The paper felt heavier than it should.
Sofia watched the ink of her signature dry slowly on the page. The line of her name looked calm and steady.
Inside, her thoughts were not.
Across the table, Leon Laurent closed the folder with careful hands.
The soft sound of the folder shutting seemed louder than it should have been.
Business finished.
Mission completed.
He stood from the chair first.
The movement was smooth and controlled, like every action had already been planned before he entered the room.
Sofia noticed again the details she had missed earlier.
The black suit coat, sharp and perfectly fitted across his shoulders.The faint glint of the gold chain near the collar of his shirt.The watch on his wrist — expensive, polished, quiet power sitting against his skin.
He looked like someone who belonged at the top of every room he entered.
Leon adjusted his cuff once.
His eyes moved to Sofia.
Cold. Observant.
"Miss Ashford," he said.
The way he said her name sounded formal, almost distant.
Not unkind.
Just careful.
Sofia stood from her chair.
"Yes."
"Preparations will begin tomorrow."
He spoke the words the same way someone would discuss shipping schedules or legal agreements.
"Your belongings will be moved to my residence."
"My residence?"
"Penthouse. Diavola Tower."
The tallest building in the financial district.
Sofia had seen it every day from across the skyline of Pepperoni Avenue.
She had never imagined living inside it.
Her father cleared his throat quietly.
"Mr. Laurent… I assume the legal teams will finalize the remaining details."
"They already have."
Leon slid a second document across the table.
The contract.
Thick.
Precise.
Sofia picked it up.
Her eyes moved across the first page.
Terms of Agreement
Three-year duration.
Public marriage recognition.
Joint appearances at corporate and social events.
Financial compensation.
Debt settlement.
Then the rules.
She read them slowly.
No emotional involvement.
No interference in Leon Laurent's private affairs.
Both parties maintain personal independence outside public obligations.
Contract automatically terminates after three years.
The words were clear.
Clean.
Almost cold.
Sofia felt Leon's gaze on her while she read.
Not impatient.
Just watching.
Like a man measuring whether a machine was functioning properly.
Her fingers turned another page.
The quiet sound of paper sliding against paper filled the room.
"You may take time to review it," Leon said.
His voice remained calm.
But Sofia noticed something in the way he watched her.
He already knew what she would do.
Sofia closed the contract slowly.
"I've already signed once today," she said.
Leon's eyebrow lifted slightly.
The smallest reaction.
"That was a proposal," he replied.
"This is the agreement."
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The sunlight shifted slightly across the table.
Outside the window the city continued moving.
Sofia reached for the pen again.
Leon's watch caught the light when he folded his arms.
She noticed the faint scent again.
Cedarwood.
Clean.
Quiet.
Her fingers brushed the edge of the paper as she turned to the final page.
The signature line waited at the bottom.
Leon Laurent's signature was already there.
Sharp handwriting.
Confident.
Like a man who never hesitated.
Sofia placed the pen on the paper.
For a brief second she hesitated.
Three years.
She imagined the penthouse in Diavola Tower.
The endless events.
Standing beside a man who looked at the world like everything inside it was just another transaction.
Then she thought of the Ashford factory workers.
Her father sitting quietly behind his desk.
The empty bank accounts.
Sofia signed again.
The pen lifted.
The sound was soft.
Leon stepped closer to the table.
His hand reached for the document.
For a brief moment their fingers touched the same sheet of paper.
Not skin.
Just the paper between them.
Still, Sofia noticed the moment.
Leon didn't react.
He took the contract and closed the folder neatly.
"Good," he said.
No smile.
No excitement.
Just confirmation.
Her father exhaled quietly beside her.
"When will this begin?" he asked.
"Immediately."
Leon slipped the folder under his arm.
"Tomorrow morning a car will arrive."
"For Sofia."
The room fell quiet again.
Sofia looked toward the window.
From this height she could see Diavola Tower rising in the distance.
Tall.
Unreachable.
Until tomorrow.
Leon walked toward the door.
His steps were steady.
Purposeful.
Then he stopped.
Just before leaving, he looked back once.
His eyes settled on Sofia again.
Calm.
Sharp.
"Miss Ashford."
"Yes?"
"For the next three years…"
His gaze held hers for a second longer than before.
"…you will represent Laurent."
The silence between them stretched slightly.
Then he added,
"I trust you understand the responsibility."
Sofia met his eyes.
She felt the weight of the moment settle in her chest.
"Yes," she said quietly.
Leon nodded once.
Then he left the room.
The door closed softly behind him.
The faint scent of cedarwood lingered in the air.
Sofia stood still for a moment.
Outside the window, the towers of Pepperoni Avenue shone under the afternoon sun.
Somewhere in that skyline stood the place that would become her home.
For three years.
Just three years.