The Marriage Contract
Lia Carter found it very hard to close her eyes and sleep.
All night, she laid on her bed awake, staring at the cracked ceiling of her bedroom while memories she'd buried found their way back to life.
Adrian Blake's voice echoed in her mind "Marry me."
The two words seemed like chains around her.
By morning, exhaustion came knocking, pressed behind her eyes, but she forced herself to rise. Her reflection in the mirror looked almost foreign, pale skin, dark circles, and eyes that no longer belonged to the hopeful girl she once was.
She had to be calm, Controlled, Overpowered,If she was going to face Adrian again, she couldn't afford to wear her worries on her sleeve.
The elevator that took her to Blake's floor felt like a journey into a different world. Every single thing about the place screamed power, polished marble floors, gleaming glass walls, and a receptionist who looked like she'd stepped out of a fashion magazine.
"Mr. Blake is expecting you," the woman said, with a smile that fits her face so well that you could tell she is always smiling.
Of course he was, she thought while unconsciously rolling her eyes.
The doors to Adrian's office opened with a gentle click.
He sat behind a massive desk,sitting facing the window, sleeves rolled up, pen in hand, shaking patiently, as if he hadn't turned her life upside down less than twelve hours ago. Sunlight filtered through the windows, painting him in gold and shadow.
"You're late," he said without turning around to look at me.
Lia forced a polite smile. "Good morning to you too."
He finally turned and lifted his gaze, gray eyes cool and sharp. "I take it you've thought about my offer."
"If blackmail is an offer in your dictionary."
His lips curved faintly. "I prefer to use the term arrangement."
She crossed her arms. "I prefer to call it nightmares, but here we are."
He gestured to the seat across from him. "Sit."
Lia hesitated but sat down calmly, chin lifted in quiet defensive posture .
On the desk there was a thick folder embedded with gold, Marriage Agreement.
Adrian moved it toward her across the table. "Six months. We will make it official with a civil ceremony. I will take care of the legal side. You'll receive full control of Carter Designs once the agreement ends."
She flipped open the document, scanning the pages, not missing a line, Clause after clause of legal precision, cohabitation required, public appearances mandatory, confidentiality binding.
Her pulse quickened when her eyes caught one particular line which she could not really pin an emotion on.
Clause 9: Physical Affection.
The couple shall maintain appearances consistent with marriage, including limited displays of affection in public when necessary.
Her head snapped up, with a sharp look at him. "What's this supposed to mean?" She said
Adrian leaned back in his chair. "We'll be attending events together. My investors, the press, they'll expect to see a loving couple, is that not? You'll have to play the part."
"I'm not an actress nor am I into acting by any means ," she said sharply.
"No," he agreed, eyes shining. "You're better than a paid actress. You're real. People believe you when you smile."
Lia bristled. "Don't just pretend you know me anymore."
"I know enough," he said quietly.
The air thickened with unspoken words, which both parties decided to keep.
She forced herself to keep reading even though she was already so distracted . Clause 14: Residence The couple will live under the same roof for the duration of the marriage.
Her stomach twisted. "You expect me to live with you?" She said with disgust written all over her.
"Appearances," he said simply. "It would look suspicious otherwise."
Lia's voice hardened. "You really thought of everything, didn't you?"
"I'm thorough," Adrian replied.
"Manipulative is the word you're looking for, just because you forgot."
Something flickered across his face irritation, maybe regret but it vanished quickly. "You can walk away anytime, Lia. But if you do, your father loses everything." He said sternly.
There it was again. The trap. The reminder that she didn't have a real choice or opinion in all this. And that was a huge slap on her face.
She stared at the signature line, the blank space waiting to seal her fate for few months or forever.
Her pen hovered above the paper. "Why me, Adrian? You could marry anyone. Someone who doesn't hate you."
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stood and walked to the window, hands in his pockets not looking towards her direction. "Because no one challenges me like you do," he said finally, voice low. "And because maybe… " he paused for a minute and said "I owe you something."
She blinked, startled. "Owe me?"
He turned to face her, expression unreadable. "Let's just say there are things I still regret."
The sincerity in his tone caught her off guard. For one fleeting moment, she saw the man she once knew, the one who'd made her laugh until she cried, who'd kissed her like the world might end.
Then it was gone, she felt she imagined it because the switch was too soon.
"Sign the papers, Lia," he said, his voice steady again, but this time a little bit more soft.
Her hand trembled slightly as she pressed the pen to paper. With each letter of her name, she felt a piece of herself slipping away, gradually.
When she finished, Adrian took the folder, signed beside her, and closed it neatly. "Congratulations," he said softly. "You're officially my fiancée."
Lia rose to her feet, every nerve in her body humming with unease. "Don't pretend this means anything."
"I don't have to," he replied. "You'll find out soon enough."
She walked Outside the building, the afternoon sun felt too bright, too warm, for the cold storm inside her chest.
Her phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number:
Our wedding announcement goes public tomorrow. Be ready. — A.B.
Lia stared at the screen, heart hammering so fast .
Tomorrow. The entire city would know she was marrying Adrian Blake, the man she'd sworn to hate for the rest of her life.
She typed a reply, hesitated, then deleted it.
Instead, she whispered to herself, "It's just six months, I will be fine."
But as she walked away from the towering glass building, Lia couldn't shake the feeling that six months might be long enough to destroy her all over again and she might find it hard to pick the pieces again.