THE MIDNIGHT CONTRACT

A deal without escape

Chapter 4

Isadora's POV

The next day, I stood outside the address from the letter. A massive skyscraper that seemed to pierce the clouds. Glass and steel, modern and imposing.I almost turned around and left. This felt wrong. Dangerous. But I had nothing left to lose.I pushed through the revolving doors into a lobby that screamed luxury. Marble floors. Modern art on the walls. Everything is pristine and cold.A receptionist looked up as I approached. "Can I help you?""I have a meeting with Mr. Nikolai Voss. My name is Isadora Benson."She typed something into her computer, then nodded. "Yes, Miss Isadora. You're expected. Take the private elevator to the top floor."She gestured to an elevator separate from the others. Two security guards stood on either side of it.My heart started racing as I approached. The guards didn't smile. Didn't speak. Just stepped aside to let me pass.The elevator doors closed and I was alone, watching the numbers climb. Tenth floor. Twentieth. Thirtieth.Finally, it stopped at sixty-two. The top floor.The doors opened onto a hallway that was more like a gallery. Expensive art on the walls. Floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the entire city. Another security guard was waiting. "This way, Miss Isadora."He led me down the hallway to a set of double doors at the end. He knocked once, then pushed them open."Miss Isadora," he announced, then stepped aside.I walked into the largest office I'd ever seen. It was all glass and steel, just like the rest of the building. A massive desk sat in the center. A man stood by the windows, his back to me, hands in his pockets. He turned as I entered.My breath caught in my throat.Nikolai Voss was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. And somehow, that beauty felt dangerous. He was tall, well over six feet, dressed in a blue suit that probably cost more than my father’s entire debt. His dark chestnut hair was perfectly styled, not a strand out of place. But it was his eyes that held me frozen—sharp silver-green eyes that seemed almost inhuman. His face looked carved from marble: sharp cheekbones, a strong jaw, features far too perfect to belong entirely to a man."Miss Isadora," he said. His voice was deep, controlled, with an edge that made my skin prickle. "Thank you for coming.""I don't understand," I said, my voice smaller than I wanted. "Why am I here?"He didn't smile."Sit."It wasn't a request. It felt like a command.I sat in the chair across from his desk, my hands folded in my lap to hide their shaking.Nikolai moved to his desk and sat down, leaning back in his chair. Those silver-green eyes never left my face."I know about your situation," he said.My stomach dropped."W-what situation?""Your father's debts. Four hundred, seventy-two thousand dollars. Your eviction. The fact that you're almost homeless and unemployed."Heat flooded my face. "How do you know that?"He ignored my question. "I have a solution to your problem.""I don't understand. Why would you care about my problems?""Because I have a problem of my own. And you can help me solve it."I waited, my heart pounding."I need a wife," Nikolai said, his voice, completely emotionless, like he was discussing a business transaction. Which, I realized, he was. "For exactly eight months."I blinked. "I'm sorry, what?""I'm in the process of securing a merger with a conservative political family. They require their business partners to be married. Stable. Respectable. I need a wife to make that happen.""So hire an actress. Pay someone to pretend.""I need it to be legal. Real. Documented.""And you're asking me because...""Because you're desperate. Because you have nothing to lose. And because I'm offering you something you need.""Which is?""I'll pay off all your debts," he said. "Every single one. You'll start with a clean slate. Additionally, I'll give you a million-dollar settlement at the end of the year. And I'll ensure you can finish your degree at any university you choose."The numbers made my head spin. A million dollars. My debts paid. A chance to finish school. It sounded too good to be true."What's the catch?" I asked."The catch is that for eight months, you belong to me. You live in my home. You attend events as my wife. You follow my rules without question. You—"A sharp knock on the door interrupted him. Nikolai's jaw tightened, irritation flashing across his face. "Who? What?"One of the security guards entered quickly. He leaned down and whispered something in Nikolai's ear.Nikolai's expression didn't change, but something dark flickered in his eyes. "Let him in," he said quietly.The guard nodded and left.I sat there, confused, as silence stretched between us.Then the door burst open. A man stumbled in, held by two security guards. He was wearing a mask, black fabric covering everything except his eyes. His clothes were expensive but disheveled, like he'd been in a fight."You devil!" he screamed, his voice raw with rage and pain. "How could you do this?"He lunged forward, trying to grab Nikolai's's shirt despite the guards holding him back.Nikolai stood slowly, his face completely calm and cold."How could you?" the masked man yelled again, his voice breaking. The guards yanked him backward, but he kept struggling, kept screaming.I pressed myself against my chair, my heart racing. What was happening? Who was this man? What had Mr. Nikolai done to him?"Get him out of here," Nikolai said, his voice still eerily calm. “He has nothing reasonable to say.”"HELL NO! I do have—" The masked man's words were cut off as the guards dragged him toward the door.He fought the entire way, trying to break free, trying to reach Nikolai.Then he was gone, the door slamming shut behind them.His screams echoed down the hallway, getting fainter and fainter until they disappeared completely.Silence fell over the office. Nikolai sat back down like nothing had happened. Like a masked man hadn't just burst in screaming about something terrible he'd done.He looked at me, his expression unreadable."Where were we?" he asked calmly.I stared at him, my mouth dry, my mind racing.What had I just witnessed?Nikolai stared at me, waiting for a response."I'm sorry," I said slowly. "Can we talk about what just happened?""No.""But that man—""It’s non of you business here." His voice was cold, final. "Do you want to hear my offer or not?"Every instinct screamed at me to leave. To run from this office and never look back. Something was deeply wrong here. "I'm listening," I heard myself say.Nikolai's expression didn't change. He simply continued as if nothing had interrupted us."The terms are simple. Eight months as my legal wife. You live in my home. You attend social events with me when required. You present yourself as happily married in public.""And in private?""In private, we're strangers. You'll have your own bedroom. Your own space. I won't touch you unless absolutely necessary for appearances.""What does that mean?""It means I might put my hand on your back at a gala. I might kiss your cheek in front of guests. But nothing more. Your body is yours. I will never force you."The words should have been reassuring. Instead, they felt ominous. Like he was promising not to do one terrible thing while leaving a thousand others open."What else?" I asked."You don't ask questions about my business. You don't investigate. You don't go poking around in places you're not allowed. What I do and who I meet is not your concern."I thought about the masked man again. About his rage. His pain."And if I break these rules?""There are consequences." His pale eyes held mine. "I suggest you don't find out what they are."My mouth went dry.“Is that a threat?”“It’s a warning.”Silence stretched between us, thick enough to choke on.Every instinct in me screamed to get out of there. I needed to leave. Whatever twisted arrangement he was offering, he needed to find someone else for it—because there was absolutely no way it was going to be me.