Chapter 7: The Signature
817 Words
The pen felt heavier than it should.
Sophia stared at the contract lying on Alexander’s desk.
One signature.
That was all it would take.
One signature, and her life would belong to a path she had never imagined.
Alexander stood silently across from her.
Waiting.
Not pressuring.
Not persuading.
Simply waiting.
As though he already knew what she would do.
Sophia hated that confidence.
“How do I know I can trust you?” she asked.
Alexander folded his arms.
“You don’t.”
The answer caught her off guard.
Most people would have tried to reassure her.
Not Alexander.
“You expect me to marry a man I don’t trust?”
“No.”
His grey eyes locked onto hers.
“I expect you to make a business decision.”
Sophia blinked.
“A business decision?”
“You need something.”
His voice remained calm.
“I need something.”
He pointed at the contract.
“This solves both problems.”
Sophia looked down.
The words blurred together.
Her father’s surgery.
Her lost job.
The humiliation.
The debt.
Every road she could see ended in disaster.
Except this one.
And even this road felt dangerous.
Slowly, she signed her name.
Sophia Carter.
The moment the ink touched the paper, her heart skipped a beat.
It was done.
Alexander looked at the signature.
For the first time since she’d met him, genuine relief crossed his face.
Only for a second.
Then it disappeared.
He signed underneath her name.
Alexander Blackwood.
The deal was official.
The billionaire extended his hand.
“Congratulations, Mrs. Blackwood.”
Sophia stared at him.
Mrs. Blackwood.
The title sounded strange.
Foreign.
Terrifying.
After a moment, she shook his hand.
His grip was warm.
Firm.
Steady.
Very different from the man everyone described in newspapers.
⸻
An hour later, Sophia sat in the passenger seat of Alexander’s car.
The city lights blurred outside.
Neither of them spoke much.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
Just unfamiliar.
Eventually Sophia glanced at him.
“Now what?”
Alexander kept his eyes on the road.
“Tomorrow we get married.”
Sophia nearly choked.
“Tomorrow?”
“Is there a problem?”
“A problem?”
She laughed nervously.
“Most people spend months planning weddings.”
“We aren’t most people.”
That was true.
Still, the reality hit her hard.
Tomorrow she would become Alexander Blackwood’s wife.
Tomorrow her entire life would change.
Again.
⸻
When they arrived at her apartment building, Alexander stopped the car.
Sophia reached for the door handle.
Then his voice stopped her.
“Sophia.”
Something in his tone made her turn.
Alexander looked unusually serious.
More serious than before.
“I need to tell you something.”
A knot formed in her stomach.
“What is it?”
For several seconds he said nothing.
As if choosing his words carefully.
Finally he spoke.
“My family won’t approve of this marriage.”
Sophia frowned.
“I don’t care what your family thinks.”
“You should.”
The answer came immediately.
His expression darkened.
“My grandfather controls a significant portion of the Blackwood fortune.”
Sophia listened carefully.
“He believes I should marry someone else.”
The pieces started falling into place.
“Victoria?”
Alexander didn’t answer.
Which was answer enough.
Sophia looked away.
So Victoria wasn’t just an ex.
Or an admirer.
She had been chosen for him.
Expected.
Approved.
“And your grandfather won’t be happy when he finds out about me.”
“No.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened.
“He’ll be furious.”
The car became silent.
Sophia suddenly understood.
This marriage wasn’t only about helping her.
It was also about defying someone powerful.
Someone dangerous.
“Then why do it?”
Alexander looked directly at her.
His eyes were colder than she’d ever seen them.
“Because there are things my grandfather doesn’t know.”
A chill ran through her.
“What things?”
Alexander hesitated.
Then he said something that made her blood run cold.
“Someone in my family is trying to destroy me.”
Sophia froze.
“What?”
“I don’t know who.”
His voice was low.
Dangerously low.
“But I know they’re close.”
The weight of those words settled heavily between them.
Family.
Betrayal.
Secrets.
Enemies.
This wasn’t just a marriage contract anymore.
Sophia was stepping into a war.
And she had just signed her name to it.
Alexander opened her car door.
“Get some sleep, Sophia.”
She stepped out slowly.
Still stunned.
As she walked toward her apartment entrance, his final words followed her.
“Tomorrow, everything changes.”
For once…
Sophia believed him.
End of Chapter 7
Next Chapter: On the morning of their courthouse wedding, Sophia discovers that the media has learned about her relationship with Alexander—and someone is willing to do anything to stop the marriage.
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