His Contract Bride

Chapter 4 The Blake Estate

The Blake Estate looked like it belonged in a magazine—a sprawling mansion tucked in the hills, away from the city’s chaos, wrapped in silence and elegance. The front gates alone were taller than Amara’s apartment building, and the driveway curved for what felt like miles, flanked by trimmed hedges and fountains that sparkled under the afternoon sun.

Amara clutched her single suitcase, feeling impossibly small as she stood at the doorstep. The door opened before she could knock. A man in his fifties, sharply dressed and eerily calm, bowed slightly. "Miss Reyes. I am Thomas. Mr. Blake’s butler. Please come in."

The inside was even more overwhelming—marble floors, modern chandeliers, and paintings that probably cost more than her yearly salary. Everything smelled clean, expensive, and distant.

Thomas led her to her room—well, their room. She blinked at the king-sized bed, the mirrored walls, the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Mr. Blake will arrive by evening. You may rest or explore the estate until then," Thomas said before exiting.

She sat on the edge of the bed, overwhelmed. Was this really her new home?

She wandered through the hallway, each turn revealing something new—a library bigger than a bookstore, a glass-walled indoor pool, even a private theater. It was too much.

She found herself in the garden, sitting by a stone bench, breathing in the fresh air. That’s where Ethan found her.

"Getting comfortable?"

She turned. He stood in a black button-up and slacks, sleeves rolled to his elbows. Even here, in the comfort of his home, he looked like he owned the world.

"Trying to," she replied. "It’s a lot to take in."

He nodded. "You’ll get used to it."

She didn’t respond. The silence stretched until he said, "There’s a dinner tomorrow with the board. You’ll need to attend."

Her heart jumped. "Tomorrow? But—"

"You’ll be dressed. I’ll have the stylist send options."

She stood, bristling. "You could’ve at least asked."

He raised a brow. "We’re married. In name. And you agreed to play the role. I expect you to fulfill it."

She met his gaze. "Fine. But I’m not a puppet, Mr. Blake."

He smirked slightly. "I never said you were. Just... don’t embarrass me."

She turned back to the flowers, jaw tight. Ethan walked away, his presence lingering like a storm cloud.

This wasn’t going to be easy. But she would survive it.