The Contract
1072 Words
ALISA'S POV
Alisa waited until the sound of his expensive car faded into the distance before she dared to move. The silence in Mabel’s apartment felt heavy, like the air right before a storm.
"He’s insane," Mabel whispered, still standing by the kitchen door. "Lis, he’s actually insane."
I didn't answer. My eyes were locked on the thick, manila folder sitting on the center table. It looked innocent enough, but I knew that inside were the strings Caden Williams intended to tie around my life.
With trembling hands, I reached out and picked it up. The paper felt heavy and expensive, just like him.
"What does it say?" Mabel asked, coming to sit beside me.
I flipped the cover open. The first thing I saw was a photo of myself—from the flower shop. It wasn't a professional photo; it was a surveillance shot. Like he had been watching me long before that night. My stomach did a sick flip.
I turned the page.
MARRIAGE CONTRACT: TERMS AND CONDITIONS
My eyes blurred as I tried to read the legal jargon, but the main points stood out in bold letters:
Duration: One year from the date of signing.
Public Image: Both parties must appear as a devoted couple at all public functions.
Protection: Caden Williams provides full security for Alisa Jacobs and her immediate family (Max Jacobs).
Confidentiality: Any breach of the secret behind Tristan Geraldine’s death results in immediate termination and the handing over of evidence to the authorities.
"He's offering to protect Max," I whispered, my finger tracing my brother's name. "But only if I become his wife."
"It’s a trap, Alisa," Mabel said, her voice full of worry. "Look at the fine print."
I scrolled down to the bottom of the page. There was a section about "Marital Rights" and "Living Arrangements." It stated that I would have to move into the Williams estate immediately. I wouldn't be allowed to leave without a security detail. I wouldn't even be allowed to use my own phone.
I would be a queen in public, but a prisoner in private.
But then, I saw the last page. It was a printout of a news article that hadn't been published yet. The headline made my blood run cold:
"FLORIST OR FATAL ATTRACTION? NEW EVIDENCE LINKS ALISA JACOBS TO THE GERALDINE ASSASSINATION."
Underneath was a grainy photo of me and Max in the alleyway. Caden wasn't just offering a contract; he was showing me exactly what would happen if I said no. He already had the evidence ready to ruin me—and send Max to prison for life.
"I don't have a choice, Mabel," I said, the paper crinkling under my grip. "He didn't come here to ask. He came here to tell me my life as Alisa is over."
I looked at the phone number for his personal assistant clipped to the back. 48 hours. The clock was already ticking.
—
The next morning, the city felt different. Every person on the sidewalk felt like a pair of eyes, and every passing car made me jump. I tried to convince myself that if I just went to work, things would go back to being simple. I needed the smell of lilies and the routine of clipping stems to feel sane again.
But the moment I reached the flower shop, the dream of "normal" shattered.
Before I could even reach for the door handle, it swung open. My boss, Mrs. Gable, stood there with a face as white as a sheet. The second she saw me, she let out a strangled gasp. She grabbed my arm so hard it bruised and dragged me inside, slamming the door behind us.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed, pulling me into her small, cluttered office. She was trembling, her eyes darting to the window as if she expected a SWAT team to burst through the glass.
"I... I just want to work, Mrs. Gable. I'm late, I know, but I can start on the—"
"Work? Are you insane?" she interrupted, her voice rising in a panicked pitch. "Do you want me killed, Alisa? Do you want this shop burned to the ground?"
"No! Of course not, I just—"
"They’ve been here, Alisa. Men in dark suits. Reporters. People asking questions I can't answer!" She scrambled at her desk, her hands shaking as she scribbled something on a slip of paper. She ripped it off the checkbook and thrust it at me.
"This is for everything I owe you. For the overtime, for the month... just take it."
I looked down at the check, my heart sinking. "Mrs. Gable, please. I need this job. It's the only thing I have left."
"No. Please. Don't come back. You’re fired, Alisa. I can't have a 'murder suspect' in my shop. Just go before they come back!"
She practically pushed me back out onto the street. The "Closed" sign flipped over, and I heard the heavy deadbolt click into place. I was standing on the sidewalk, jobless and alone, holding a check that felt like a goodbye to my old life.
I couldn't even walk ten blocks without feeling like I was being followed, so I called an Uber. I kept my head down, hiding behind my hair, but the universe wasn't done with me yet.
"You look familiar," the driver said, squinting at me through the rearview mirror as we hit a red light.
"I have one of those faces," I mumbled, staring out the side window.
"No, no... I saw you on the news this morning. You're that girl, right? The one with that billionaire Williams guy?" He whistled, reaching for his phone on the dashboard. "Man, people are saying you’re the reason that Geraldine kid is dead. Is it true he's as scary as they say? Caden Williams, I mean."
"I just want to go home," I whispered, my voice thick with tears.
"Hey, don't get upset! I'm just saying, if I were you, I’d be hiding too. The Geraldines don't let things go. You're a brave girl to be out in public."
He kept talking, but I tuned him out. By the time he dropped me off, my head was throbbing. My job was gone, my reputation was in the trash, and even a random driver knew my face.
Caden’s words echoed in my head: You’ll be the one running back.
- Writer
