The Alpha Contract Luna

"Sign it. You're pregnant with my child now." The voice was cold. Deep. Commanding. I stared at the man in front of me and my whole body froze. Adrian Knight. Everyone in New York knew that name. Billionaire at 26. CEO of Knight Corp. And the most dangerous Alpha in the city — or so the rumors said. Women threw themselves at him. Men feared him. And he was looking at me like I was a business deal. On his massive mahogany desk was a thick black folder. Gold letters: MARRIAGE CONTRACT. "Mr. Knight, I think you have the wrong person," I whispered, my voice shaking. My cheap dress was wet from the rain. My hair was dripping on his expensive carpet. "I came here for a job interview. For a secretary position." "I know who you are, Elena Carter," he said, leaning back in his leather chair. His grey eyes scanned me from head to toe. Slowly. Possessively. "Twenty-two years old. Orphan. Your adoptive mother, Linda Carter, is in St. Mary's Hospital. ICU. She needs a heart surgery in 48 hours. The bill is $1,987,450. You have $42 in your bank account." My blood went cold. How did he know? "How... how do you know about my mom?" "Because I bought your mother's hospital debt this morning," he said calmly, like he was talking about buying coffee. "Which means I own her life now. And yours." He slid a paper across the desk. It was my mother's hospital bill. Stamped with KNIGHT CORP - PAID IN FULL. I covered my mouth. "You... you paid it?" "I will pay it. If you sign." He opened the black folder. Inside, the contract. Ten pages. I started reading, my hands trembling so hard I could barely hold the paper. CONTRACT MARRIAGE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ADRIAN KNIGHT AND ELENA CARTER. Term: One year. Payment: Two million dollars plus medical expenses. Purpose: Produce an heir for Knight family. My heart stopped. "Produce an heir? Mr. Knight, I... I am not..." "You will pretend to be pregnant," he said, his voice getting harder. "My grandfather, Arthur Knight, is dying. He has cancer. His last wish is to see my child, his great-grandchild, before he dies. He will die in peace if he thinks I have finally settled down." "So you want me to fake a pregnancy?" "Yes. For three months. We will tell everyone you are two weeks pregnant now. You will live in my mansion. You will wear my ring. You will act like you are madly in love with me. And in return, your mother gets the best heart surgeon in America, and you get two million dollars to start a new life after." It sounded so easy. So simple. Too simple. "What is the catch?" I asked. He smiled. It was not a nice smile. It was dangerous, beautiful, and it made my stomach flip. "Three rules, Elena. Break them, and the deal is off. And I will take my money back. Your mother will die on that hospital bed." He stood up. He was so tall. Over 6'3. His suit was perfect, black, expensive. He walked around his desk and stopped right in front of me. Too close. His scent hit me — pine trees, expensive whiskey, and something wild, like winter. My legs almost gave out. "Rule One: Pretend you are pregnant with my child. Convince my entire family. Especially my cousin Marcus. He wants my position as CEO and he will try to prove you are lying." "Rule Two: Live with me. Sleep in my room — in my bed, but don't get any ideas. Act like my loving, obedient wife in front of everyone. Smile. Kiss me when I tell you to. Let me touch you when I want." His finger lifted my chin. I had to look up at him. His grey eyes were staring at my lips. "Rule Three: This is the most important one, Elena. Do not fall in love with me. Ever. I don't do love. I don't do mates. I don't do feelings. This is business. If you fall in love with me, I will destroy you. Is that clear?" His words were cruel, but his touch was burning hot. His finger on my chin felt like fire. I swallowed. "Yes... clear." "Good girl." He let me go and went back to his chair. "Sign it." I looked at the last page. My mother's face flashed in my mind. Her weak smile in the ICU. The doctor saying, "Without surgery in 48 hours, she will not survive." I had no choice. I picked up the gold pen. My hand was shaking. The moment the tip of the pen touched the paper, his phone rang loudly. He answered, annoyed. "What?" "Mr. Knight! Your grandfather just collapsed at the mansion! The family doctor is here! He is asking for you! He keeps saying 'Where is Adrian? Where is my great-grandchild?'" Adrian's face changed completely. The cold CEO was gone. For one second, I saw panic. Real fear. He hung up and looked at me. "Change of plans, Elena." "What?" "We are not signing tomorrow. We are getting married TODAY. Right now." He grabbed my hand. His hand was huge and it swallowed mine completely. He pulled me out of the chair. "Wait! My clothes! I can't get married in this wet dress!" "You will," he growled, already dragging me to the elevator, the unsigned contract in his other hand. "My grandfather might die tonight. He needs to see you. He needs to believe you are carrying my heir." We ran into the elevator. He pressed the button to the garage, then he looked at me, his eyes dark. "One more thing, Mrs. Knight-to-be. My grandfather is not just any old man. He is... sensitive. He will smell if you are lying. So you need to smell like me." Before I could ask what that meant, he pulled me against his chest and buried his face in my neck. I gasped. He inhaled me deeply, growling softly, his lips brushing my skin. "What are you doing?" I cried, pushing him, but he was too strong. "Marking you. So you smell like mine. So they believe you are really pregnant with my pup." Pup? Did he say pup? His teeth grazed my neck. Not biting, just grazing. But it sent electricity down my whole spine. My whole body shivered. The elevator door opened. Downstairs, a black Rolls Royce was waiting. And standing next to it, smirking, was a man who looked like a younger, crueler version of Adrian. Marcus Knight. Adrian's cousin. His enemy. Marcus smiled when he saw me, his eyes on my wet dress, on my neck where Adrian had just marked me. "Well, well. So this is the famous pregnant fiancee? Grandfather will be so happy to meet her. If she is really pregnant, of course." He was already trying to expose me. And our lie had not even started yet.