Until the Contract Ends

7

The restaurant was exactly what Nadia expected from a place Xavier would choose.

Expensive.

Quiet.

And unnecessarily intimidating.

It was one of the most exclusive restaurants in Los Angeles—the kind where reservations were made weeks in advance and the staff somehow managed to make you feel underdressed without saying a word.

Their table was tucked away in a private lounge, far from the main dining area.

Warm lighting.

Elegant furniture.

Impossibly attentive service.

Everything about the place screamed money.

Nadia looked around.

“You really didn’t have to do all this.”

Xavier glanced at her.

“I’m not doing it for you.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Ryenzo is one of my most important partners. He gets the best.”

“And apparently his partner’s partner gets the best too.”

“Exactly.”

Nadia rolled her eyes.

Across from them, Ryenzo Lawrence looked completely at ease.

He was in his early fifties, dressed in a dark suit that looked as though it had been made specifically for him. He had the calm confidence of a man who was accustomed to being listened to.

And he’d been watching Nadia and Xavier since they arrived.

“So,” he said, taking a sip of his drink.

“How did you two meet?”

Nadia nearly froze.

She looked at Xavier.

Xavier looked at her.

Neither spoke.

Of all the things they’d discussed before tonight—the contract, the wedding, the press, the thirty months—they had somehow forgotten the one question everyone was guaranteed to ask.

How did you meet?

Nadia opened her mouth.

Xavier beat her to it.

“We met through business.”

Ryenzo leaned back.

“Business?”

“Before Sterling Corp became what it is now, I was looking for opportunities. WhitCo was one of the companies I considered working with.”

Nadia nodded.

“I remember that.”

Xavier turned toward her.

“You do?”

“Barely.”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“I was there for a meeting. I saw her.”

Ryenzo’s eyebrows lifted.

“And?”

“And I thought she was interesting.”

Nadia stared at him.

“Interesting?”

“You were very serious.”

“I was working.”

“You still looked interesting.”

Ryenzo chuckled.

“And you never approached her?”

“I considered it.”

Nadia folded her arms.

“You never approached me.”

“I changed my mind.”

“Obviously.”

Xavier shrugged.

“I eventually lost interest in working with WhitCo.”

Ryenzo nodded slowly.

“And then?”

“Nothing,” Xavier said. “We went our separate ways.”

“And somehow ended up engaged years later?”

“Something like that.”

Ryenzo looked between them.

Silence.

Nadia knew exactly what he was thinking.

Their story was terrible.

Not because it was unbelievable.

Because it was boring.

There was no spark.

No lingering looks.

No accidental touches.

Nothing that suggested two people had somehow gone from strangers to engaged.

Every smile felt forced.

Every glance looked rehearsed.

And Ryenzo clearly noticed.

He slowly placed his glass on the table.

“I have a question.”

Nadia straightened.

“Go ahead.”

“Are you two actually in love?”

The question landed harder than she expected.

Nadia glanced at Xavier.

He didn’t answer.

Ryenzo continued.

“Because if I’m being honest…”

He leaned back.

“You two look like business partners who were told to smile for a camera.”

Nadia nearly choked on her drink.

Xavier, however, didn’t even blink.

He simply looked at her.

Then, without warning, he reached across the space between them and slipped an arm around her shoulders.

Nadia froze.

His warmth immediately sank through the fabric of her clothes.

A strange shiver ran down her arm.

She hated that she noticed.

She hated even more that she didn’t immediately move away.

Xavier pulled her slightly closer.

“No, sir,” he said calmly.

“I love Nadia very much.”

Nadia looked at him.

For one brief second, she forgot they were pretending.

Then reality returned.

She smiled.

Just a little.

Ryenzo’s entire expression changed.

“There.”

He pointed between them.

“That.”

Nadia blinked.

“What?”

“That look.”

He smiled, satisfied.

“That is the chemistry I’ve been looking for.”

Xavier’s arm remained around her.

Ryenzo picked up his glass.

“Now I believe you.”

Nadia smiled politely.

Xavier finally released her.

She quietly exhaled.

She hadn’t even realized she’d been holding her breath.

Ryenzo took another sip.

“So,” he said casually, “let’s talk business.”

Nadia almost laughed.

Of course.

The conversation shifted.

Ryenzo explained that the contract between Enzo Pharmaceuticals and Sterling Corp would become one of the company’s longest partnerships.

Ten years.

Nadia listened carefully.

“Ten years?”

Ryenzo nodded.

“Ten years.”

“And it’s irreversible?”

“Once it’s signed, it’s signed. Neither party can wake up one morning and decide they don’t want it anymore.”

Xavier nodded.

“That was one of the reasons I wanted this deal.”

Ryenzo smiled.

