell her that you owe me $500,000. You tell her that if you can't pay it back in the next month that you'll be behind bars for fifteen whole years. Tell her the only other choice is to sign her custody over to me."

Alan rubbed his temples. "It isn't her fault! If it means her school, her dreams, her chance to fall in love, and live her life then I'll go to jail. Go on, arrest me."

Ryan spoke up again. "Don't worry about your daughter's education. She can stay at school and graduate. But she won't be able to go to a law school. She'll have to do it from home. Well, where we shall live at the time."

"That is if she decides to stay after the two years have passed, though, Mr. Colon" Fred commented from the side.

"Yes, Mr. Clyde, I am aware of that." Ryan shot a glare his way, slightly irritated with his Lawyer.

Fred ignored Ryan and turned his attention back to Alan.

"So, Mr. McCormick, what shall it be? Fifteen years in jail or a two years of your daughters marriage? Remeber, your daughter can still finish her degree from her new home."

"No, she loves Harvard, she can't just not go anymore and work from her 'new home'."

Ryan was growing impatient. "Fine. She can go from Conneticut to Cambridge everyday if she likes."

"Can I at least discuss it with her first?"

"No." Both Ryan and Fred spoke at the same time but Fred continued on. "You must make the decision now. We don't have any more time for this. This case must be closed now or the judge will force you to spend fifteen years in jail and give up your daughter all at the same time. You are priviledged to even have this choice! Now, go on, choose."

"That isn't fair. I need time."

"When you steal half a million dollars from the head of a multi billion dollar corporation you shouldn't expect your life to be fair, Mr. McCormick!" Ryan was beyond done with this topic and slammed his fist against the wooden table.

"Fine, fine but I beg of you, do not hurt her." Ryan rolled his eyes in a duh attitude but nodded in hopes that it would settle the man down.

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Hey guys! So I just wanted to say that I dedicated this book to greenwriter because her book "The Transient Wife" inspired this one! She's an absolutely amazing writer :)

Thanks, Lovies!