The CEO’s twisted obsession

CHAPTER FIVE: The Signature

You know him?

Lucille looked away too quickly.

That alone answered the question.

Mama.

You are not marrying that man.

Her voice came sharp this time.

Almost desperate.

Mara frowned. Why?

Because I said so.

That’s not an answer.

Lucille grabbed the contract from the table again, her hands shaking slightly now.

This company is not worth your life.

My life isn’t ending because of a contract.

You don’t understand what kind of man Elijah Kane is.

And you do?

Silence.

A long one.

Mara stared at her mother carefully.

You’re hiding something.

Lucille’s jaw tightened. Some things are better left buried.

Oh, great. Mara laughed bitterly. That’s exactly what I need right now. More secrets.

Mara…

No. She stepped back, exhausted. I’m tired.

Her mother’s face softened instantly.

For a second, she looked less angry.

Just worried.

Mara, she said quietly, please don’t do this.

The pain in her voice almost broke her resolve.

Almost.

But then Mara looked at the contract again.

Seventy-three million dollars.

Debt cleared.

Company stabilized.

Employees protected.

Her father’s legacy saved.

And suddenly the room felt smaller.

Because no matter how horrible the deal was…

she still understood it.

Lucille saw the look on her face immediately.

No.

Mara closed the folder slowly.

I didn’t say anything.

You don’t have to.

Her mother stepped closer. That man is dangerous.

So is losing everything.

Mara…

I can’t let Dad’s company die.

Her voice cracked slightly this time.

That hurt more than she expected.

Lucille’s eyes softened with heartbreak.

You sound just like him.

Mara looked away.

Because she knew exactly who her mother meant.

Her father.

A man who worked himself into the grave trying to save the company.

A man who lost almost everything before he died.

And somehow…

she was becoming him.

The thought stayed with her long after her mother went upstairs.

The house was silent past midnight.

Mara sat alone at the dining table with the contract in front of her.

One lamp glowed softly above her.

Everything else stayed dark.

Cold coffee sat untouched near her elbow.

She hadn’t slept.

Couldn’t.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw numbers.

Debt.

Accounts.

Employees.

Board members turning against her.

And him.

Elijah Kane.

Calm while her entire life burned around her.

Mara leaned back slowly and closed her eyes for a second.

Marriage.

The word still felt insane.

She barely knew him.

And yet somehow he already controlled half her life.

Her phone buzzed suddenly.

Richard.

She stared at it before answering.

What?

You’re awake.

No one sleeps during corporate collapse.

A tired sigh came through the phone.

Mara… payroll failed.

Her stomach dropped instantly.

What?

Half the employees didn’t receive payment.

Mara sat upright immediately. No.

There’s panic downstairs already. HR can’t calm them anymore.

She pressed a hand against her forehead.

This was getting worse by the hour.

We need more time, Richard continued quietly.

We don’t have time.

Silence.

Then…

Mara… people are already quitting.

That one hurt.

Badly.

Because these weren’t random employees.

Some had worked with her father for years.

People she knew.

People who trusted her.

And now they were leaving.

Her throat tightened painfully.

I’ll fix it, she whispered.

Richard sounded exhausted. How?

Mara looked down at the contract.

At the signature line waiting at the bottom.

Elijah Kane.

Mara Vance.

Her chest felt heavy.

I’ll handle it, she said quietly.

Mara…

She ended the call.

Silence filled the room again.

Then slowly…

Mara reached for the pen.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

Not from fear.

From anger.

Humiliation.

Defeat.

She hated this.

Hated him.

Hated herself for even considering it.

But she could already hear her father’s voice in her head.

Protect the company.

No matter what.

Tears burned behind her eyes suddenly.

She swallowed hard.

Then signed her name.

Just like that.

Everything changed.

Mara dropped the pen immediately after.

Like touching the paper too long would make this more real.

But it already was real.

Painfully real.

Her phone buzzed again almost instantly.

Unknown Number.

Mara stared at it for a second before answering coldly.

What?

A male voice answered calmly.

Miss Vance.

Her stomach tightened immediately.

Kane Holdings will send a driver for you at eight a.m.

Mara’s jaw tightened. I didn’t agree to anything yet.

A pause.

Then…

You signed the contract twelve seconds ago.

Her breath caught.

Slowly, Mara looked around the empty dining room.

The dark windows.

The silence.

The papers.

Fear crawled slowly up her spine.

How do you know that?

Another pause.

Then the voice answered quietly.

Mr. Kane likes being informed.

The call ended.

Mara sat frozen at the table.

And for the first time since this started…

she truly felt trapped.