CLAIMED BY CONTRACT

Emily Carter had always believed herself resilient. Sharp witted, poised, capable of smiling through the worst storms in Milan’s high society. But nothing, not her father’s icy detachment, not her mother’s early death, not even the relentless expectations placed on her as the Carter heiress had prepared her for what it felt like to be sold. The morning after the deal was sealed, the marble foyer of the Carter estate was eerily silent. No housekeepers humming in the background. No clinking of glassware. Just the ticking of the grandfather clock as she stood, waiting, suitcase by her feet, back ramrod straight, fury burning like acid behind her eyes. “I don’t see why you’re being so dramatic,” her father said, glancing up from the document in his hands. “You’re not being handed to a monster. You’re marrying the most powerful man in Milan.” “To pay off your mistakes.” Her voice was calm. Deadly. “Let’s not dress it up as anything more than what it is.” Richard Carter barely flinched. “You’ll be taken care of. That’s more than I can say for what would’ve happened if Daniel Reid hadn’t stepped in.” Emily laughed. It was bitter. “Funny, considering he’s the one rumored to have orchestrated our collapse.” Her father’s eyes flickered. “Rumors are for the lower class.” But she’d seen the signs. Reid Enterprises had circled like vultures around C Holdings before it fell. Subsidiaries were snatched, contracts renegotiated and now the man who had held the knife would be her husband. A sleek black car pulled up outside the estate. Her ride, a one way express to her prison. "And if I refuse? If I don't want to marry him?", she asked. Richard put down the document in his hand and glanced up at her for the first time since she walked inside the room. "We will never recover. You think marrying Daniel Reid is hell? You have yet to see real hell", he said in a matter of fact tone. Emily could use many words to describe her father but being a bluffer wasn't one of them. And as she looked into his eyes now, past the coldness she saw the true emotion, he was feeling right now, fear. Emily looked back once, just once, at the grand house she’d grown up in. The house that had never felt like home. Then she picked up her suitcase and walked out the door. --- The drive to the Reid estate was long, silent, and uncomfortable. The guards that flanked her in the car said nothing. Eyes forward. Hands never straying far from the guns beneath their jackets. Emily stared out the window as the city transformed. Urban Milan faded into the rolling green hills on the outskirts. Then, beyond tall gates and guarded checkpoints, the estate came into view. Reid Manor wasn’t a house, it was a fortress. The mansion sat atop a small hill, surrounded by manicured gardens and high stone walls. It had the look of old money. Regal. Untouchable. Cold. As the car came to a stop, the driver opened the door, but no one reached to help her out. Emily exited on her own, chin held high. If she was walking into hell, she’d do it unbent. Daniel wasn’t at the door to receive her. She was led inside by a man in black, silent and grim-faced. The halls were wide and marble-lined, with polished floors that reflected her like a ghost. No family photos. No warmth. Just opulence and silence. They stopped at a large wooden door. “Your room,” the man said curtly, unlocking it with a key. Your room. Not the master bedroom, not our room. Good. The less he thought of her as a wife, the better. Emily stepped inside. The room was enormous, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of the private gardens. A four poster bed stood in the center, flanked by matching nightstands. Everything screamed luxury. She dropped her suitcase on the bed and turned to the guard. “When do I meet him?” The man didn’t blink. “Mr. Reid will summon you when he’s ready.” Then he left, locking the door behind him. Emily’s jaw tightened. So she was a guest and a prisoner. --- Hours passed. Then days. Daniel Reid made no appearance. He didn’t call. Didn’t send a message. Nothing. Emily quickly discovered the estate was heavily monitored. She wasn’t permitted to leave her wing. She had access to the garden, always under the watch of guards but the main house was off limits. ~ It was on the fifth day that Daniel finally showed his face. Emily had just finished her evening tea when the door opened without a knock. She turned, poised, spine straight. The moment she laid eyes on him, her stomach twisted. He was taller than she remembered. Dressed in black, with tailored precision. His hair was slicked back in that same immaculate way he always wore it and his dark eyes assessed her like a weapon sizing up its target. Daniel Reid, her husband, her captor, her enemy. “Emily,” he said, voice cool. “I trust the room is to your liking.” She crossed her arms. “You could’ve sent a fruit basket if you cared about hospitality.” He ignored the jab and walked inside. “I’m a busy man.” “Too busy to greet your new bride?” He gave her a look. One that said she was a joke to him. “This isn’t a honeymoon.” “No,” she said. “It’s a ransom.” A flicker passed through his expression, approval? amusement?, then it vanished. “You’re here because your father signed the contract. I saved your family from complete ruin. You should be grateful.” “Grateful?” Her voice rose. “You orchestrated our collapse, you bastard.” Daniel stepped closer, and the air shifted. Gone was the calm, unreadable mask. In its place was a cold fire. “Be careful with your accusations,” he said softly. “You don’t want to make enemies, you can’t survive.” Emily refused to flinch. “I already did. His name is Daniel Reid.” A long silence passed between them. Then he turned away. “I don’t care what you believe,” he said, voice low. “You belong to me now. You’ll play the role, smile for the cameras if needed and keep your head down. In return, you’ll live a comfortable life.” “And if I don’t comply?” He turned back to her. “Then I’ll remind you exactly who owns you.” The words landed like a slap. Emily’s fingers curled into fists. She wanted to hit him. Scream. Instead, she smiled. “Try me.” --- That night, Emily didn’t sleep. She paced her room like a lioness, caged and furious. The man was as cold as the rumors said. But there was something else. Something deeper beneath his detached cruelty. The way he looked at her, it wasn’t just power play, it was something personal. And that terrified her more than anything. Because men like Daniel didn’t let things go. They conquered them. Owned them. Destroyed them. She had to get out. She stalked over to the large windows and stared out of it. Dusk was quickly descending but to be safer she would wait till it was darker out, then she would make her move.