The Addendum
827 Words
I shouldn’t have picked up his phone.
But Isabella’s text glowed like a threat. _“6 months ends when I say it does, Damian. Not when you do.”_
My fingers hovered over the screen. Then the penthouse door clicked.
Damian was back.
Too fast.
He walked in, tie loosened, eyes locked on me. On his phone in my hand.
For 3 seconds, neither of us breathed.
“Give it to me,” he said. Quiet. Dangerous.
I didn’t. “What did she mean, Damian? 6 months ends when she says?”
His jaw ticked. He crossed the room in 4 strides and took the phone. Not rough. But final.
“You don’t snoop through a man’s things, Ava.” He pocketed it. “Especially when that man is trying to protect you.”
“Protect me from what? Her? Or the truth?” I stood. His shirt still on me, falling off one shoulder. “You said 6 months because of your father’s clause. What else didn’t you say?”
Damian stared at me. Then sighed. Ran a hand through his hair. The CEO mask cracking.
“Come here.” He walked to his study. I followed.
The study was all black books and steel. No warmth. Like him.
He unlocked a drawer. Pulled out a file. Thick. Bound in leather.
“Black Marriage Contract,” gold letters on the cover.
My stomach dropped. “You keep it in your desk?”
“I keep everything I can’t afford to lose in here.” He set it on the desk between us. “You want the truth? Read it.”
I opened it. Page 1: standard stuff. Marriage for 6 months. Monthly allowance. NDA.
Page 7: _Clause 4.2 - The marriage must produce an heir within the 6-month period to retain 51% shares. If no pregnancy occurs, shares revert to Vance Holdings. Current CEO: Isabella Vance._
My blood froze.
“What.” The word came out broken. “An heir? In 6 months?”
Damian didn’t look at me. “Yes.”
“So this was never about pulling me from fire,” I whispered. “It was about breeding me. For shares.”
“No.” He slammed his hand on the desk. Made me jump. “I didn’t know about Clause 4.2 until after I signed you. My father’s lawyer hid it. Added it last minute.”
I laughed. Hollow. “And you still kept me. Still touched me in boardrooms. Still said ‘you’re mine’. Knowing I’m just a womb to you.”
His eyes flashed. Grey to storm. “You think I don’t know what I am? A monster who uses contracts instead of feelings?” He yanked me across the desk. Not hard. Desperate. “I tried to let you go after Chapter 1. I told my lawyer to void it. But then you looked at me. No fear. Just… you. And I couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t what?” Tears burned. “Couldn’t give up the shares?”
“Couldn’t give up YOU,” he roared. Then caught himself. Lowered his voice. “The shares mean nothing if you leave. Isabella wins either way. If I have no heir, she gets the company. If I force you for an heir, I lose you. So I chose door 3: Make you want to stay. For 6 months. Then forever.”
Page 9. Small print. An addendum, signed 2 days ago.
_Addendum 1: If Mrs. Ava Black terminates contract before 6 months, penalty = $50M USD + full media rights to Black Corp scandals released._
My hands shook. “You trapped me.”
“I trapped myself,” he said softly. “Because I’d rather be $50M in debt than 1 day without you.”
The room went silent. Only our breathing.
Then his phone buzzed on the desk. Unknown number. Speaker on.
Isabella’s voice, sweet and venomous: _“Heard you showed Ava the contract, Damian. So romantic. Tell her Clause 8.3 too. The one about ‘mutual termination only with both parties’ written consent’. She can’t leave unless you sign her freedom papers.”_
The call cut off.
Damian closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were empty. “Now you know. You’re mine for 6 months. And I’m yours forever. Whether you want me or not.”
I looked at the contract. At him. At the door.
Rule 3: Obey him.
But for the first time, I didn’t want to.
I picked up the pen on his desk. Clicked it open.
“Sign the freedom papers, Damian,” I said. Held out the pen. “If you love me, let me go.”
His hand closed over mine. Didn’t take the pen.
“Sign it yourself,” he whispered against my mouth. “Sign that you’ll stay. And I’ll burn the whole contract. Shares. Company. All of it. For you.”
The pen shook between us.
- Writer
