The contract bride

A fragile heart

Chapter 9 (Continuation): "A Fragile Heart"

Linda shut her bedroom door, leaning against it as she let out a shaky breath. Her heart still raced, and her cheeks burned from the encounter with Liam. The man had an infuriating ability to make her feel like she was walking a tightrope—one moment steady, the next on the verge of falling.

Her gaze drifted to the stack of papers resting on the small desk in the corner of the room—the contract. Its bold, black lettering seemed to mock her. “Terms of Agreement.” The words felt heavier than they should, carrying the weight of her uncertain future.

Why did she agree to this? Was it desperation, hope, or the naive belief that she could handle a man like Liam Castellano?

Linda crossed the room and sank into the chair by the desk. She hesitated before reaching for the document, her fingers brushing the crisp edges of the pages. With a resigned sigh, she flipped through it, her eyes skimming over the clauses she had read a dozen times before.

The contract was straightforward on paper: 5 years engagement, public appearances, and the illusion of a perfect couple. But hidden between the lines was the unspoken reality—she was a pawn in a game she barely understood.

Her mind wandered back to the gala. She could still hear the applause when Liam had proposed, the blinding flashes of cameras capturing the moment as if it were a fairy tale. For everyone else, it was a picture-perfect love story. But for her, it was a carefully constructed lie.

Linda pressed her palms against her temples, trying to drown out the noise in her head. She hated the vulnerability creeping into her heart—the fear that she was losing herself in a world she didn’t belong to.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sofly twisting of her room door revealing Liam Castellano, standing in her room with a breakfast tray in one hand. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and he wore an infuriatingly confident smirk.

“Hey, princess,” Liam drawled, setting the tray on her bedside table.

Linda frowned, pulling her blanket closer. “What are you doing in my room? Don’t you knock?”

“Technically, it’s my house. Knocking is optional,” he quipped, pulling a chair closer to the bed and sitting down with all the authority of a king addressing his subjects. He stared at the stack of papers and a pen on the table beside her.

I see you already dropped the contact paper in my room, clearly annoyed by his smug demeanor.

“Oh, you mean Your golden ticket,” Liam said with a grin. “The contract. Read through it, add whatever terms you want, and then we sign.”

Linda raised an eyebrow, picking up the first page. Her eyes scanned the details quickly: Five-year term, initial payment of $2 million, final payment of $5 million.

She froze and looked up at him. “Are you serious? You’re paying me to be your wife?”

Liam leaned back in his chair, completely unfazed. “Think of it as compensation for your time and effort. You’re getting the better end of the deal here.”

Linda scoffed, flipping through the rest of the contract. “Separate bedrooms, right?”

Liam shrugged. “If you insist.”

“No intimacy,” Linda added firmly.

Liam arched an eyebrow, his lips curving into a mischievous smile. “Are you sure about that? Look at this body.” He gestured to himself dramatically, his tone dripping with mock arrogance.

Linda’s breath hitched involuntarily, and her mind betrayed her, flashing back to that night. The kiss. The heat. The unrelenting pleasure. She quickly shook her head, forcing herself to snap out of it.

“No intimacy,” she repeated sternly, though her cheeks burned with the memory.

Liam chuckled, his voice low and teasing. “If you say so, princess.”

“And another thing,” Linda continued, regaining her composure. “Our relationship stays strictly public. Outside, we’re the picture-perfect couple. Inside, we go our separate ways.”

“Separate ways, separate beds, separate rooms,” Liam repeated, nodding. “Anything else, Your Majesty?”

Linda stared at him for a moment before adding, “The money needs to be more.”

Liam’s brow furrowed slightly. “Excuse me?”

“You’re worth billions, Liam. Five million dollars isn’t going to cut it for five years of playing house,” Linda said, crossing her arms.

Liam’s smirk returned. “Negotiating already? Fine. What’s your price?”

“Seven million dollars upfront. Ten million dollars at the end of the contract.”

Liam whistled low, shaking his head. “You’re expensive, princess.”

“And you can afford it,” she shot back.

“Deal,” Liam said after a moment, scribbling the updated numbers onto the contract. He slid it toward her with the pen. “Sign here.”

Linda hesitated for a second, then picked up the pen and scrawled her name on the dotted line.

“Welcome to the team,” Liam said with a grin, grabbing the contract and standing up. “Now, get dressed. We’re going to your place to grab your things.”

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At Linda’s Apartment

Liam leaned against the doorframe as Linda rummaged through her drawers. He had made it very clear she wouldn’t need her old clothes.

“Why are you just standing there?” Linda asked, glaring at him.

“I’m here to supervise. Can’t have you sneaking anything that doesn’t scream ‘Mrs. Castellano.’”

Linda rolled her eyes. “I’m taking my documents, and that’s it.”

“Good girl,” Liam teased, earning a glare from Linda.

As she packed her documents into a small bag, Liam crossed his arms and casually added, “Oh, and we’re going to start scheduling dates.”

Linda paused. “Dates? For what?”

“To make us look like a happy couple, of course. Paparazzi will be all over us after today’s announcement, and we need to sell this.”

Linda nodded, though she still felt uneasy. Then, as if struck by a thought, she turned to him. “Wait… dates I get. But… are we actually getting married? Like… for real?”

Liam’s gaze met hers, and for a moment, his expression softened. Then he smiled and turned toward the door.

“I’ll explain later,” he said, walking out.

“No! I need answers, Liam!” Linda shouted after him, following him to the car.

But Liam only smirked as he opened the car door for her. “Patience, princess.”

Linda glared at him as she slid into the car, muttering under her breath. She had a sinking feeling this arrangement was going to be far more complicated than she had anticipated.

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