THE 365-DAY CONTRACT BRIDE

CHAPTER 2:THE FIRST NIGHT

Chapter 2: The First Night

The car ride to the Hawthorne estate was silent.

Damian sat next to me. Suit. Phone. Not one look.

I stared out the window. My hands were still shaking from signing.

$500,000. In my account. The hospital called 10 minutes ago. "Mr. Vale's treatment is fully covered."

Ethan was safe.

But I just sold myself for 365 days.

"Rule number 1," Damian said suddenly, without looking up from his phone. "You will call me Damian. Not Mr. Hawthorne."

"Okay."

"Rule number 2. You will sleep in my home. In my bed."

I snapped my head to him. "What?"

"Contract clause 3B," he said, finally glancing at me. "Cohabitation. Full cohabitation."

"It's a 50-room mansion," I said. "Can't I have a guest room?"

His gray eyes were cold. "No."

The car stopped at massive iron gates. They opened.

The Hawthorne estate looked like something from a magazine. Marble. Fountains. Gardens that probably cost more than my life.

We walked in.

The housekeeper, Mrs. Chen, bowed. "Mr. Hawthorne. Mrs. Hawthorne."

Mrs. Hawthorne.

The name felt wrong in my mouth.

"Show her to our room," Damian said.

"Our room," Mrs. Chen repeated, and shot me a look. Pity? Judgment?

Upstairs.

The master bedroom was the size of my entire apartment. King bed. Black and white. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.

And one bathroom. One bed.

"My clothes are in the closet," Damian said, loosening his tie. "There's a section cleared for you."

He disappeared into the bathroom. Shower running 2 minutes later.

I stood there. Alone. With a $500,000 contract in my purse.

My phone buzzed.

Ethan: "Sis?? Hospital said treatment is paid for?? Are you okay??"

I called him immediately.

"Sis!" His voice was weak but happy. "I'm getting the new meds tomorrow!"

Tears hit my cheeks. "That's good, baby. That's so good."

"Are you at work?"

"No," I whispered. "I'm... I'm at a friend's house."

There was a pause. "You sound weird."

"I'm tired," I lied. "Go to sleep, okay? I'll visit tomorrow."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

I hung up and sank to the floor.

The bathroom door opened. Steam.

Damian walked out in just black sweatpants. No shirt.

Abs. Tattoos. Scars. A body built to own buildings.

I scrambled up. "I'll take the couch."

"There's no couch," he said, drying his hair. "Bed."

"I don't—"

"Aria." He said my name like a command. "We signed a contract. You will sleep in the bed. We will not touch. We will not talk. You will sleep. I will sleep. That is all."

He climbed in on the right side. Left the entire left side empty for me.

Like there was a wall between us.

I hesitated. Then climbed in. Stayed on my very edge.

The bed was huge. But it felt small.

Silence. For 10 minutes.

"You cried," he said suddenly in the dark.

"No I didn't."

"I heard you on the phone."

I pulled the blanket higher. "My brother is sick."

"I know," he said. "That's why you're here."

Another long silence.

"Damian?" I whispered.

"What."

"Rule number 6. About not falling in love."

"Yes."

"What if... what if one of us does?"

He turned over. I could feel him looking at me in the dark.

"Then the other person will remind them that this is business," he said. "Nothing more."

"Right," I whispered. "Business."

I closed my eyes.

The last thing I felt before falling asleep was the heat of him. Just barely. Across the massive bed.

Like he was watching me.

---

3 AM.

I woke up to screaming.

Nightmare. I was 12 again. At my mom's funeral.

Strong arms pulled me up. "Aria. Aria, wake up."

Damian. He was holding me. Face to face.

I was shaking. Sobbing.

He didn't push me away. He didn't let go either.

"You're okay," he murmured. Low. "You're safe. It's just a dream."

I buried my face in his chest. His skin was warm.

For 5 minutes he just held me. No contract. No rules.

Then he set me down gently. Pulled the blanket over me.

"Go back to sleep," he said. And laid back down on his side.

I stared at the ceiling the rest of the night.

Rule number 6 was already in trouble.