Contract
2377 Words
CHAPTER 2
Matteo lifted his eyes from his phone at the sound of Astra's question.
He tried to read her expression. Her brows were furrowed, so she was definitely showing signs of anger, he thought.
But why was she angry? He questioned in his head, unable to understand why she was fuming.
Matteo had always had difficulties reading expressions and people's emotions since he was young. All his life, he had never shed any tears for anyone, except when his father died.
Matteo's lawyer and best friend, Finn Greg, walked into the living room with a document in his hand.
He walked up to Astra and stretched it out to her.
Astra glared at him. "And who are you?" she fired in an unpleasant tone.
"Finn Greg, Caldwell Corporation's lawyer!" he introduced himself, and Astra snatched the paper from his hand.
Her eyes scanned through it, her jaw almost dropping to the floor as she read the contract declaring the Valmont family's debt cleared if they produced an heir for the Caldwell family, regardless of the consequences that the pregnancy might cause. Allegra's signature sat right at the bottom of the paper.
Astra staggered in shock, and Camilla quickly snatched the paper to read it as well.
"I'm suggesting that is the answer to all your questions. Caldwell is a corporation, not a murdering agency... Allegra couldn't complete her task and I've come to collect it. Who's going to stand in for her?" Matteo asked seriously, his eyes darting towards Camilla.
Astra stayed silent, hot tears still dropping from her eyes. Why? Why would you do that? Why would you bear a child when you know you've got a weak heart? Why, Allegra? Why? she screamed in her head, then snapped back to reality in a flash.
"She still wore the dress from yesterday? We watched it on TV... Yes, she wasn't looking too good, but not to the extent of losing her life. What did you do to my sister? Tell me!" Astra charged, facing Matteo.
Finn blocked her view by standing in front of her.
"My condolences, but it was an unexpected event. During the event at the governor's party, she had episodes of almost passing out, but she didn't. She requested to go back home to rest. We all thought it was the usual pregnancy hormones triggering. She slept with her clothes on, probably because she was too tired to change and..." He paused, unable to finish the sentence as he noticed the rolling tears of the family.
Astra moved slowly to one of the couches for support so she wouldn't fall or pass out.
Matteo tried to read her every expression, trying to match the meaning to the gesture and emotion book photographed in his brain from many years of study.
He turned to Camilla; her breath came in ragged gasps.
"Back to my question... Who will stand in for Allegra? Things are tight in the boardroom, and whispers are going around about my fertility. That is totally ruining my reputation and tampering with my company's shares and image. I must have an heir," Matteo stated firmly.
Astra took off her slippers and threw them at him angrily and helplessly.
"My sister's body is probably still warm out there, and you're already talking about a stand-in... How could you be so heartless? Why didn't you take her to the hospital? They might have been able to save her, but no, you brought her here in cold blood just to—" Astra uttered, her voice shaky and her hands trembling.
She held her chest, which was aching with pain. Before she could pull herself together, a loud thud was heard from behind.
Camilla collapsed on the hardwood floor.
Astra turned around slowly, her heart racing from uncertainty at a sight she would kill not to see.
"Mum!" she screamed the moment she saw her mother lying on the floor unconscious.
MINUTES LATER...
Camilla was rushed to the Caldwell Hospital in the middle of the bustling city of LA.
Security guards stood their ground at the VIP floor. Patients and medical personnel were restricted from going anywhere near that entire floor.
The morgue was also strictly guarded. All the security cameras were turned off.
Matteo, Finn, and Astra stood in the hallway outside the room Camilla was resting in. A drip was connected to her vein while the BP machine beeped with every intake of breath.
Astra leaned against the wall, her hair completely messy, her face and eyes already pale from stress and so much sobbing. She had a hiccuping sob, which left her tired and exhausted.
"I'll get straight to the point. I canceled two important meetings that would bring me billions just to be here... You've got 24 hours to think hard on what you will do next... You either allow your mother to pay the debt, that's if she can still carry an embryo, or you stand in your sister's place and give me an heir!" Matteo declared, his eyes calm and unreadable.
Astra lifted her gaze to him, and she felt every ounce of hatred and anger boiling inside of her. She clenched her trembling hands.
"And what happens if we don't? I bet you've got millions of women standing in a queue just to carry your child. Why my family? Allegra lost her life just to pay that debt. A life for a life."
An elevator bell dinged open and a beautiful lady in her mid-fifties stepped out, her red-bottom heels echoing off the hallway as she walked towards them. She then took her phone away from her ear. It turned out she had been on a call with Finn.
"If you don't do it, then get ready to watch everything you love burn to the ground. I'm Matteo Caldwell; I never make empty threats. You've got 24 hours, Valmont," Matteo declared. Without waiting for a reply from Astra, he turned around to leave and saw his mother right behind him.
"Mat, go ahead... You're late for your meeting. I'll take it from here!" Bellamy uttered, patting his shoulder.
He nodded and headed to the elevator with Finn.
Astra stared at this family in disbelief. They had actually just lost their daughter-in-law, yet they looked like today was the best day of their lives. Her heart broke at every word they spoke, yet they spoke like nothing had happened.
Bellamy walked closer to Astra and leaned in.
"Even if the entire Valmont family loses their lives, it still won't be enough to account for the loss of my husband and my unborn grandchild. So if you don't wish to lose your mother next, you better think twice!" Bellamy threatened, her voice low and intimidating.
The words sent shivers down Astra's spine. She couldn't rebuke them or utter any words. She stood there, numb and tired.
