Chapter Three – The Contract
1006 Words
Cezy’s heart refused to calm down. The echo of Nathan Cross’s words filled the luxurious office, bouncing around her head like thunder.
Be my contract girlfriend.
She stared at him, dumbfounded, her lips parting and closing again like she was struggling for air.
“This is insane,” she whispered, finally finding her voice. “You… you can’t just ask a stranger to pretend to be your girlfriend.”
Nathan leaned back in his leather chair, expression unreadable. “I didn’t ask. I offered.”
Her fists clenched in her lap. “Why me?”
“Because,” he said smoothly, “you’re ordinary enough to be believable… yet captivating enough to keep the public’s interest.” His cold eyes lingered on her face. “And because you owe me.”
Cezy blinked. “Owe you? For what?”
His lips curled into something between a smirk and a warning. “For choosing you when I could have dismissed you yesterday. You’re here because I saw potential in you, Miss Celina. Don’t mistake generosity for weakness.”
Her cheeks flushed. “So I’m supposed to just sell myself because you hold the power?”
Nathan’s gaze sharpened. “You want to be an actress. You want fame, success, everything your step-sister flaunts in your face. I’m offering you the fastest way to get it. You’ll have exposure, media attention, opportunities. And in return, all I require is your cooperation. Six months. Appear at my side. Play the role. That’s it.”
Her pulse hammered in her ears. It sounded so simple, yet the weight of it pressed down on her chest. Six months of pretending to be his… six months of being trapped in the spotlight.
“And if I say no?” she asked quietly.
Nathan’s voice was like ice. “Then you’ll go back to auditioning in second-rate halls, living in shadows while your sister steps on your throat.”
Cezy bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. He was cruel. Ruthless. But he wasn’t wrong.
Images flooded her mind—Mira’s mocking smile, her father’s indifference, the endless nights she cried into her pillow dreaming of being someone. This was her chance. A dangerous chance, but perhaps her only one.
She swallowed hard. “Why… why do you even need a contract girlfriend? A man like you—”
“Doesn’t owe you explanations,” Nathan cut in, his eyes narrowing.
The finality in his tone made her chest tighten. He was hiding something. Some reason for this bizarre offer. But she knew better than to press further.
Instead, she forced herself to meet his gaze. “And the rules?”
His eyes glinted. “Rule one: our relationship is for the public only. Behind closed doors, you are an employee, not my lover. Rule two: you will attend events, interviews, and appearances as instructed. Rule three: no scandals of your own. Any breach of contract, and you’re done.”
Her fingers trembled in her lap. This wasn’t just a deal. This was a cage.
And yet… her dream dangled just beyond those bars.
“Do you accept?” Nathan asked, his voice low, commanding.
The silence in the room stretched. The city lights outside blinked like a thousand watching eyes.
Finally, Cezy drew in a shaky breath. “I… I need time to think.”
Nathan studied her for a long moment, then nodded once. “You have twenty-four hours.”
He pressed a button on his desk, and an assistant appeared instantly, sliding a folder across the table toward Cezy.
“The contract,” Nathan said coolly. “Read it. Decide. And remember… hesitation costs opportunities.”
---
Cezy stumbled out of the office, clutching the folder to her chest like it was burning her. Her mind whirled. What was she supposed to do? Sign away her life for six months? Or walk away and risk losing everything she had worked for?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice dripping with venom.
“Well, well. What are you doing here, Cezy?”
Her stomach dropped. Mira.
She stood in the hallway, arms crossed, a suspicious gleam in her eyes.
Cezy forced her expression into neutrality. “I had a meeting.”
“With Nathan Cross?” Mira’s tone was sharp, probing.
Cezy’s pulse spiked, but she kept her lips sealed. “That’s none of your business.”
Mira’s laugh was brittle. “Oh, please. Do you think you can hide anything from me? Whatever stunt you’re pulling, it won’t last. Nathan Cross doesn’t look at girls like you. You’ll embarrass yourself before this city in no time.”
Cezy pushed past her, refusing to rise to the bait. But Mira’s parting words echoed after her:
“Mark my words, little sister… I’ll make sure you regret ever stepping into my world.”
---
That night, Cezy sat in her cramped room, the folder spread open across her desk. Each page of the contract was covered in precise, merciless language. Public appearances. Confidentiality. Termination clauses. The list of conditions seemed endless.
Her eyes burned, her heart heavy. Was this what it took to reach her dream? To sell her freedom for six months in exchange for a chance to shine?
Tears blurred her vision. She thought of her mother, long gone, who once told her, “Never let anyone tell you you’re not enough, Cezy. One day, you’ll light up the world.”
Her fingers hovered over the pen. Her pulse raced.
And with a trembling hand, she signed.
---
The next morning, Nathan Cross received the signed contract. His lips curved faintly as he scanned her signature.
“Welcome to the stage, Miss Celina,” he murmured, his voice cold but laced with something darker.
Outside, flashbulbs were already waiting. The tycoon and his “girlfriend” would soon step into the spotlight.
And Cezy Celina’s life would never be the same.
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Are you ready for the real deal....this story is gonna be massive...get your pop corn ready
- Writer