“And that’s exactly why I chose you.”

His gaze shifted toward Nadia.

“Your husband-to-be has built something impressive.”

He paused.

“But I wanted to know who stood beside him.”

Nadia smiled politely.

“Well, I hope I made a good impression.”

“You did.”

Ryenzo raised his glass.

“To ten years.”

Xavier lifted his.

“To ten years.”

Nadia joined them.

“To ten years.”

Their glasses clinked.

And for the first time that evening, Nadia allowed herself to think about how much had changed.

A few months ago, WhitCo had been drowning in debt.

Now she was engaged to one of the most successful young businessmen in the country.

That same man had just secured a ten-year contract with one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the industry.

Everything was falling into place.

Too easily.

Nadia had learned a long time ago that when something felt too easy, it usually meant there was something she hadn’t seen yet.

And somehow, she suspected she would find out what that something was soon enough.

⸻

The drive home was quiet.

Nadia sat in the passenger seat, watching the lights of Los Angeles blur past the window.

“You were good tonight,” Xavier said.

She glanced at him.

“I was?”

“You convinced him.”

“You convinced him.”

“I had help.”

Nadia laughed softly.

“Don’t get used to compliments.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

Silence settled between them again.

Not uncomfortable.

Just… different.

Nadia looked out the window.

She could still feel the warmth of his arm around her.

Annoyingly, she remembered exactly how it had felt.

She pushed the thought away.

They were pretending.

That’s all it was.

When they finally reached the Whitmore residence, Xavier pulled up in front of the house.

Nadia unbuckled her seat belt.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“You’re welcome.”

She opened the door.

“Goodnight.”

“Nadia.”

She paused.

She looked back.

Xavier’s expression was unreadable.

“Tomorrow.”

She frowned.

“What about tomorrow?”

“We have wedding planning.”

Nadia stared at him.

“Oh.”

Right.

The wedding.

She’d almost forgotten.

“Goodnight, Xavier.”

“Goodnight, Miss Whitmore.”

Nadia stepped out of the car.

She had barely taken two steps toward the house when she heard her father’s voice.

“Xavier?”

She stopped.

Conrad stood at the entrance.

His eyes were fixed on Xavier.

Not Nadia.

Xavier.

For a moment, something changed in his expression.

His brows pulled together.

His eyes narrowed.

He looked almost confused.

Then—

“You remind me of someone.”

Xavier’s expression didn’t change.

“Someone you know?”

Conrad didn’t answer immediately.

He continued staring at him.

“I don’t know.”

Nadia sighed.

“Dad.”

“No, I mean it.”

Conrad took another step forward.

“There’s something familiar about you.”

Xavier remained perfectly calm.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing.”

Conrad finally smiled.

“Hopefully.”

But his eyes didn’t leave Xavier.

Nadia noticed.

And for some reason, it bothered her.

“Dad, let it go.”

“I was just saying.”

“I know.”

She turned back toward Xavier.

“Goodnight.”

He nodded.

“Goodnight.”

Nadia turned toward the house.

She had barely reached the front door when—

“WAIT!”

She closed her eyes.

Of course.

Mali came flying down the stairs.

She stopped dead when she saw Xavier.

Her eyes widened.

“Oh my God.”

Nadia didn’t even turn around.

“No.”

Mali ignored her completely.

“You’re Xavier Sterling!”

Xavier laughed.

“I am.”

“Can I get a picture?”

“Mali.”

“What?”

Nadia finally turned around.

“You’re embarrassing yourself.”

“I don’t care.”

Xavier smiled.

“Sure.”

Mali immediately pulled out her phone and rushed toward him.

“Oh my God. Thank you. I can’t believe you’re actually here.”

Nadia watched as her sister took one picture.

Then another.

Then another.

“One more!”

“Mali.”

“Last one!”

“You said that two pictures ago.”

Mali laughed.

“I’ve literally seen you on the news.”

Xavier smiled politely.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing.”

“It definitely is.”

Nadia rolled her eyes.

“I’m going upstairs.”

Mali waved dismissively.

“Goodnight, Nadia.”

“Traitor.”

She disappeared into the house.

Behind her, Xavier said goodbye to Conrad and Mali before getting back into his car.

He paused before starting the engine.

His eyes lifted toward the Whitmore house.

Toward the windows.

Toward the place where Nadia had disappeared.

Then he started the car.

The headlights swept across the driveway before disappearing into the night.

Inside the house, Nadia had already forgotten about him.

She had forgotten about Ryenzo.

Forgotten about the ten-year contract.

Forgotten about Conrad’s strange reaction.

For now.

Because none of them knew that the thirty-month agreement had already begun changing things.

And some secrets didn’t stay buried forever.