Contract of Hate

📖 CHAPTER 2 – Forced Reality

The moment Lila stepped into the house, she knew she had made a mistake.

It wasn’t just big… it was silent. The kind of silence that made everything feel unfamiliar, like she didn’t belong there.

Her suitcase rolled behind her as she walked slowly into the living room, eyes scanning everything.

“This place is too big for one person,” she muttered under her breath.

“You’re not one person anymore.”

The voice came from behind her.

Lila turned quickly.

Damian stood near the stairs, loosening his cufflinks like he had all the time in the world. His expression was still cold, still unreadable.

She frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He walked down a few steps, stopping only when he was close enough for her to feel his presence.

“It means,” he said calmly, “you live here now. As my wife.”

Lila scoffed. “Fake wife, you mean.”

A brief silence passed between them.

Then Damian pointed slightly down the hallway. “West wing. That’s yours.”

Lila blinked. “West wing?”

“Yes.”

She stared at him like he had said something ridiculous. “So you planned everything already? Even where I sleep?”

“It avoids problems,” he replied simply.

Lila let out a frustrated laugh. “You are unbelievable.”

Damian’s eyes narrowed slightly. “And you talk too much.”

That shut her up for half a second… but only half.

She stepped closer. “Let me make something clear to you. I didn’t choose this. So don’t expect me to act like I’m happy about it.”

His gaze didn’t move away from her.

“I don’t expect anything from you,” he said. “As long as you follow the contract.”

“The contract again,” she muttered.

“Yes.”

Lila dragged her suitcase forward angrily. “You know what? Fine. Keep your contract. Keep your rules. I’ll stay in your house but don’t think I’ll stay quiet.”

Damian turned slightly as she walked past him.

“Good,” he said lowly. “Silence would make this boring.”

That made her stop.

She looked back at him. “You enjoy this, don’t you?”

His expression didn’t change.

“I enjoy control,” he replied.

For a second, something strange passed between them something neither of them understood.

Not hate.

Not peace.

Something in between.

Lila turned away quickly, gripping her suitcase tighter than before.

But as she walked down the hallway, one thought refused to leave her mind.

This wasn’t just a contract anymore.

It was a battlefield.

And she had just stepped inside it.