The Contract Bride of Jayden Knight

CHAPTER 1: SIGN IT “Sign it.” That cold voice rang in Stacy’s ears. She turned and saw the face of that driver, the one who drove away without looking back, her mother’s killer. Flashback. “Oh, no, Mom, it’s about to rain,” 16-year-old Stacy said, all smiles and happiness. “Should we walk in it or find a spot?” her mom said back to her. “Mom, of course we have to find a spot. You know the rain will ruin my edges,” she said, dragging her mom by the arm. “Fine, fine. Let’s go over there,” her mom said as she pointed to the bus stop across the road. Next, all she heard was the screeching sound of a vehicle. Before she could fully process what was happening, a hard force pushed her. She was still moaning from the pain when she heard a loud thud. She looked up, and the heavy rain started immediately. That was her mother, lying in a pool of her own blood. “Mom!!!” She screamed. Panic rose within her. “Help!!!” She shouted. But instead, the car reversed and drove off. At the last moment, she caught his face: dark, cold, and with no sign of remorse. She crawled back to her mom, stranded and helpless in the heavy rain. After remembering that, pain and anger surged through her. She wanted to shout, scream, and hit him hard, but she couldn’t move. The cold eyes that stared at her made her freeze. That man was Jayden Knight, the ruthless killer of her mother, her worst nightmare. “Sign it,” he said again. That was when she snapped back to reality. “No, I won’t,” she said firmly, although it seemed like the words were forced out of her mouth. “Then watch your Nanny die,” he said, looking straight into her eyes. He walked straight to her and dropped the contract right beside her. “My card is there. Call me when you change your mind, or watch your Nanny die,” he said and walked away without looking back. “Nobody will help someone like you. You are worthless and hopeless,” Amber, Stacy’s stepmother’s voice rang in her ear. Stacy had gone to her father for help that morning before leaving for the hospital. “Dad, Nanny Tinanny needs surgery for her kidneys, and it’s $2,000,000. Please, I know you have this money. I promise to pay you back after the surgery. I will work hard and do anything. Please help me,” Stacy said to her dad on her knees, crying and pleading. But instead, Amber replied, “Oh, honey, I really wish we could help you right now, but the company is in a major crisis which has been draining our money for the past few months, so we won’t be able to raise such a large amount of money for your Nanny Tinanny.” Amber said with a smug look she didn’t bother to hide. Stacy knew deep down that it was a lost cause, but she still wanted to try. She still believed that if she begged and cried, her dad would have pity on her and help her. But she was wrong. Amber had successfully taken over her father’s life. He couldn’t make a decision on his own anymore. Stacy slowly stood up, ready to leave, when Amber walked up to her. “You know, if you could work as Elsa’s slave for a week, I might be able to pull up a few thousand dollars for you,” she said mockingly as she approached Stacy. She walked past Stacy and up the stairs. “Elsa, do you still want to go shopping?” Amber said loud enough for Stacy to hear. Stacy walked away and came back to the hospital. Remembering all this, Stacy knew she really had no choice. Her hands shook as she picked up the contract beside her. She struggled between signing a contract with her mother’s murderer and watching her precious Nanny die. Nanny Tinanny had been the only one who truly loved Stacy apart from her mother. Stacy couldn’t just watch her die. Her stepmom always controlled her dad, making it impossible to get money from him. “Seems I really have no choice then,” she mumbled to herself. She opened the contract and a card fell from it. She picked it up and dialed the number she saw on it. Ring. Ring... Ring... “You called faster than I expected,” that thick, cold voice rang through the phone. He said, and the call was disconnected. “What was that? How did he know it was me?” Stacy thought and called again. This time he picked up almost immediately, and there was silence on the other end of the call. “I will sign the contract,” Stacy said, almost as if the words were forced out of her mouth. “I know,” Jayden replied without hesitation. “Sign the contract and go outside,” he said, and the call was disconnected again. “Wait,” Stacy couldn’t complete her sentence. “Miss Hart, please sign this form. The surgery is about to commence,” a nurse said, coming up to Stacy. The surprise on her face couldn’t be missed. “Miss Hart,” the nurse called once more. “Oh, sorry,” she replied and signed the form. Then her phone rang. “Move into the mansion right now.” Then the call ended. At that moment, Stacy knew her nightmare had begun.