Bellamy turned around and left without looking back.
Astra slid down the wall until she was seated on the floor. She buried her face in her knees as tears soaked her sweatpants.
All the words spoken didn't get to her. Her brain had shut down on everything other than Allegra's death.
She looked down the hallway, and all she could see was her sister lying on a mortuary stretcher, all pale and cold.
Just yesterday I heard your voice, Allegra. You were fine yesterday. They claim your body couldn't take it, but I don't believe a word they say. They're liars. No single sign of remorse or affection in their eyes. They ended you like they would do to a mere insect, Astra thought, tears dropping down uncontrollably.
I don't believe you gave up just like that. They must have done something to you. And I'll get to the bottom of it, she thought, and sprinted on her heels as she rushed into the elevator down to the morgue floor.
Upon getting there, she found it was heavily guarded. Astra wore her hoodie up to avoid too many eyes on her. She walked to the door, but the guards stopped her.
She gently pulled down her hoodie, and the security men's eyes widened in shock.
"I wish to spend some time with my sister!" Astra said in a demanding, cracked voice.
"Yes, Ma'am!" they uttered in unison and moved away swiftly, thinking it was their boss's wife.
Astra clipped her lips, holding back the tears as she went into the morgue.
Her legs felt like lead as she walked closer to the stretcher where Allegra was lying.
She looked behind her and the door was shut tight. She moved quickly and removed the white cloth used to cover her up. With her medical experience, she checked for any abnormalities on the body.
Tears rolled down her eyes and dropped onto the body as she scanned through it. When she was about to cover her back up, her gaze caught a dark bluish bruise mark on the right side of her ribs.
She quickly took out her phone and snapped a picture of it.
"Those monsters did this to you..." Astra sobbed silently.
NEXT DAY...
Allegra was laid to rest without the media getting a clue about it. She was buried in a peaceful place far away from the bustling city.
Camilla sat in the passenger seat of Astra's car. They cried for hours alone in the car.
The Caldwell family all wore dark shades to hide their pretentious eyes of remorse and sympathy. They moved in unison toward their entourage.
Matteo turned to Astra's car, and he knew she was looking. He pointed at his wristwatch, a reminder of what he had told her yesterday. He stared for a while; there was something that pulled him towards her. Something strange. He got into his car, brushing off his thoughts.
Camilla snorted into her handkerchief, pulling Astra away from the monstrous thoughts that were brewing in her mind.
"I'm sorry, Astra! I'm sorry," Camilla said in a cracked tone.
Astra buried her face in her palms, tears escaping through her fingers. It was a silent cry.
"I'm sorry!" Camilla repeated, as though she was seeking validation from her daughter.
Astra still didn't utter a word.
Camilla leaned in closer, wiping off her tears.
"Astra, please say something... You haven't spoken to me since we left the hospital. I'm sorry I agreed to their terms, okay? I had no choice. It was better to lay her to rest than leave her in that cold and unpleasant room..."
Astra turned around angrily.
"Mum, Allegra isn't just some pet who should be buried without the world knowing or paying their last respects to her. My sister lived a good life. She had friends—close friends who would do anything to be by her side for the last time... But you allowed them to—" she paused and looked away, her eyes red from crying.
"I'm sorry..." Camilla uttered in between tears.
Astra fastened her seatbelt angrily and placed her hands on the steering wheel.
"Let's just go home!"
Hours later...
Astra drove her mum home. They both locked themselves up in their respective rooms.
The Valmont house was a quiet solace. Even the sound of water dripping from the tap could be heard due to the silence.
Astra sat by the window, her phone in her hand as she scrolled through pictures with Allegra during their happy days at college and their birthday parties at home.
Knock!
Knock!
Camilla knocked on the door before coming in. Astra wiped her tears and stood up from the window.
Her mother stood at the door, hesitating before speaking.
"Astra, please don't do it!"
"Do what?" she asked calmly, with zero energy in her tone.
Camilla bit her lower lip, which was trembling.
"I can't lose you either. Don't stand in place for Allegra. Even if the Caldwells strip us of every single thing we have, don't go!"
Astra stared at her mother, who was looking pale and stressed from the whole ordeal. She walked to her mother, held her hand, and pulled her to the dining room.
"Astra, I'm not hungry," Camilla protested.
Astra didn't say anything. She took out some prepared dishes from the fridge and slid them into the microwave. Seconds later it was ready; she brought it out and dished it onto their plates. She pulled out a chair for herself quietly.
As she dug into the meal, tears were dropping, but she fetched a spoonful of the food and forced it into her mouth.
Camilla watched her and burst into tears. She pulled out a chair and joined her. They ate with tears in their eyes.
Suddenly, Astra's phone buzzed with notifications from her neighbors at the clinic.
She sluggishly took the phone out of her pocket and sniffed back her tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her palm to clear her vision.
The spoon in her hand dropped when she tapped into one of the messages; it was a photo of her clinic blazing in fire.
"Astra, what's wrong?" Camilla asked curiously, seeing the shocked expression on her face.
Astra stood up swiftly and darted for the door. Upon grabbing the doorknob, she found Finn standing there with a briefcase in his hand, and in his other hand was his phone.
He was apparently on a phone call with Matteo. The call was on loudspeaker.
"Your 24 hours have elapsed. Your mum is next!" Matteo's voice dropped, and the line went dead.
Finn stood confident and unwavering.
"I've got the contract here... So what do you say? Will you sign it or not?"
Astra's facial expression went blank. She stretched out her hand to him. "I'll sign it!"
- Writer
