The price freedom
737 Words
Chapter 2: The Price of Freedom
For a long, agonizing minute, Clara could only hear the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. Her mind was spinning. The man standing in front of her wasn’t joking. Ethan Vance never joked, especially not about business, and right now, he was treating marriage like a hostile corporate takeover.
"Five hundred thousand pesos a month..." Clara whispered, her eyes fixed on the thick paper of the contract. It was more money than she could earn in five years as his assistant. It would pay off her father's debt instantly. It would save her mother from crying themselves to sleep every night.
"And the foreclosure on your family home will be canceled within the hour," Ethan added, his voice cold, calculated, and completely devoid of romantic warmth. "All you have to do is wear a white dress this Saturday, stand by my side, and play the role of a doting wife for twelve months. No one outside this room must know it's a fake marriage."
Clara looked up, meeting his piercing dark eyes. "Why me, Mr. Vance? There are thousands of socialites, models, and actresses who would jump at the chance to marry you, even for a fake contract."
Ethan walked back to his leather chair and sat down, leaning back with a regal grace. "Because socialites are messy. Actresses love the drama, and models bring the paparazzi. More importantly, none of them know how I operate. You do. You know my preferences, you know how to handle the media, and most of all..." He paused, his gaze darkening. "You are desperate enough to follow my rules."
The truth of his words cut deep. He was right. She was desperate.
"Are there any... other conditions?" Clara asked, her voice shaking slightly as she picked up the silver pen resting on the desk. "What about our living arrangements? Our... private lives?"
"We will live together at my penthouse. The media will expect it," Ethan replied smoothly. "As for our private lives, the contract states strict fidelity for the next year. No scandals, no other partners. We are exclusive in the eyes of the public. And as for our personal boundaries..." Ethan’s eyes swept down her petite frame before returning to her eyes, a faint, cynical smirk playing on his lips. "Don't worry, Clara. I don't mix business with actual pleasure. You are safe from me."
A strange mix of relief and humiliation washed over Clara. She was just a shield to protect his company's stocks and his family’s pride.
She looked down at the pen in her hand. If she walked out of this room, her family would lose everything by tomorrow. Her siblings wouldn't be able to finish school. Her parents would be ruined. But if she signed this... she would be selling herself to the most ruthless billionaire in the city for a whole year.
'For my family,' she told herself, tightening her grip on the pen.
With a trembling hand, Clara flipped to the last page of the document. She signed her name on the neat line above the word 'Bride'.
Ethan watched her, his face unreadable as she pushed the signed contract back across the mahogany desk. He picked it up, glanced at her signature, and closed the folder with a sharp snap.
"Excellent," Ethan said, standing up. The cold businessman was back in full force. "Call the bridal boutique. Tell them Victoria is out, and you are coming in for the gown fitting. You have three days to learn how to walk, talk, and act like a billionaire's wife, Clara. Don't disappoint me."
Clara stood up, smoothing down her simple pencil skirt. She felt smaller than usual under his intense gaze. "Yes, Mr. Vance."
"From now on, Clara," Ethan commanded, walking past her toward the door, "when we are in public, you call me Ethan. And you better start practicing the look of a woman who is madly in love."
As the heavy office door clicked shut behind him, Clara let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She looked at her bare ring finger, knowing that in just four days, a multi-million dollar diamond ring would be sitting there.
She had just stepped into a golden cage, and the door was locked.
- Writer
