His Contract Bride

Chapter 6 Cracks in the Ice

The next morning, the kitchen was quiet except for the clink of a spoon against a coffee cup. Amara sat at the marble island, dressed in a simple blouse and jeans, scrolling through her phone, reading news about the Blake Group.

Ethan entered in his usual tailored suit, pausing when he saw her. "You’re up early."

"Couldn’t sleep."

He poured his coffee. Silence sat between them until she spoke again.

"Do you always get judged based on who you bring to dinner?"

Ethan leaned against the counter. "Yes. And now so will you."

"Good to know," she muttered.

Later that day, Amara explored the estate more thoroughly. She found a door hidden behind a curtain—an office. Ethan’s private study. She stepped in cautiously.

Books lined the walls, the scent of leather and cedar filling the air. On the desk sat photos—one of Ethan and an older man, presumably his father, and another of a young boy.

She didn’t hear Ethan enter behind her.

"Looking for secrets?"

Amara jumped. "Sorry—I didn’t know this was off-limits."

"It’s not," he said after a pause. "But most people don’t enter without asking."

"I was curious."

He walked over and picked up the photo of the boy. "That’s Marco. My younger brother."

She tilted her head. "You never talk about him."

"There’s not much to say. He died when he was eight."

The air shifted.

"I’m sorry," she said softly.

Ethan looked at her, something unreadable in his expression. "He liked gardens. Used to drag me outside to plant things."

"He sounds sweet."

"He was."

It was the first time Amara saw a crack in his perfect exterior.

Later that evening, while eating dinner quietly together, Ethan suddenly asked, "Why did you really agree to marry me?"

She looked up, surprised. "You mean aside from the money and contract?"

"Yes."

She hesitated. "Because I needed a way out. And this was... better than the alternative."

Ethan nodded. "I can respect that."

"What about you? Why me?"

"Because you’re not the kind of woman who fakes smiles. And I needed that."

Amara blinked, momentarily speechless. "Wow. That almost sounded like a compliment."

He smirked. "Don’t get used to it."