12
1309 Words
“I’ll sign the contract.”
Elena’s voice was soft, almost uncertain, yet there was a quiet determination behind it.
Alexander watched her for a moment.
He had expected this answer.
Not because he believed money could buy anyone, but because he understood desperation. Everyone had a weakness. Everyone had something they were willing to sacrifice for.
And for Elena, that something was her brother.
What surprised him was how long she had fought against it.
Most people would have accepted the moment they saw the number on the contract.
But Elena had questioned him. Challenged him. Looked him directly in the eye and demanded answers.
She wasn’t someone who could be easily controlled.
That was exactly why he had chosen her.
She wasn’t desperate enough to lose herself.
She was desperate enough to save someone she loved.
There was a difference.
“That’s good,” Alexander finally said.
His voice was calm as always.
He reached for the pen on his desk and held it out to her.
Elena stared at the pen.
For a moment, she didn’t move.
It was as if she understood the weight of the decision in front of her.
The moment she signed her name, there would be no going back.
Her life would no longer belong only to her.
She would become Alexander Hale’s wife.
Even if it was only an arrangement.
Slowly, she reached out and took the pen.
Their fingers brushed.
It lasted less than a second.
But Alexander noticed.
So did Elena.
She quickly pulled her hand back and lowered her eyes to the contract.
The office became strangely quiet as she signed her name.
One signature.
One simple action.
And their lives became connected.
When she finished, she placed the pen down.
Alexander picked up the document and glanced over it before closing the folder.
“Now that we are both clear about the agreement, we need to begin as soon as possible.”
Elena looked up.
“Begin what?” She asked, puzzled.
“Being a couple.” Alexander answered calmly.
Her brows immediately furrowed.
“A couple?”
“Yes.”
Alexander leaned back slightly.
“We need to start appearing together. Attending events together. Go on dates. Let people believe that our relationship is real.”
Elena stared at him.
She had known this was part of the deal, but hearing him say it made everything feel more real.
“You mean I actually have to pretend to love you?”
His eyes moved toward her.
A strange flicker crossed his face.
“Yes. If you put it that way.” He answered.
Elena froze.
Alexander said nothing, but the slight amusement in his eyes made her uncomfortable.
She looked away.
“But before any of that happens,” he continued, “there is something more important.”
“What?”
“My grandfather.”
The seriousness in his voice immediately caught her attention.
“Patrick Hartwell.” He said.
The name alone seemed to carry weight.
Elena noticed the slight change in Alexander’s expression.
“What about him?” Elena asked.
Alexander gave a humorless smile.
He leaned back, his gaze becoming distant.
“My grandfather built everything the Hartwell family owns. He believes people are never truly honest unless they are under pressure.”
Elena listened quietly.
“He watches everything. Your words. Your expressions. Your reactions.”
His eyes settled on her.
“He will study you.”
A small shiver ran through Elena.
“Study me?” She asked.
“Yes. He will want to know everything about you.”
Alexander’s tone remained steady.
“Where you came from. Your family. Your education. Your past. How we met. Why I chose you.”
Elena’s eyes widened. “Wait.” She pointed at herself.
“He’s going to investigate me?”
“Yes.” Alexander answered.
“That sounds terrifying.” She said.
“It is. But that’s Patrick Hartwell for you.”
His honesty left her speechless.
“He will not simply accept you because I introduce you as my fiancée. He needs to know why you’re the one.”
Elena swallowed.
“So I have to convince him that this whole thing is real.”
“Yes.”
“That we’re in love.” She clarified.
“Yes.”
She stared at him.
For the first time, she realized exactly how complicated this arrangement would be.
Alexander Vale’s world wasn’t simple.
Everything came with expectations.
Rules.
Tests.
“What kind of woman does your grandfather even approve of?” she asked.
Alexander was quiet for a moment.
“Someone strong.”
Elena raised an eyebrow.
“Someone intelligent. Someone honest. Someone who won’t be intimidated. A socialite or an elite like Vanessa Laurent.” He continued.
A small laugh escaped her.
“So basically someone who I’m not,” she said.
For a brief moment, Alexander’s expression softened.
Almost like he wanted to smile.
Almost.
“You’ll have to convince him that you are.”
The room fell silent.
Elena looked down at the contract again.
“And if he doesn’t believe me?” She asked.
“Then things become difficult.”
Her expression immediately changed.
“What about Daniel?”
There it was again.
That immediate concern.
Alexander noticed.
She didn’t ask what would happen to her.
Only her brother.
“If my grandfather rejects this marriage, we will have to find another way to handle the situation.”
Elena’s fingers tightened.
“No.” She blurted.
Alexander looked at her.
“No?”
“He won’t reject it.” She said almost convincingly.
There was so much certainty in her voice that even Alexander was surprised.
“You sound confident.” He said.
Elena lifted her chin.
“I don’t have the luxury of failing.”
For a moment, Alexander simply looked at her.
Most people entered his world because they wanted something.
Money.
Power.
Status.
But Elena was different.
She looked like someone walking into a battlefield.
“Then you should know what you’re agreeing to,” he said.
She waited.
“My grandfather will test you, Elena.”
“Test me how?” She asked.
“That’s the problem.”
Alexander folded his hands.
“With Patrick, you never know. He may ask difficult questions. He may create situations just to see your reaction. He may intentionally provoke you.”
Elena blinked.
“He sounds wonderful.”
“He isn’t.”
This time, she actually smiled slightly.
It was small.
Barely there.
But Alexander noticed.
Before he could think about why he noticed, he opened his laptop.
“There is one more thing.” He said.
Elena immediately became alert.
“What?”
“The first payment.”
Her eyes moved toward him.
“The money?”
He nodded.
“The contract states that it will be transferred immediately after signing.” He said.
She hesitated.
“Alexander, you—”
He didn’t give her a chance to argue.
His fingers moved across the keyboard, completing the transfer.
A few seconds later, the confirmation appeared.
At the exact same moment, Elena’s phone vibrated.
She froze.
Slowly, she reached into her bag and pulled it out.
Her eyes landed on the notification.
And she stopped breathing.
The color drained slightly from her face.
She looked at her phone.
Then at him.
Then back at her phone.
“Alexander…”
Her voice was barely audible. She swallowed hard.
“You actually transferred it?”
“Yes.”
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
A million dollars.
A number she had only ever dreamed of.
A number that could save Daniel.
A number that could completely change everything.
“Well, I guess I have no other option than to impress Patrick Hartwell.” She said, hopeful.
“Good luck to that. You will need it.” Alexander replied coolly.
- Writer
