Signed In Secrets

Chapter 5

Amelia

I woke up in an unfamiliar bed, the sheets softer than anything I’d ever owned. For a brief, disoriented moment, I forgot where I was. Then it hit me. The contract. The lie. Ethan.

The weight of it all sank into my chest like a stone.

I lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to convince myself I hadn’t made the worst mistake of my life. The room was beautiful—too beautiful. It wasn’t mine; no matter how long I stayed here, it never would be.

A quiet knock at the door made me jolt upright. Before I could respond, a voice called from the other side.

“Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. Sinclair requests your presence downstairs.”

My stomach twisted. I’d barely wrapped my head around having a husband, and now I had to play the role.

I got up, forcing myself to move. The mirror reflected someone I barely recognized—someone in silk pajamas, standing in a bedroom that didn’t belong to her. I straightened my shoulders to summon Amelia, who didn’t let people push her around.

I wasn’t sure she existed anymore.

The dining room was massive, just like everything else in this house. The staff lined up neatly near the entrance, a handful of strangers who would now be part of my daily life.

And then there was Ethan.

He stood at the head of the room, perfectly composed in a tailored suit, exuding that same cold, effortless authority as always. His expression was unreadable, but his sharp eyes flickered over me when I entered.

“You’re late,” he whispered, his voice smooth but detached.

I quickly replied, reminding myself that arguing wouldn’t change my reality. Instead, I ignored him and focused on the unfamiliar faces in front of me.

Ethan turned to them, his tone shifting to something more formal. “This is Amelia Sinclair. My wife.”

The words rang in my ears.

His wife.

The staff murmured polite greetings, their faces carefully neutral. I wondered if they believed him or if they were just as in the dark as Eleanor.

“Mrs. Sinclair,” one of them, an older woman with kind eyes, said. “It’s a pleasure to have you here.”

I forced a smile. “Thank you.”

I had no idea what else to say.

When the staff was dismissed, I turned on my heel, ready to walk away from Ethan and the weight of his lie.

“Where are you going?” he asked, voice unreadable.

“Away from you,” I muttered.

But I didn’t get far. The house was enormous, and I barely remembered where anything was despite the brief tour the day before. So, instead of storming off with any real purpose, I wandered the halls aimlessly, frustration simmering beneath my skin.

I needed space. Time. A second to process the fact that I’d just been publicly introduced as Mrs Sinclair when I had barely come to terms with it myself.

I found my way to one of the sitting areas, a room with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city skyline. The view was breathtaking, but it didn’t settle the gnawing unease in my chest.

I sank onto the nearest couch, rubbing my temples.

How was this my life?

One week ago, I was barely holding things together, struggling to make rent. Now, I was living in a mansion, married to a man who barely spoke anything other than commands.

A sharp sigh left my lips.

This was temporary. It had to be.

The soft sound of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Eleanor approaching, her ever-present warmth easing the tension in my body, just a little.

“There you are,” she said, smiling. “I was wondering when I’d steal a moment with you.”

I sat up straighter. “I didn’t mean to disappear. I just…” I hesitated, not sure how to explain myself.

She chuckled, settling into the armchair across from me. Adjusting to a new home can be overwhelming. Especially one like this.”

I nodded, grateful that she had unknowingly given me an excuse.

Eleanor studied me momentarily, then reached forward, placing her hand over mine. Her fingers were cool and delicate, but there was strength in them.

“I know my grandson can be difficult,” she said gently.

That was an understatement.

She smiled as if reading my thoughts. “But I hope you don’t let that push you away. Ethan has been alone for a long time. It changes a person.”

I swallowed hard, unsure of what to say.

Eleanor believed in this marriage in us, and no matter how much I wanted to correct her, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Instead, I forced a smile. “I’ll do my best.”

She patted my hand once before leaning back, her gaze softening. “That’s all I can ask for.”

I forced a small smile, but it barely reached my eyes. As I stepped away, the warmth of Eleanor’s presence lingered, yet it did nothing to ease the unease curling in my stomach.

Technically, the walls of my new room felt like they were closing in on me. The conversation with Ethan replayed in my head on an endless loop, his words pressing down on my chest like a weight I couldn’t shake.

You signed the contract. You’re my wife now.

I roamed through the estate’s garden, my arms wrapped around me. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of fresh-cut grass and blooming flowers. It should have been peaceful, but it only made me feel more out of place.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear the footsteps behind me.

“Well, you’re not Ethan.”

I turned sharply, my heart lurching in my chest. A man stood a few feet away, watching me with an easy grin. He looked to be around Ethan’s age, maybe a little younger, with tousled brown hair and warm hazel eyes that held a flicker of amusement.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I was looking for Ethan, but I don’t think he’s gotten this pretty overnight.”

I blinked at him, still caught off guard. “Uh… no. Definitely not.”

He grinned. “Ryan. Ethan’s best friend.”

Ethan had never mentioned him, but something about him felt like the opposite of Ethan—light where Ethan was dark, approachable where Ethan was closed off.

“I’m Amelia,” I said cautiously.

His gaze flickered with recognition. “Yeah, I figured. Hard to miss the new Mrs Sinclair.”

I tensed. The title sent a jolt of discomfort through me.

Ryan must have noticed because his smile faltered just a little. His head tilted as if he was trying to read me. “Something wrong?”

I hesitated. My first instinct was to brush it off and pretend everything was fine. But there was something about Ryan—his warmth, his openness—that made me feel like I didn’t have to keep up the facade.

I swallowed hard. “Ryan… do you know why I’m here?”

He frowned. “You’re Ethan’s wife.”

I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head. “Not exactly.”

Ryan’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I hesitated, but then the words spilled out before I could stop them. I told him everything—how I had applied for a caretaker job, how Ethan had tricked me into signing a contract that bound me into this sham of a marriage, how his grandmother had no idea it was fake, and how I was stuck because I had nowhere else to go.

Ryan didn’t interrupt. He just listened, his face shifting from confusion to shock, then to something unreadable. When I finally finished, there was a long silence between us.

Then, Ryan exhaled, running a hand down his face. “Jesus Christ, Ethan.”

I let out a shaky breath. “So… I’m guessing he didn’t tell you?”

“No,” Ryan muttered, shaking his head. “I knew something was off. I could feel it the moment I saw you.” He looked at me, his expression softer now. “Amelia… I’m so sorry. That’s—God, that’s insane.”

I nodded, my throat tightening. “Yeah. Tell me about it.”

Ryan let out a low whistle, rubbing the back of his neck. “I can’t believe he pulled something like this. I knew he was desperate to make Eleanor happy, but this?”

He looked at me again, more intently this time. “Are you okay?”

I let out a breath, trying to hold myself together. “I don’t know. I—I feel like I’m drowning. And the worst part is, I can’t say anything. If I do, Eleanor will know the truth, and I can’t do that to her.”

Ryan’s jaw tightened. For the first time, the easygoing warmth in his eyes hardened into something else—frustration, maybe even anger. But not at me.

“Ethan’s an i***t,” he muttered. “And he’s always been a control freak, but this? This is a whole new level of stupidity.”

A shaky laugh escaped me. “Glad we agree on that.”

Ryan sighed, leaning against the garden railing. “Listen… I don’t know how much I can fix this, but I’m here, okay? You don’t have to go through this alone.”

I looked at him, the weight on my chest easing just a little. “You mean that?”

He nodded. “Yeah. And if Ethan gives you a hard time, you tell me.” His lips quirked into a smirk. “I’m the only person who’s been able to make him miserable since we were kids. I’d be happy to keep that streak going.”

For the first time all day, I smiled. It was small and fleeting, but it was real.