For three whole seconds, I simply stared at Callum.
Then I laughed, the slightly unhinged laugh of a woman whose life was actively falling apart.
"Oh my God." I pointed at him. "You are him."
Callum blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
"You're the guy."
His brows furrowed. "The guy?"
"The husband."
Now he looked genuinely confused. "The what?"
I threw my hands into the air. "My mother's husband."
His confusion somehow deepened. "My mother's husband?"
"No!" I groaned. "The husband she keeps trying to find for me."
Understanding slowly dawned on his face.
A beat passed, then another. And for the first time since meeting him, Callum laughed. The sound caught me completely off guard.
It transformed his face, made him look younger.
Less intimidating, far more dangerous.
Because attractive men should not be allowed to have attractive laughs. It wasn't fair.
"You're laughing," I said.
"A little."
"A little?"
His mouth twitched. "A moderate amount."
I folded my arms.
"You know what? This is exactly the kind of thing she'd do."
The amusement remained in his eyes.
"Arrange for us to meet through a real estate listing?"
"Honestly? Yes."
That seemed to surprise him.
I pulled out my phone. "Watch this."
Before he could stop me, I pressed call.
Mom answered on the second ring.
"Harper! I was about to call you."
Aha, suspicious already.
I narrowed my eyes. "Mom."
"Yes?"
"Did you set me up?"
Silence.
The kind of silence that immediately raises concerns.
"Mother."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You absolutely do."
"What happened?"
I glanced toward Callum. He was watching this entire disaster unfold with far too much interest.
"The realtor happened."
"The realtor?"
"The handsome realtor."
The second the words left my mouth, I wished I could snatch them back. I slowly turned toward Callum. Unfortunately, he had heard every single word.
One dark eyebrow lifted. "Oh?"
Heat rushed into my face.
I had known this man for less than an hour and had already called him handsome in front of him.
Kill me now.
Mom's voice crackled through the speaker. "Handsome?"
"That is not the point."
"How handsome?"
"Mother. Did you arrange this?"
"On a scale of one to ten—"
"Goodbye."
I ended the call before she could embarrass me further. The second I lowered the phone, I refused to look at Callum.
Unfortunately, Callum had no such problem looking at me.
"You think I'm handsome?"
I nearly choked. "No."
His mouth twitched. "You literally just said it."
"I was describing you."
"As handsome."
"As a realtor."
His smile widened. "Those aren't mutually exclusive."
I wanted to throw myself through the nearest window.
"You really thought your mother arranged this?"
I crossed my arms. "It wouldn't be the strangest thing she's done."
Callum stared at me for a moment, then laughed. A genuine laugh. The sound echoed through the kitchen.
I frowned. "What's so funny?"
"Harper."
He shook his head.
"You genuinely believe your mother somehow orchestrated a real estate listing, a private viewing, and an entire business proposal?"
When he put it like that…
It sounded insane.
"Okay, maybe not the proposal part."
"Good to know there are limits."
I ignored him, then I stuffed my phone back into my purse.
"Which means we're back to my original question."
I stared at him. "What exactly are you talking about?"
The amusement gradually disappeared from his face. Business mode returned.
The kind that made me feel like I was standing in a room with someone playing chess while I was still trying to learn the rules.
Callum leaned against the kitchen island. "You need money."
I immediately bristled. "I don't recall telling you that."
"You didn't have to."
My jaw tightened.
Fair, the threatening messages had probably been a clue. Still, I didn't like hearing it out loud.
"You don't know anything about my situation."
His gaze remained steady. "I know enough."
Something in his tone made me uncomfortable.
Not because it was cruel, because it sounded informed. Like he'd done homework.
I pushed that thought aside. Paranoia was becoming one of my hobbies.
"Fine." I crossed my arms. "Let's say I need money."
"You do."
"Let's say I do."
A faint smile appeared. "I admire your commitment to denial."
I ignored that.
"And let's say my life is currently a dumpster fire."
"A fair assessment."
I hated that he was right.
"What's your point?"
For a moment, Callum was silent studying me. Then he reached into his suit jacket.
Every survival instinct I possessed immediately activated.
"What are you doing?"
He paused. "Getting paperwork."
"Oh." I relaxed slightly. "That's less alarming than I thought."
"What did you think I was getting?"
"Honestly?"
I glanced around the giant empty house.
"We've only known each other for an hour. It could have been anything."
That earned another brief smile, then he handed me a document. I looked down.
My brows knitted together. "What is this?"
"A proposal."
My stomach sank. Those words never led anywhere good. I scanned the first page, then the second and the third. By the fourth page, I was convinced I'd accidentally suffered a concussion.
Slowly, very slowly, I looked up.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"No."
"Because this feels like the sort of thing a crazy person would write."
His expression remained perfectly calm. I looked back down, then immediately back up.
"No."
"Harper—"
"No."
"You haven't even finished reading."
"I don't need to. I've read enough."
My heart was beating so hard I could hear it.
The document was talking about marriage.
Not dating or even pretending to date. Marriage, as in an actual legal marriage. To a man I'd known for less than an afternoon.
Absolutely not.
No chance, not happening.
"What part specifically concerns you?" he asked.
I stared at him, then I laughed. That slightly hysterical laugh was becoming a recurring theme.
"What part concerns me?"
"Yes."
I flipped the pages toward him. "Maybe the marriage part?"
Callum nodded thoughtfully. "As expected."
"As expected?"
"Most people react that way."
Most people? Most people?
How many women had this man proposed bizarre contracts to?
I suddenly wasn't sure I wanted the answer.
"Are you secretly running a cult?"
"No."
"A pyramid scheme?"
"No."
"Human trafficking?"
His eyebrow rose. "That escalated quickly."
"I need explanations."
"Fair."
I paced across the kitchen, then back again. My thoughts were racing.
Marriage.
Marriage.
Marriage.
Who proposes marriage as a business arrangement?
Rich people, crazy rich people.
I stopped pacing. "Why me?"
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
For the first time, Callum hesitated.
His gaze locked onto mine.
The room seemed oddly still, then he answered.
"Because you're exactly who I need."
A chill traveled down my spine. That was not the answer of a normal man.
That was the answer of a man who had definitely been planning something.
"Nope."
I grabbed my purse. "Absolutely not."
"Harper."
"No."
"You haven't heard the full proposal."
"I don't care."
"You should."
I ignored him, I wasn't about to engage in a talk with a crazy man.
"Your debts will disappear."
I froze.
Slowly, I turned back. Callum's expression hadn't changed.
"My debts disappear?" I repeated.
"Yes."
Every instinct screamed at me to walk away.
Run, leave. Get into my car and never speak to this man again.
But another voice spoke too, the desperate voice. I hated that voice. Because it made me ask the question I didn't want to ask.
"How?"
Callum met my gaze, and smiled slightly. The smile of a man who knew I'd finally stopped running from the conversation.
"Sit down, Harper." His voice was soft.
"As unbelievable as this sounds, I think you're going to want to hear the rest."
Against my better judgment...
I sat.