CHAPTER 3 — THE CONTRACT
1223 Words
The elevator doors slid open to the Kane Tower penthouse floor, and Mara stepped into a world that smelled of power, money, and an almost suffocating control. Every surface gleamed with precision, every detail whispered wealth she had only ever dreamed of. Yet, it wasn’t the opulence that made her stomach knot.
It was him.
Alexander Kane.
He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the city like he owned it — which, in truth, he did. Mara froze for a fraction of a second, feeling the cold weight of his gaze even before he turned.
He did not smile. He did not soften. He simply watched her, silent, assessing, a predator calculating every possibility.
“Miss Lopez,” he said finally, his voice low, sharp, and commanding, “you have questions. Good. I have answers. But you will listen. And you will not interrupt.”
Mara bristled. “Excuse me? I have every right to interrupt when I’m being told I might—might—carry a stranger’s child for hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Alexander’s grey eyes narrowed, cold steel cutting through her defiance. “Then let me be clear. I am not asking. I am offering terms. You accept them or leave. Your choice.”
She folded her arms, trying to seem fearless. “And if I walk out?”
“Then you walk out without this money. Without this opportunity. And without my protection.”
The words hit harder than she expected. Her mother’s face flashed in her mind, pale and fragile, lying in that hospital bed. She couldn’t walk away. Not now.
Alexander reached for a sleek black folder lying on a side table. He tossed it onto the modern glass desk with a precision that startled her.
“This,” he said, his voice flat, “is the contract. Every rule, every expectation, every obligation. Read it carefully. Then make your decision.”
Mara hesitated, glancing at the folder like it was a ticking bomb. The top page gleamed in the soft penthouse lighting. She knew the moment she touched that pen, nothing would ever be the same.
With a trembling hand, she opened the first page.
SECTION 1: Residence Requirement
The surrogate must reside full-time in the Kane Tower penthouse throughout the duration of the pregnancy. Under the client’s supervision at all times.
Her eyes shot up at him. “You want me to live here? All the time? Like… under house arrest?”
Alexander did not flinch. “You are not under house arrest. You are under medical supervision. Which requires strict control of the environment, diet, activity, and stress. I will not tolerate negligence that could endanger my child.”
Mara’s mouth opened. “You… sound insane.”
“I am precise,” he said evenly. “I am efficient. I am necessary.”
SECTION 2: Medical Compliance
The surrogate will comply fully with all medical procedures, prenatal checkups, and lifestyle regulations deemed essential by the client and his medical team.
Her stomach twisted. “So… I don’t get a choice?”
“Choice is irrelevant if the child dies,” he replied coldly.
Mara’s hands shook. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, anger battling desperation. “You sound like a machine.”
“I am a man who gets results,” he said flatly. “Machines are efficient. So am I. You will survive this because you follow instructions. That is all I care about.”
SECTION 3: Behavioral Regulations
The surrogate will avoid unnecessary stress, travel, or exposure to harmful situations. Deviations will result in immediate review by the client.
“You want to control… everything,” she whispered, incredulous. “My life… my schedule… even my stress?”
Alexander’s gaze held hers, cold, unwavering, and ruthlessly focused. “Yes.”
Mara swallowed hard, realizing how impossible this man was. But impossible was all she had. The money, her mother, her life—everything depended on this contract.
SECTION 4: Professional Boundaries
No emotional entanglement, no physical intimacy outside medically approved procedures. The client retains all authority regarding proximity, interactions, and accommodations.
Her pulse spiked, and she hated that it did. His voice, clipped and unemotional, seemed to push into her mind, claiming space she wasn’t ready to give.
“I don’t like you,” she said, sharp, defensive, attempting to reclaim control.
“Good,” he said, voice flat and cold. “I don’t require your liking. Only compliance.”
Her hands trembled. The pen felt impossibly heavy.
Alexander leaned back, hands folded behind him. “You know the terms. You know what this entails. You know the rules. You are not my employee. You are not my friend. You are a professional fulfilling an obligation. Do you understand?”
Mara’s chest tightened. Every nerve in her body screamed against him. Every instinct wanted to rebel. But she needed the money. She needed her mother. She needed this.
She looked down at the pen. Then back at his unreadable face.
“I… understand,” she whispered.
“Good.” He didn’t soften, didn’t relax. “Then sign.”
Her hand shook violently as she picked up the pen. Her heart thudded like a drum. She swallowed her fear, pushed it down, and wrote her name at the bottom of the page.
Alexander took the contract from her with the same cold efficiency he used to sign billion-dollar deals. No congratulations. No acknowledgment. Just the quiet, terrifying presence of a man used to control.
“You move in tonight,” he said. “All my personal belongings, packed. You will live under my supervision. You will follow my rules. And you will not step outside without permission.”
Mara’s jaw dropped. “Tonight?! That’s… I—this is insane!”
He didn’t argue. He didn’t explain. He simply repeated: “Tonight.”
Her legs felt like lead as he led her to the elevator. The city lights stretched beneath them like a kingdom he had already conquered. Mara wanted to scream, to refuse, to turn away—but she didn’t. She couldn’t. Not when every second ticked closer to her mother’s hospital bill.
The elevator doors closed. Mara pressed her palms to her temples. The truth sank in: she was about to live with the coldest, most ruthless man in the city, under his rules, under his roof, carrying a life that was half his.
And she hated that part of her that already feared him.
Alexander, standing silently beside her, didn’t look at her. He looked out the elevator window, grey eyes scanning the city below as if calculating threats, resources, and weaknesses. Mara’s defiance sparked inside her—but a tiny, unwanted part of her body shivered in response to the sheer force of his presence.
“Do not mistake my neutrality for care,” he said, his voice low and cutting through her thoughts. “I am not here to be kind. I am here to ensure results. That is all.”
Mara opened her mouth to argue—but the elevator dinged. The doors slid open.
The penthouse.
Her new prison. Her new reality. Her new life.
And Alexander Kane, ruthless, unfeeling, and impossibly dominant, was waiting.
Enemies. That’s all they were. And yet… neither would walk away—not now, not ever.
- Writer
