Page 18 of His Dark Pact
Fifty thousand for one week? Was the guy fucking insane? There was rich, there was staggeringly wealthy, and then it seemed there was William Kyle.
“If we’re both content after the trial period, you can have the role full time,” he went on. “I’ll have a contract drawn up to explain your rights and main responsibilities. The salary per annum will be five million.”
“What?” Her jaw dropped. She had to have heard him wrong, didn’t she? “Did you say five million,sir?” She almost tripped over the final word, but any title was irrelevant when that sum of money was on the table.
“I did.” He closed his eyes for a brief moment. “It’s exceptionally hard to find someone reliable, but I think you could be the one, Amy.”
Why me?
The question nearly left her lips, but as his gaze fluttered open, she wondered if he couldn’t read it in her eyes.
“But w-won’t you want references?” she stammered. “How can you trust me? You don’t even know me.”
“You can give me your references, yes.” Resolve echoed in his tone as though she’d assented and the deal was already done. “But we have our trial period. If I’m not happy after that, then I’ll help you find somewhere to rent with what I owe you.”
“The fifty thousand?” The idea of working for seven days and pocketing that much money was mind-blowing,
Is it too good to be true?
“Yes, Amy.” The corners of his mouth tugged up. “The fifty thousand.”
“Okay.” Wait, was she agreeing without so much as a moment’s further thought?
She pressed her lips together.I can’t afford not to take this opportunity.
“Okay?” He collected her glass and rose, walking it to the table. “Do we have a deal, Mrs. Kendal?”
She shivered at how her name sounded on his lips. No one had ever made it sound sodirtybefore. Being Graham Kendal’s wife had always been a rather humdrum affair, but whether it was Kyle’s presence, accent, or some unknown quality she was yet to define, he made it sound wonderfully forbidden.
“I should think about it.” She rose to join him. “But honestly, I don’t have the time. I have to be out of my apartment tomorrow.”
His brow rose. “Well, in that case, we’d better eat and see to that contract.”
“At this time?” Her focus fell to her watch. It was already gone nine o’clock in the evening.
“So long as you don’t mind moving out overnight?” A dry smile lit up his handsome face.
“Well...” She rubbed at her temples. “I guess I’d have had to finish packing, anyway.” Amy had boxed up most of her meager possessions but still had a few pots and pans to resolve. “But what about the contract?”
“I’ll have my lawyer bring that to us.” He reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved his phone. “He can have it there in a few hours if you don’t mind taking a punt on me until then.”
She laughed at the idea she was the only one gambling. Sure, she was agreeing to live in the presumably enormous residence of the man, but he was trusting her to live there—inhishome—and committing to paying her an obscene amount of money for a week’s worth of work. There would need to be trust on both sides, but the idea that she could clear the funeral plan and Jonah’s school fees was enough for her to make it work.
Where else could she find a chance to pay off so much debt with such little effort? And that didn’t even consider the wealth that would come her way if she chose to stay in the role long term. Seth and Jonah would never believe it.
I can hardly believe it.
“I’ll take a punt on you,Mr. Kyle.”
She felt much more like her old self as she joined him. In fact, as she trailed her fingertips over the smooth tabletop, she was struck by how much better she felt.
Almost younger...
Her lips curled at the preposterous idea. Considering her wet, crimson face, she must have looked dreadful, but for some reason, the thought no longer riled her.
It didn’t seem to bother him, after all. She’d crumpled into floods of tears and made a scene in what was clearly one of his favorite restaurants, and he hadn’t abandoned her in disgust. Instead, he’d looked after her, bringing her to the quiet library for consolation and a potential solution.
Who is this guy?