| Chapter 1 The drive home was done in silence. A million thoughts were dancing across Carly's mind. She couldn't believe that Sonny had asked her to marry him. There is no way in hell, I'm going to marry him, she silently said to herself. The car stopped in front of the Brownstone and Carly was about to climb out of the car when Sonny touched her arm. "Carly, please!" Sonny started to say more but she cut him off. "Stop it, Sonny! I'm not going to listen to this. No, I won't marry you. Not now, not ever! Jason is dead because of you. My son will never know his father because of you! I will never forgive you for Jason's death. I want nothing to do with you so stay away from me and my son" Carly screamed, as tears rolled down her cheeks. She pressed her face against the car window, trying to calm down. The coolness of the window brought some comfort to her skin, which felt like it was on fire. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to...help you," he said. Carly started to shake her head wildly. "No Sonny, you say you're trying to help me, but it's not about me or even Michael. It's about you! Well I'm not going to let you ease your guilty conscience by marrying you. Why do you think that by me marrying you, things to be alright again?" Carly asked. But Sonny didn't say a word, he just looked into her eyes. Carly had gotten the answer to her question without him saying a word. * * * * * Alexis started to laugh at the man in front of her, but the look on his face told her that he was serious. She slowly sat down in the chair by his desk feeling her knees growing weak. "Why would you want to marry me, Mr. Jacks? You don't even know me!!" "Miss Davis, I know this is shocking, but think of it as a business deal." He was going to say more but his phone started ringing. He smiled at her. "Excuse me," he said, while reaching for the phone. Alexis sat there, dumbfounded. She couldn't think of a thing to say. For the first time in her life, a man had rendered her speechless, which was no easy feat. "Miss Davis?" Alexis looked up to find that he was off the phone and looking at her. "As I was saying before, this would be a business deal. I need a wife and you want to hold on to your family business. So we..." Alexis cut him off now that she had found her voice again. "Why do you need a wife, Mr. Jacks? And why me?" Alexis asked. "My father is drying, Miss Davis," Jax said. "I'm sorry!" He smiled at her. "Well, he paid me a visit this morning and he decided that I needed a wife. So he changed his will, leaving everything to my brother Jerry. I started this company and I won't lose it because of my father's silly ideas of love and happiness," Jax said with a sadness in his voice, Alexis didn't understand. "Miss Davis, I'm not a cruel man. I love my father very much, but I'm not looking for love. I just need for my father to believe that I found it" "With me?" Alexis asked. Jax nodded. "I give you my word that I will back off and leave Cassadine Industries alone. I will even help you get back on the right track," Jax said, while looking into her brown eyes. "And if I say No?" "Then I will take over Cassadine Industries and you will lose everything," he stated in a sweet tone. "So will you marry me, Miss Davis?" he asked, in that same sweet tone. Alexis just stared at him. She had never been so angry at anyone in her entire life. Although she wasn't sure if she was angry at him or at herself for finding herself in this position. She was trapped. She couldn't let him take over Cassadine Industries. "How long would we have to be married?" she asked, giving in. "Two years," Jax said, as he watched her face turn white as a ghost. He couldn't help but laugh. Being married to her was going to be fun. He knew she was going to say yes to his proposal, she didn't have a choice. |