Signed and Sealed
1195 Words
The pen felt heavier than it should.
Ava stared at the contract, her name already printed neatly at the bottom of the page waiting. Demanding. Final.
“Time is not on your side,” Ethan said, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
Ava tightened her grip on the pen.
This wasn’t just ink on paper. It was her freedom. Her future. Her life.
And she was about to hand it all over to a man who didn’t even want her.
Her chest rose and fell slowly as she forced herself to think her father’s exhausted face, the workers who trusted their family, the home that held every memory she couldn’t afford to lose.
She had no choice.
Or maybe… she had one.
A terrible one.
Ava lowered the pen.
And signed.
The moment her signature was complete, something shifted in the air like a door had closed behind her forever.
Ethan watched her carefully, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he reached forward, took the document, and glanced at it briefly.
“It’s done,” he said.
Just like that.
No emotion. No hesitation.
Ava swallowed. “That’s it? I just sold myself, and all you have to say is it’s done?”
Ethan’s gaze lifted to meet hers. “You didn’t sell yourself. You made a calculated decision.”
“It feels the same.”
A flicker of something crossed his face but it disappeared too quickly to name.
He stood, buttoning his suit jacket. “The wedding is in three days.”
Ava blinked. “Three days?”
“Yes.”
“That’s impossible! I need time there are things to arrange, my father”
“Everything has already been arranged.”
Her breath hitched. “What?”
“You’ll move into my residence tomorrow morning. A stylist will be assigned to you. The ceremony will be private but covered by the media.”
Ava stared at him in disbelief. “You’ve planned all of this… before I even agreed?”
“I don’t deal in uncertainties.”
The cold certainty in his tone made her stomach twist.
“You’re unbelievable,” she muttered.
“And yet,” he said calmly, “you signed.”
Ava looked away, anger and helplessness swirling inside her. “What exactly do you get out of this? A fake wife for one year? That’s it?”
Ethan walked toward the window, his back facing her again.
“You don’t need to understand my reasons,” he said. “You only need to fulfill your role.”
“And what role is that?” she shot back.
He turned slightly, his eyes sharp.
“My wife. In public, you will act the part perfectly. No scandals. No mistakes.”
“And in private?”
A brief pause.
“Stay out of my way,” he said.
The words landed harder than she expected.
Ava forced a small, bitter smile. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near you if I had a choice.”
For a second, something dangerous flickered in Ethan’s eyes.
But instead of responding, he walked past her, stopping just long enough to say
“You should start getting used to it, Mrs. Blackwood.”
The name sent a strange chill down her spine.
Before she could respond, he was gone.
The next morning arrived faster than Ava was ready for.
Her small family home felt quieter than usual, as if it already knew she was leaving.
Her father sat at the dining table, his expression a mix of relief and confusion.
“You said everything is handled?” he asked. “The company… it’s safe?”
Ava forced a smile. “Yes. You don’t have to worry anymore.”
That part, at least, was true.
“What did you have to do?” he pressed gently.
Ava hesitated.
How could she explain that she had just agreed to marry a man who saw her as nothing more than a transaction?
“Just… made a deal,” she said softly.
Her father studied her face, concern deepening. “Ava”
“I’m okay,” she quickly assured him. “Really.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Not yet.
A black luxury car pulled up outside, its presence impossible to ignore.
Ava’s heart skipped.
He works fast.
She picked up her small suitcase.
“You’re leaving already?” her father asked, standing.
“Just for a while,” she said, avoiding his eyes.
He stepped closer and hugged her tightly. “Whatever this deal is… don’t lose yourself in it.”
Ava closed her eyes.
“I won’t,” she whispered.
But even as she said it… she wasn’t sure she believed it.
The drive to Ethan’s mansion was silent.
Ava stared out the window, watching the familiar streets fade into something unfamiliar wealthier, colder, distant.
And then, the gates appeared.
Massive. Imposing.
They opened slowly, revealing a residence that looked less like a home and more like a fortress.
Her new home.
Ava stepped out of the car, her breath catching slightly as she took it all in.
“You’ll get used to it.”
She turned.
Ethan stood at the top of the steps, looking as composed and untouchable as ever.
“How comforting,” she replied dryly.
He ignored the tone. “Your things will be taken to your room.”
“My room?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Not our room?”
A faint pause.
Then
“I prefer space,” he said.
Of course you do.
Ava nodded slowly. “Good. That makes two of us.”
For a brief moment, their eyes met and something unspoken passed between them. Not warmth. Not yet.
But something… unsettled.
Ethan turned away first. “There are rules you need to follow.”
Ava sighed softly. “Of course there are.”
“You will attend all public events with me. You will not speak to the press without approval. And most importantly”
He stepped closer, his voice lowering.
“You will not interfere in my personal matters.”
Ava frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” he said evenly, “you don’t ask questions you don’t need answers to.”
Her stomach tightened.
This wasn’t just a marriage.
It was a carefully controlled arrangement.
A life with invisible boundaries.
“Understood,” she said quietly.
Ethan studied her for a moment longer… then nodded.
“Good.”
As he turned to leave, Ava spoke again.
“One year,” she said.
He stopped.
“That’s the deal,” she continued. “One year, and we go our separate ways.”
Ethan didn’t turn around.
“Yes,” he said.
But something in his tone felt… off.
Not hesitation.
Not doubt.
Something darker.
As if he knew something she didn’t.
Ava watched him walk away, a strange unease settling deep in her chest.
Because for the first time since signing that contract…
She had a terrifying thought.
What if this marriage wasn’t as temporary as he claimed?
And more importantly
What if Ethan Blackwood had no intention of ever letting her go?
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