Bound by Contracts Claimed by love

Shadows of hunger Emma Hayes had got used to being very invisible. In a city that never slept, it was the only way for her to survive. She slipped through Manhattan’s shining streets like a ghost, her thrift-store coat pulled tight, and her sneakers soaking in the rain, her head always bowed low. She was very invisible and forgettable, it was safer for her that way. But inside the lavish ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton, where golden chandeliers shined above and laughter filled the room, Emma’s invisibility was almost unbearable. She wasn’t a guest. She wasn’t even a staff member or a cleaner. She was the last-minute hire the catering company called when someone else quit. Her uniform didn’t fit right, her tray was held in her hands and the heels they’d forced on her were two sizes her size. Her feet throbbed. Her stomach groans with hunger. And every time she passed a glittering table, she caught fragments of conversations that reminded her just how far she was from this world. “She just got her second penthouse in Tribeca” “Can you believe the ring? At least four carats” “I can’t believe my driver is late again. I warned him.” Emma’s chest harden. Meanwhile, her homeowner had kept another eviction notice on her door that morning. Her mother’s hospital bills piled up on the counter, unpaid. And she hadn’t eaten a full meal in 3 days. But in all of these, she smiled when the guest mocked or smirked at her. She bowed her head when they brushed her off like dirt. One tiny mistake and she’d lose this shift. Her manager’s warning still echoing: “Stay quiet. Don’t draw attention.” So Emma kept her eyes down. Until she saw him. He stood alone near the bar, a man who looked carved from power itself. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a suit that whispered wealth with every stitch. His hair was dark, perfectly cut, his jaw sharp enough to wound. But in all of this, his eyes froze her in place. Cold, piercing and gray. They swept over the room like a storm protecting its territory and when they landed on her, Emma forgot how to breathe. Her tray tiled. A glass fell, shattering at her feet. Heat filled her cheeks. 'S...sorry' she stammered, kneeling quickly to gather the pieces. Gasps rippled through the crowd, someone muttered, “So incompetent and disgusting.” Her hands shook. A sharp edge nicked her palm and she hissed in pain. “Stop” The voice cut through the noise like a whip. Emma looked up. The man had crossed the space between them in seconds. His presence was overwhelming. His cologne was dizzying. He caught her right before she could touch the class, touch the glass again, his grip was strong and commanding. “Don’t” he said. Her heart thundered. She should’ve pulled away. She should’ve apologized again and run away. Instead, she trembled beneath his stare. Then with startling ease. He rose, pulling her with him. 'Clean this.' He ordered one of his guards. His hands brushed down Emma’s arm, lingering far longer than necessary. She felt renewed. He didn’t leave her alone after that. Everywhere she moved, she felt his eyes, watching, burning and consuming her. By the time her shift ended, her nerves were frayed. She hurried towards the back exist desperate to vanish into the night. “Leaving without saying goodbye?” His voice was dangerous and smooth. “I… I don’t belong here.” Emma’s pulse spiked. “NO,” he agreed. His eyes dragged over her threadbare coat and her sneakers turned. “You don’t.” She turned away as shame curled in her stomach, but his hand caught her and stopped her. “Come with me” His drunk or something, she muttered under her breath and shook her head quickly. “I can’t…” “You can”. His gaze hardened. Daring her to defy him, “and you will.” The hotel suite was larger than her entire apartment building. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed Manhattan glittering below. The massive bed, designed in white silk, dominated the space like a throne. Emma hung near the door, her hands twisting. “I shouldn’t be here.” “Why not?” He loosed his tie, his movement deliberate and unhurried. “Do you have somewhere better to go?” Her throat ached, she thought of her mother in the hospital. The eviction notice, the empty fridge. And tomorrow, electricity will be cut off. Her silence was answer enough. He stepped closer, towering over her and traced a finger along her jaw. “You’re trembling,” he murmured. “I should go.” “Stay”, the word was a command. Emma’s knees weakened. Every instinct screamed to run, yet when his hand slid into her hair, when his mouth captured hers in a kiss that stole the air from her lungs, she melted inside. His lips were hard and demanding. His touch was possessive, almost cruel, as though he were staking a claim. She should’ve fought. But she was so tired of fighting. For once, she let go. What happened next blurred into a haze of heat and desperation? His suit jacket hitting the floor. Her uniform torn from her body with merciless hands. His mouth tracing fire down her skin, pulling a sound she’d never made before. He was everything she wasn’t; confident, powerful, in control. And he took what he wanted without apology. Emma gave herself up to the storm. For one night, she wasn’t a poor, pitiful girl drowning in debt and frustration. For one night she felt wanted, consumed and claimed by a man who seemed untouchable. And when she finally collapsed against the pillows, breathless and trembling, his arms didn’t hold her or cuddle her. “And you were a virgin! Perfect!” Emma didn’t utter a word. He was already rising, already dressing, already turning back into the untouchable figure she met in the ballroom. By the time she found the courage to sit up, he was gone. No note. No number. Nothing. Just the scent of him lingering on the sheets and a thought that whispered she’d been foolish thinking it could ever be more. The next morning, reality checked in more than ever. Her phone buzzed, it was her boss. “Don’t bother coming back,” he snapped. “You embarrassed the entire staff last night. We don’t need disasters like you”. Her lips opened wide. “Please, I need this job...” “Not anymore!!” The line immediately went dead. Immediately, her phone buzzed again. This time was from the hospital. “Your mother’s health has worsened. We need a deposit from you as soon as possible.” Two weeks later, the test in her shaking hand revealed the cruelest truth of all. She was pregnant.