Signed In Secrets

Chapter 3

Amelia

By the time I step through the front doors of Ethan’s house, exhaustion clings to me.

A staff member greets me immediately. “Welcome back, ma’am. Mr. Sinclair asked me to inform you that dinner will be served shortly.”

I nod, adjusting the strap of my bag. “Thanks. I’ll freshen up.”

I make my way upstairs, my footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. When I reach my room, I drop my bag by the door and take a moment to breathe. This morning, I was unemployed. Now, I’m standing in a house that doesn’t belong to me, preparing to have dinner with strangers.

Shaking off the thought, I freshen up quickly, changing into something simple but presentable before heading back downstairs.

A different staff member is waiting outside my door. “Dinner is ready. Please, follow me.”

My stomach twists—not just from nerves, but because I haven’t eaten all day.

When I enter the dining room, my eyes immediately land on Ethan. He’s already seated at the long dining table, composed and unreadable. But it’s the older woman sitting across from him that catches my attention.

Eleanor Sinclair.

Her silver hair is neatly styled, and there’s a quiet elegance in the way she holds herself. But when she turns to me, her sharp eyes soften with warmth.

“You must be Amelia,” she says, smiling.

I swallow hard and step forward.

Before I can respond, she reaches out, clasping my hands in hers. “Oh, my dear, it’s so wonderful to meet you finally.”

Her warmth catches me off guard. I expected formality, maybe even scepticism, but she’s looking at me like I already belong here.

“It’s wonderful to meet you too, Mrs. Sinclair,” I manage.

“Call me Eleanor, dear,” she insists, gently squeezing my hands before gesturing to the chair beside her. “Come, sit. You must be starving.”

I glance at Ethan, who’s watching the exchange with his usual unreadable expression. If he has any thoughts about Eleanor’s enthusiasm, he doesn’t show it.

I take the seat beside her, and the moment I do, she starts asking me questions—nothing invasive, just little things like whether I’m settling in well if the staff has been treating me kindly, and if I have everything I need.

Her kindness is so effortless, so genuine, that it tugs at something deep inside me.

Dinner is served quietly, the staff moving around us like a well-rehearsed routine. The dining room is grand, but Eleanor’s warmth makes it feel less intimidating.

She turns to me with a smile. “I do hope Ethan has been treating you well.”

I blink, caught off guard. I glance at Ethan, but he doesn’t react, simply cutting into his food with practised ease.

“Um… yes,” I say hesitantly. It’s not a lie—he hasn’t been rude, just distant.

Eleanor nods, satisfied. “Good. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen him truly happy.”

Ethan finally looks up, an amused glint in his eyes. “You make it sound like I’m always miserable, Grandmother.”

“Well,” Eleanor says, giving him a knowing look, “you do have the temperament of someone twice your age.”

I nearly choke on my water. Ethan doesn’t react, but I catch the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“You’re exaggerating,” he replies.

Eleanor hums. “Am I? You were always such a serious boy. So stubborn, too.” She sighs, then looks at me. “You must have your hands full with him, dear.”

I stare, unsure how to respond.

Ethan’s gaze flickers to me, sharp and expectant. There’s something I can’t quite read there, but Eleanor keeps going before I can say anything.

“Love has a way of softening even the most hardened souls,” she muses. “That’s why I was so delighted when Ethan told me about you. It all happened so fast, but when it’s right, it’s right.”

My stomach drops.

What?

I glance at Ethan again, but his face is unreadable. My mind scrambles for a response, but Eleanor’s already turning back to him.

“Honestly, Ethan, I don’t know why you didn’t introduce her to me sooner.”

There’s a brief pause before he answers. “I wanted to make sure the timing was right.”

His voice is calm and measured, but I feel the weight behind his words.

Eleanor waves a hand dismissively. “Nonsense. You know I would’ve welcomed her with open arms. Amelia, dear, you’re family now.”

The warmth in her voice stings.

I don’t know what to say. I don’t even know how to breathe.

And Ethan? He keeps eating like nothing is wrong at all.

Dinner lingers in my mind long after the plates have been cleared. Eleanor’s warmth, her excitement—it all feels like a weight pressing down on me.

I still can’t fully grasp it.

She thinks we’re married.

And Ethan let her believe it.

As we leave the dining room, Eleanor gives me another affectionate smile. “You must be exhausted, dear. It’s been a long day.”

I nod, forcing a small smile. “Yeah… it has.”

“You two should get some rest.” She turns to Ethan. “Don’t keep her up working, Ethan. I know how you get.”

He exhales a hint of amusement in his voice. “Noted.”

Eleanor kisses his cheek before heading toward her quarters, leaving us alone in the quiet hallway.

The moment she disappears down the hall, I turn on Ethan. “What the hell was that?”

He exhales slowly as if he’s already tired. “Amelia—”

“No,” I cut him off, my voice sharp. “She thinks we’re married, Ethan. Married. Care to explain how that happened?”

Ethan looks at me, impassive. “It was necessary.”

“Necessary?” I let out a hollow laugh. I agreed to be her caretaker, not—” I motioned between us wildly—your wife!”

His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t react. “I wasn’t going to tell you like this.”

“Oh, so when were you planning to tell me? After I started calling you ‘husband’ in front of her?”

His expression darkens, but his voice stays even. “Eleanor has been asking about my future for years. She wanted to see me with someone. Settled. And when she started getting worse, I knew I couldn’t keep putting it off.”

I shake my head, still trying to process this. “So you just decided to… what? Throw a marriage contract in with my employment papers and hope I won’t notice?”

His eyes hold steady. “You needed a job. I needed someone who could act as my wife with Eleanor.”

I stare at him, something cold settling in my stomach. “That’s what this is to you? A transaction?”

He doesn’t answer.

I run a hand through my hair, pacing the hallway. “You could have told me. You should have told me.”

“I wasn’t sure you’d agree.”

I stop pacing and whip around to face him. “Then maybe that should have told you something!”

Silence.

His face is unreadable, but I see the tension in his shoulders.

I swallow, my throat dry. “And what happens after?”

His jaw ticks. “After?”

“If she passes. What then?”

Ethan exhales, his voice quieter. “Then we go our separate ways.”

A bitter taste rises in my mouth.

So that’s it.

I was just a temporary solution—a name on a contract.

I don’t know why it stings as much as it does.

I inhale sharply, pushing past him before I say something I’ll regret. “I need air.”

I don’t stop until I’m in my room, shutting the door behind me with shaking hands.

I signed up for this.

But, I didn’t know what I was signing up for.