Heiress Revenge Contract

The Targets

As they drove into the compound, Selena looked out and then at Dale.

“You’re not just rich, you’re wealthy.”

She said, and he laughed.

“This is my private condo. I come here to think, escaping from all the noise in the city. You’d enjoy it here.”

He said as the car slowly pulled to a stop next to another black Benz.

She turned.

“And the car? If you’re the only one that comes here, why is that car there?”

She asked, and he smiled.

“My mother is here.”

“Wait, what did you say? Take me back, please.”

She panicked, gripping the door handle, but he laughed and reached over to steady her hand.

“Calm down. She’s a sweetheart. She’s only broken, and that happened after my father’s death, but she’s a really good woman. You’ll love her and vice versa.”

He said, his voice low and certain.

Selena exhaled slowly, but her fingers still drummed against her thigh.

“Are you sure? I’ve never officially met anyone’s mother before, talk more about my husband’s mother. In a situation like this, no mother would be happy.”

“That’s why she won’t know the full truth. Honestly, she’s told me to leave your father alone for years, but I just can’t. Every time I see her and how broken she’s become from losing her best friend, I get angry at your father all over again.”

He shifted the car into park and killed the engine. The silence that followed felt heavier than the city noise they’d left behind.

“So I don’t want her to know what I’m up to, but we can tell her we fell in love and I’m now introducing you, or something.”

Selena nodded slowly, her nerves settling just a fraction. She stared at the lit windows of the condo, at the faint smell of food drifting from the doorway.

“I love good children. I was a good child to my mom, and she was my best friend. But I lost her to a heart attack.”

Her voice cracked on the last word, and she looked down at her hands like she could hold the memory there.

“I’m sorry for your loss. She sounds like she was a wonderful woman.”

Dale said quietly. There was no pity in his tone, just understanding.

“She was magical. She made everything I said matter. Even when I rambled about school or complained about my father, she’d look at me like my words were the only thing that mattered in the room.”

Selena’s eyes burned, and she blinked hard. For a second, she was eight years old again, sitting on the kitchen counter while her mother hummed off-key and stirred soup that always tasted like home.

Just as the tears threatened to fall, their attention drifted to a soft knock on the drivers window. They both turned and saw Dale’s mother standing there.

She was older, light-skinned, with beautiful natural grey hair that fell in soft waves past her shoulders. Her eyes were warm, the kind of warm that came from years of smiling through pain.

Immediately, Dale told Selena to stay back as he opened his door and stepped into her embrace. Selena followed, lingering a step behind.

“Hey, mama…”

He said, hugging her tight, her arms circling his waist like she was afraid to let go.

“I called you. I was worried!”

She said as she pulled back and cupped his face in both hands, thumb brushing over his jaw.

“Don’t ever leave me!” She exclaimed, her voice thick with the fear only a mother could carry.

Dale hugged her again, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Never, mama.”

He pulled back slowly and turned, pointing to Selena, who stood awkwardly by the car door. His mother’s gaze shifted, and her eyes softened even more when they met Selena’s.

“Mama, this is Selena, my wife.”

He said bluntly, no preamble, no softening.

Fareeda didn’t flinch. Instead, her lips curved into a smile, and she stretched out her arm, her hand trembling slightly with age.

“I am Fareeda. Dale here is my son. My life.”

She said, and Selena hesitated for half a second before taking the offered hand.

“I’m Selena, ma’am.”

“Oh no. Call me Fareeda, or mama. I’d love mama. Come here.”

Before Selena could protest, Fareeda pulled her into a hug. It was warm, solid, and smelled faintly of vanilla and old books. Selena stiffened at first, then let herself lean into it, surprised at how much she needed it.

Fareeda pulled back and looked between them, her eyes shining. “I told you she’d love you.” She said to Dale, nudging him playfully.

As they pulled apart, Fareeda looped an arm through each of theirs. “Come, I made dinner. Enough for everyone.”

“Mama, it’s morning.”

Dale said laughing but she didn’t care.

“Then call it early breakfast.” She said, leading them toward the house. Dale clicked his car keys, and the Benz beeped softly behind them.

Inside, the condo smelled like roasted garlic, thyme, and something sweet simmering on the stove. The living room was warm and lived-in, with worn leather chairs, shelves of books, and framed photos of a younger Dale and his father. Selena noticed she didn’t linger on those.

Dinner was set at the small dining table by the window. Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, sautéed greens, and a bowl of fruit sat waiting. Fareeda fussed over them, making sure Selena had water, asking if she liked spicy food, refilling plates before they were half empty.

“So, Selena,” Fareeda began after the first few bites, her eyes sharp despite the gentleness in her voice.

“How long have you two known each other?”

Selena nearly choked on her water. Dale kicked her under the table, giving her a warning look.

“Not long,” Selena said carefully. “We met through business. It was… sudden.”

Fareeda’s eyes flicked between them.

“Sudden marriages are rare. They either end in disaster or they’re the real thing. Which is it for you two?”

Dale answered before Selena could.

“The real thing, mama.”

Selena shot him a look, but he didn’t flinch.

Fareeda hummed, studying them both.

“And your family, Selena? Do they know?”

Selena set her fork down. The question hit closer than she expected.

“My father knows. He’s… not happy about it. My mother passed a few years ago.”

Fareeda’s expression softened instantly.

“Oh, my dear. I’m so sorry. Losing a mother changes you. I lost my husband, and for years I didn’t know who I was without him.”

Selena nodded, her throat tight.

“She was my best friend. After she died, it was just me and my father. He kept me close, but not because he loved me. Because I was useful.”

Fareeda reached across the table and covered Selena’s hand with her own.

“Then you deserve someone who sees you for more than what you can give them.”

Selena swallowed hard. No one had said that to her in years. Not like this, without an agenda.

Dale watched the exchange quietly, his jaw tight. When Fareeda wasn’t looking, his hand brushed against Selena’s under the table. It was brief, but it steadied her.

After about an hour after, Fareeda finally yawned and insisted they get some rest, assigning them rooms on opposite ends of the hallway to keep them from touching each other before marriage.

As Selena stood at the window of her room, staring out at the dark compound, she heard a soft knock.

Dale walked in slowly, his hands in his pockets, watching her. She didn’t turn fully, just glanced at him over her shoulder.

“Are you regretting this already?” He asked.

“No,” she said. “I’m just wondering how long it’ll take my father to make his first move.”

As if on cue, the sharp crack of gunshots shattered the quiet.

Both of them dropped to the floor instinctively.

“f**k! We’ve been followed. Stay down. I’m going to check on mom.”

Just as he started to push himself up, Selena grabbed his arm, her grip desperate.

“No, don’t go!”

She screamed, her voice breaking.

He looked back, his face hard but worried. “I’ll be fine. Stay down. I need to check on mom.”

He said, and before she could stop him, he was moving, low and fast toward the door. The sound of gunfire grew louder, closer, echoing through the hallway as chaos spilled into the house.