The Terms
391 Words
Chapter 2: The Terms
Elena stared at him, stunned.
“Marry you?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
Jaxon Wolfe didn’t flinch. “Yes. A legal marriage. One year. No extensions.”
She blinked. “Why?”
He turned away, walking to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Manhattan skyline. “Because I need a wife. Temporarily. For reasons that don’t concern you.”
“You want me to be... your puppet bride?”
He glanced over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. “I want you to play a role. You’ll wear my ring, attend my events, live in my penthouse. You’ll smile when I tell you to. And when we’re alone—” He paused, his eyes locking onto hers. “You’ll be mine.”
The air thickened.
“I’m not for sale,” she snapped.
“Everyone has a price,” he replied coolly, walking back to her. “Yours is exactly 1.5 million dollars. Enough to save your failing business. Enough to keep your sister in college. Enough to buy your freedom—after the year ends.”
Elena’s fingers clenched. “What do you get out of this?”
His smile was slow, calculated. “Control. Appearance. And the satisfaction of having something no one else can touch.”
Her cheeks flamed. “You’re insane.”
“Maybe,” he said, stepping closer. “But you’re still listening.”
And she was.
Because he was right.
She needed that money. Desperately.
But could she really survive being married to a man like him?
Cold. Calculated. Magnetic.
She hated how her heart was racing. Hated the dangerous thrill crawling up her spine.
Jaxon extended a sleek black folder.
“The contract. Read it. Call me tomorrow with your answer.”
Elena looked at it but didn’t reach.
“If I say yes,” she said quietly, “what else does this contract require?”
His gaze darkened.
“You live in my house. You wear my ring. You attend every public event I ask. And behind closed doors…” He stepped so close she could feel his breath. “You’re mine to touch. Mine to hold. Mine to break—if I want to.”
Her heart pounded.
It wasn’t just a deal.
It was a storm.
And she was about to walk into the center of it.
- Writer
