Contractually Inspired

Chapter 3: The Fine Print

​The interior of Christian Sterling's private car was quiet. Outside, the city traffic blurred into streaks of light, but inside the leather cabin, the space felt completely shut off from the rest of the world.

Elena sat as close to the door as possible, her arms crossed tight over her chest. The heat from the man sitting next to her was hard to ignore. He hadn't put his suit jacket back on, and the white shirt with the red wine stain made him look surprisingly unbothered by the absurdity of everything.

"You're quiet," Christian noted, turning his head toward her. "Usually, people in your spot are either trying to save their job or asking for money."

Elena snapped her gaze away from the tinted window and glared at him. "I'm calculating how much it costs to change my name and move somewhere billionaires don't exist."

A faint smile touched the corner of Christian's mouth. "Island living sounds nice, but your family bakery isn't going to pay itself off from a beach. Your grandfather's mortgage is due in less than six weeks."

Her jaw tightened. "You actually read vendor files? That's ridiculous, Mr. Sterling."

"It's called basic research," he corrected smoothly, reaching into the console between their seats and pulling out a slim leather folder. He set it down right between them. "I don't leave things to chance, Elena. You shouldn't either."

She looked down at the folder, her heart beating a little faster. "What's this?"

"The agreement," Christian said, his tone turning businesslike. "Three months. That's all I need. You attend a few high profile galas with me each month, smile for the cameras, and play the part of the fiancée who somehow got me to settle down. In return, my team clears your family's bakery debt in full by tomorrow morning."

Elena stared at the folder, her mind searching for the catch. "And what happens after three months? When your birthday passes and your cousin loses his chance at the board?"

"The contract ends," Christian replied directly. "You walk away with a clean slate, a debt free bakery, and enough extra money that you'll never have to work an event for my company again."

"And if I say no?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

Christian leaned in slightly, his dark eyes locked on hers. "Then you go back inside, face my board members, and watch your business lose its clients before tomorrow morning. You're smart, Elena. Don't waste time trying to see if I'm bluffing."

There was no drama in his voice, just plain facts. He ran a massive company, and right now, he had her completely backed into a corner.

Elena reached out and picked up the leather folder, opening it up. The terms were spelled out in plain text.

"Fine," she said, looking straight at him. "If we're doing this, you don't get to tell me how to run my side of things. And you never complain about my choices again."

Christian watched her for a second, then gave a brief nod. "Deal."