CHAPTER 293: UNROMANTIC PROPOSAL

"I am not here to propose a simple relationship. I am here to propose a new reality. A consortium of the heart and mind. You are not here because I want you. You are here because I need you. Each of you possesses a piece of a puzzle I cannot solve alone."

"You possess a piece of me, a piece of us, our history, our story, our journey. Everything we shared, we must continue to share because that is our reality. Unless..." his eyes darkened. "...you don’t want to be part of that reality anymore."

He began to speak to them, not as a lover listing qualities he adored, but as a visionary architect naming the indispensable materials for his masterpiece. His words were specific, intimate, and brutally flattering because they were true.

"Rachel," he said, his voice layering respect with a deep, unspoken history. "You are my strategist. My keeper of order. The only mind I trust to see the whole board. You don’t just manage my schedule; you manage my chaos. I don’t need a right hand. I need yours."

She stared at him, her anger momentarily stunned into silence by the sheer weight of his acknowledgment.

His gaze shifted. "Olivia. Tamara." He didn’t flinch from the icy tension between them.

"You are the empire-builders. Your ambition is a physical force. You look at a balance sheet and see a kingdom. You have your own kingdoms, but kingdoms are only as strong as the allies that help them.

"I am offering you a continent to conquer, together. Your potential is limited only by the scope of your alliance. I am offering to make that scope infinite." Olivia’s frosty demeanor thawed a fraction, her business brain, her deepest addiction, hooked by the scale of the proposition.

"Cheyenne," he almost hissed, acknowledging their rivalry. "You are the kingmaker. You see affection as a currency and loyalty as a leveraged buyout. So do I. My proposal is simple: if you want this, be true to yourself and admit it.

"Then we can build a dynasty so powerful that everyone else is just a tenant. Your leverage is my leverage."

Cheyenne’s amused mask slipped, revealing a flash of raw, avaricious hunger. He had spoken her language perfectly.

"Tamara and Olivia can gain from it. We can be more powerful than the rest of the Empire Companies all over the world."

Cheyenne grinned at the idea.

Seeing she was intrigued, Darren turned to Amelia, his tone shifting to one of pure, unadulterated logic.

"Amelia. You are the precision instrument. You seek optimal outcomes and view emotion as a variable with too much volatility. You are correct. So, let’s remove the volatility. This..." he gestured around the table, "...is the ultimate optimization. A structure designed for maximum efficiency in loyalty, support, and yes, affection.

"It is the most logical conclusion to the problem of wanting more than one perfect thing." For the first time that night, Amelia’s icy detachment seemed thoughtful, not defensive.

"Kara," he said, and his voice warmed, teasing out the brilliant, chaotic girl beneath the rage. "You are my brilliant, beautiful disruptor. The wild card. You see firewalls where I see open doors. I don’t need your obedience. You’ve always been there for me from the start and I’ve always needed your chaos. I still do. But I need it aimed at my enemies, not at my heart."

Kara’s bottom lip trembled. She was already wishing to end this and engage in a ravaging kissing section with her boss.

"Sandy," Darren called, meeting the first woman. "I don’t need to tell you how important you are to me. You were the first ever one to treat me nicely since I got into this world of business. How... How do you think I could fare without you? I can’t. You inspire me, and I motivate you. You must be a part of this, you just must."

Sandy licked her lips softly, her head dropping low, too shy to stay with Darren’s gaze.

After going through the rest of the women, his eyes finally landed on Penelope.

His entire demeanor softened. The CEO vanished, and for a fleeting moment, it was just the man who remembered the taste of her home-cooked food and the peace she offered.

"Penelope," he said, his voice so quiet it was almost a caress.

The girl’s fingers tightened to a nervous fist, her face nervous, her body fidgeting slightly.

"You are the cornerstone. Everyone else builds skyward, but I would be lying if I said you aren’t the foundation. You may not be a part of the cutthroat business world, but you are a large part of my life. And I’m sorry for ever hurting you."

Penelope almost dropped a tear, but she quickly wiped it off.

So far, Darren’s plans were working. He made each one feel seen not just for their bodies, but for their souls.

"We have our separate powers when we’re alone. But we can’t let this emotional vulnerability we have for each other destroy us," he added, his voice dropping becoming more intimate, "When it could make us stronger. Unstoppable. We can build something so real, so powerful, that the world has no choice but to accept it. Your success becomes our success. Your happiness becomes my priority. Your ambitions will be amplified, not limited, by the strength of this bond."

He paused, letting the monumental vision settle over them. The anger had been replaced by a stunned, breathless silence. He had reframed their humiliation into an invitation to a throne.

"I love all you women," he stated, the alpha finality returning to his voice. Their heads snapped to him, shocked by the statement.

"Just as I know that you all love me," he added. "Or at least, care enough to want to be closer to me. But this is our reality now, I can not make a decision that could alienate any one of you. And none of you, as much as I love and care for you, can force me to."

"So this is the most exclusive offer any of you will ever receive. The terms are non-negotiable. The membership is closed."

He gestured with a calm hand toward the exit. "The door is there. If your pride, your anger, or your desire for a conventional life is greater than your ambition for something truly historic, then walk away. There will be no second chances. This door closes tonight, forever."

He looked at each of them, his gaze fierce, possessive, and blazing with conviction. "But if you see what I see... if you are brave enough to admit what you want and go for it... then you’re more than welcomed to stay."

Then, he did the unexpected. He didn’t wait for an answer. He knew the human mind, especially the brilliant ones before him, needed to process, to dissect, to choose without pressure.

"I don’t want your answer tonight," he said, his tone shifting from a visionary to a man of action. "I don’t need it. Your thoughts are too valuable to be given in anger or confusion."

He reached into his inner breast pocket. "Whatever your decision is, I won’t hold it against you. How could I? You owe me nothing."

The words were a balm and a paradox. He had to make sure he was granting them freedom while making them feel the weight of his magnanimity.

"But I didn’t just call you here for a speech. I bought out the Serenity Cove Resort for the weekend. Private yachts are moored, waiting. The villas are open. The chefs are on standby. There is a place for each of you, should you choose to take it."

The women were all surprised by the gesture. Even Cheyenne seemed impressed.

"If your decision is yes... if you’re curious... I’ll be expecting you there. No obligations. No expectations. Just... a weekend."

He squared his shoulders, hands sinking deeper into his pockets. "The location and your private access codes are on cards beneath your plates."

He let his gaze sweep over them one last time, a look of profound possession and equally profound respect.

"I have spoken from my mind tonight, because it was necessary. But every word," he said, his voice dropping, "came from a place of absolute certainty in my heart."

He took a slow breath, and for the first time, he offered a true, unvarnished apology, not as a CEO, but as a man who had hurt the people he valued most.

"I am sorry," he said, the words simple, stark, and devastatingly sincere. "For the pain. For the shock. It was the only way I knew to get you all in one room to hear the truth. For that, I apologize. Deeply."

He gave a single, slight nod. "Goodnight, ladies."

And with that, he turned and walked. His back was straight, his shoulders broad under the exquisite suit, his steps echoing with a quiet, unshakeable confidence on the marble.

Darren Steele disappeared through the door from which he came, leaving behind a silence more profound and world-altering than any that had come before.

The women were all dumbfounded.