LOVE IN CONTRACT

Chapter three

Caden

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The sharp buzz of my phone jolted me awake. Groaning, I reached over, eyes barely open and grabbed it off the nightstand. Who the hell calls this early?

Grandfather, of course.

I swiped to answer, voice still heavy with sleep. “Hello”

“Caden,” his deep voice barked through the phone. “You’re twenty-nine and time’s ticking. You have until your thirtieth birthday to get married”.

I sat up slowly, pinching the bridge of my nose. Not this conversation again.

“Don’t start,” I muttered.

“You know the deal. No wife, no inheritance. You either marry or watch someone else take everything away”.

Click. He hung up. So typical of Grandfather

I leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. Marriage? In few months? I didn’t even have a girlfriend—hell, I didn’t even like people. My life was my company, and that was it.

Jasper, my secretary and best friend knocked once before entering with my schedule. I slid off the bed and braced myself for another exhausting day.

I couldn't get my grandfather's word out of my head. I stopped scrolling through my tablet to see why Robin was moving the car slowly.

It was raining heavily but I didn't care, I ordered him to drive faster since I was already late for the interview.

We didn't go far when Robin suddenly stopped the car.

“What's the matter” I groaned.

“Young master, some crazy lady threw her heel at our car” he said.

I looked out of the window fast enough to see the horror on the lady's face. She looked…..familiar.

I scrolled through my tablet again…..bingo.

“Keep the heels safe, Robin”

“Huh” Robin looked at me with a confused look.

“You got issues with your ear?” I raised a brow at him.

“No Sir”. He responded.

I called Jasper asking him to stop the interview once it gets to the crazy lady's turn, I wanted to interview her myself.

I ended the call with a smirk playing on my lips.

I leaned back in my chair, tablet resting on my lap. Something about that woman amused me, I found her interesting.

Not because I cared. I didn’t. But because she had the audacity to throw her shoe at my car. Who even does that?

I opened her resume again,Zariah Monroe.

No connections. No impressive background. Just guts. And now I was curious, angry but curious.

She looked so plain unlike the others that wore the lastest trendy clothes and had so many jewelries and makeup on.

Wait a minute…. she was wearing the exact same suit she wore on her profile. Doesn't she have other clothes?

We arrived at the company, and I immediately made my way toward the interview hall, taking the long hallway.

Then I saw her, Zariah Monroe. She was standing near the entrance, ranting about something.

The horror on her face when she saw me made me confirm that she was really the one who broke my side mirror

When I asked her to pay for the broken side mirror, she suggested we speak in private.

I took her to my office. That was when she tried to bargain with me, she asked me to forget about her ruined suit and the side mirror.

I was amused by her boldness, this little vixen really thought she could outsmart me.

Once we came to an agreement, I told her to leave. I had things to do meetings, reports, and she was supposed to bring me coffee as my personal assistant.

Before she left, I told her to take the suits Robin brought for her but then she was taking an eternity to change, and I didn't know why, but I felt uneasy.

Normally, I’d send Jasper or someone else to go check up on her. But not this time. Something felt off.

Just as I reached the hallway leading to the changing room, the lights went out.

I heard banging, loud, desperate. It was coming from the changing room.

I moved toward the door slowly, every step making the air feel heavier.

When I opened it, I found Zariah, wide-eyed and about to scream. I quickly covered her mouth to stop her from screaming and she suddenly went limp in my arms.

She fainted, right there.

I didn’t think twice. I rushed her straight to the company’s clinic.

I left her in the sick bay where she was breathing fine. The nurse said she just fainted, panic attack, probably. Not my problem.

I had a meeting to attend.

I walked into the boardroom with the usual stares on me. They all rose when I entered, like scared little sheep waiting for their shepherd to slaughter them. I didn't smile. I never did.

“Sit,” I said, pulling out my chair.

They scrambled back into their seats like trained dogs. Pathetic. But that's how it should be, me as their master and them as my servant.

“We’re behind schedule. I suggest you all stop wasting my time and show me what’s worth my money.”

They straightened up immediately, shuffling through papers, presenting numbers. I listened, nodded once or twice. Half of what they said bored me. The other half annoyed me.

But I endured it. Because I had to.

Once the meeting was over, I made my way my office. When I pushed open the office door, the last person I expected to see was Zariah Monroe.

Sitting in the chair opposite my desk, staring out my window, lost in thoughts.

I narrowed my eyes,“You’re still here?”

She stood up quickly. “I just wanted to say thank you and ask….”

I cut in. “Look, Miss Monroe, I don’t care about your thanks. Go home. You clearly need rest.”

She opened her mouth again—she never knew when to keep shut.

“I don’t recall asking for a second opinion,” I added coldly. “We have a long day tomorrow. Don’t waste your energy trying to impress me.”

Her jaw tightened. I could see the fire in her eyes, but fortunately for her, she didn’t say a word. Just nodded stiffly and walked out.

Good. I didn’t need distractions in my space

Just as I sat down, Jasper waltzed in, grinning like an i***t.

“She’s a weird one,” he said.

I looked up slowly. “You’re not paid to find my employees weird.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “Relax, boss. Just an observation.”

“ Go back to work.”

He chuckled as he backed out the door. “Yes, sir.”

When he was gone, I leaned back in my chair, eyes drifting to the closed door.

Zariah Monroe…,..

She wasn’t afraid to throw her shoe at a moving car.

Interesting?,Maybe. Trouble?, Definitely.

And unfortunately for me… I liked trouble. I'll have fun breaking her.