The Contract That Became Forever

THE LEAK

CHAPTER 8

It started with a headline.

`BILLIONAIRE ETHAN HART’S SECRET MARRIAGE: CONTRACT OR LOVE?`

Sophia saw it at 6 AM while scrolling on her phone in bed. Her stomach dropped.

There was a photo. From the gala. Ethan’s hand on her back. Her looking up at him.

Below it: `Sources say the marriage is a business arrangement to secure Hart Industries. Wife allegedly paid to sign.`

The comments were worse.

`"Gold digger"`

`"Poor girl"`

`"He’ll dump her in 6 months"`

By 7 AM, Mrs. Hale was knocking. "Miss Bennett, there are reporters at the gate."

Sophia threw on clothes and ran downstairs.

Ethan was already in his office. Phone to his ear. Face like stone.

"Shut it down," he was saying. "I don’t care how. Find who leaked it."

He hung up and saw her.

"Don’t read it," he said immediately.

"It’s everywhere," Sophia whispered. "They know. About the contract."

Ethan rubbed his jaw. "We’ll handle it. You don’t have to talk to anyone."

At noon, her phone buzzed. Unknown number.

`Meet me at The Meridian Hotel. Room 412. 2 PM. I can make this worth your while. -V`

Victoria.

Sophia shouldn’t have gone. But she did.

Victoria was waiting with a contract and a check. $2,000,000.

"Walk away now," Victoria said, smiling. "Sign this NDA. Say the marriage was fake. Take the money and disappear. Ethan will thank you."

Sophia stared at the check. Two million dollars. More than she’d ever seen.

"He doesn’t need to know," Victoria added. "You can be free."

Sophia picked up the pen. Her hand shook.

Then she put it down.

"No," Sophia said quietly. "I’m not for sale."

She walked out.

---

When she got home, Ethan was waiting in the living room.

"Where were you?" he asked, standing.

"With Victoria," Sophia said. "She offered me 2 million to leave."

Ethan went still. "And?"

"I told her no."

For a long time, Ethan didn’t speak. Then he crossed the room and stopped in front of her.

"Why?" he asked. His voice was low.

Sophia looked up at him. "Because the contract might be fake. But I’m not."

Ethan stared at her. Something cracked in his eyes.

He reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered.

"Thank you," he whispered.