"You're delusional!" Kingsley swatted her hand away as if it were something filthy, recoiling a step.

"Three months? Gretta, are you truly insane? I won't give you an hour!" he snarled, a vein throbbing at his temple.

Gretta looked at her rejected hand and gave a small, unconcerned laugh. "It seems you still don't understand your situation."

She suddenly spun around and strode toward the enormous window.

A knot of dread tightened in Kingsley's gut. "What are you doing? Get back here!"

She ignored him. With practiced ease, she unlatched the window and pushed it open just wide enough for a person to slip through. A blast of cold morning air rushed in, whipping her robe and hair around her.

As Kingsley watched in horror, she climbed onto the ledge, her slender body silhouetted against the thirty-story drop.

"Gretta!" He lunged forward but stopped a few feet away, terrified that any sudden move would send her over the edge.

"Don't come any closer," she said, her voice thin against the wind but perfectly clear. "Or I'll jump."

She held onto the window frame with one hand, the other stretched out into the open air like a fragile butterfly. "I have a history of suicide attempts, you know," she reminded him.

Kingsley's blood ran cold. He knew it was true. The Ramsey family's younger daughter and her struggles with depression were an open secret in their circle.

"Get down! Get down and we can talk about this!" He tried to keep his voice steady, but his hands were clenched into tight fists.

"There's nothing to talk about." Gretta looked back at him, a tragic smile on her face. "Either you agree to my terms, or you watch me become a stain on the pavement. For the rest of your life, you'll carry the reputation of the man who drove his fiancée's sister to suicide."

"You think the Sterling family lawyers can wash that away? They can't. They can't erase the judgment in people's minds." Her words were a hammer blow to his heart.

He was a man of extreme self-discipline and pristine reputation. He couldn't imagine his name being forever tied to such a sordid, ugly scandal.

His career, his family-everything would be tarnished.

"Why are you doing this?" He couldn't understand what kind of obsession would drive a girl to gamble with her own life.

"Because I love you," she said again. But this time, carried on the high-altitude wind, it sounded less like a confession and more like a curse from hell.

Kingsley's mind raced, calculating the odds. Call the police? That would only make it a bigger spectacle. Try to pull her back? She might jump instantly.

He had no options. This madwoman had pushed him into a corner with no exit.

The seconds ticked by. A cold sweat broke out on Kingsley's forehead. He could see Gretta's thin body trembling slightly in the wind, whether from cold or fear, he couldn't tell.

"Fine..." The word was a raw scrape from his throat. "I agree."

Gretta's eyes lit up, but she didn't move.

"Three months is too long. I don't have that kind of patience," Kingsley said, trying to claw back a sliver of control.

"One month." he stared at her. "One month. That's my final offer."

Gretta studied him, seeming to weigh the sincerity in his voice.

After a long moment, she nodded. "Fine. One month." She knew not to push too hard. She had already won the day.

"Now, get down." Kingsley held out his hand, his voice a low command.

Gretta looked at his outstretched hand and a triumphant smile touched her lips. She slowly, carefully, turned back from the ledge.

But just as she was about to step down, she intentionally let her foot slide on the smooth metal frame. It was a calculated move—she had planned this moment to perfection. Her body lurched backward, and a short, sharp cry escaped her. "Ah!"

Kingsley's pupils dilated. Without a second thought, he surged forward, his hand clamping around her arm an instant before she fell.

The momentum almost pulled him over too, but he planted his feet, using every ounce of his strength to haul her back from the brink of death.

Gretta's body slammed into his, soft and freezing cold. Kingsley could feel his own heart hammering against his ribs, a frantic beat of terror and rage.

He held her tight, his arms trembling from the effort, and roared down at her, "You crazy bitch!"

Gretta sagged against his chest, feeling the powerful, steady rhythm of his heart. A secret, satisfied smile graced her lips, hidden from his view.