Chapter one — The contract.
The contract slipped across the table.
“ Sign it”.
His voice was deep, firm, and icy. Jayden Blackwood didn’t need to speak loudly. His presence was enough to make my hands tremble.
I gazed at the bold letters on the first page. Marriage contract. My throat felt tight.
“This is insane”, I whispered.
Jayden leaned back in his chair, one eyebrow raised. His sharp blue eyes not leaving mine.” insane” he said calmly. “But it gets the problem fixed”.
A knot formed in my stomach. He was serious. He wasn’t joking at all. This wasn’t a test either. He wanted me to marry him.
“And why me?”I forced the words, my voice barely audible.
A hint of a smile played on his lips, but he didn’t smile.”Because you need the money, and I need a wife. It’s as simple as that.”
I bit down on my lip to distract myself from the pain I felt in my chest. He was very right. He knew I was in desperate need of money. He knew I couldn’t walk away from the offer.
“This isn’t romance, so don’t even think about it, “he said, his tone icy. “So don’t think of falling in love, that’s not what you’re here for. You’re here to play a role. My wife in name and papers only.”
I should have gotten angry when he said that. I should have walked away. But instead, my mind went to my mum. Her pale figure was lying on the hospital bed. The sound of her weak breathing. The unpaid bills waiting at home and the list of debtors on my neck.
This marriage contract wasn’t about me. It was about saving my mum.
“What happens if I say no?”I asked, even when I already knew the answer.
Jayden’s expression didn’t change, he still had a hint of a smile on his face.”Then you leave with nothing. And you lose everything.”
His words hit harder than a slap. He wasn’t being aggressive, he was just stating the fact. A cruel one I had no escape from.
My fingers lingered above the pen lying beside the contract. My hands shook so badly I had to curl them into fists to make it stop.
“I’ll make sure you get everything you need.”Jayden said, his voice calm and confident.”Money, security, luxury, and comfort, just name it. In return, I get a wife. It's that simple. Do you understand?”
My throat was tight, and I couldn’t speak. But I already knew my answer.
I had no other choice.
I slowly reached for the pen. It felt heavier than anything I’ve ever held. My heart thundered in my chest as the tip of the pen touched the paper.
With shaky hands, I signed my name on the contract. There was no going back now.
And with that single decision of mine, my life was no longer mine.
I had become Jayden Blackwood‘s wife.
