Page 46 of Top Shelf

“I can see that.”

Nia’s eyes move across the screen as I hold up the first page. “No unauthorized studio decisions,” she reads aloud. “Good.”

“No speaking for me or the studio,” Zoe says, leaning in. “Also good.”

“Priscilla is not a legal person,” Lulu reads, then looks up. “Important.”

Carina keeps reading, then pauses. “No feelings?”

The room goes quiet, and I reach for my coffee. “Standard clause.”

Nia’s lips press together, and Zoe looks at me over the top of the page.

I ignore them, and Carina flips another page. “He’s offering enough for the deposit and launch reserve.”

“Yep.”

“And he doesn’t want ownership or voting rights or any operational control whatsoever?”

“Nope.”

“Media rights? Naming? Public connection to the studio?”

“No. I wrote it down about twelve times in different ways.”

“So he genuinely just… wants a wife.” Zoe sits back slightly, considering. “This could actually work.”

Carina looks at her.

“I didn’t say she should.” Zoe raises her hand. “I’m just saying she could. There’s a difference.”

Carina sets the folder down and looks at me. “Do you wanna do this, Heid?”

The room quiets again, and I stare at the contract. Then the ring box. My red pen marks.

“I want the studio,” I say.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I know.” I take a breath. “And if you’d told me five days ago that I would be considering marrying Viktor Karlsson to fund my studio, I would’ve thought I’d suffered a head injury in my car crash. But… I don’t hate the idea as much as I should.”

Lulu’s eyebrows rise with glee, and I look down again. “I’m scared the money will change how people see the studio, and I’m scared if I take it, I’ll owe him in ways the contract doesn’t cover.”

Carina’s expression softens, but she doesn’t interrupt.

“And mostly I’m scared that if I say no because I’m too proud to take a deal that could actually make my dream come true, I’ll lose the space and spend the next year pretending I made a noble choice when really I just panicked.”

Nia nods on the screen. “Those feelings are all valid, babe.”

“It feels terrible.”

Zoe reaches across and wraps an arm around me. “And if you wanna say no? We’ll make sure you’re still okay.”

I stare at the contract. “Would I be?”

“Yes,” Carina says immediately. “You would. We’ll figure out another way if you want another way.”

Lulu nods. “We will.”