The Marriage Contract

Chapter2

"...both parties are not obligated to perform closeness or any intimate acts unless both parties willingly consent to the act. The guarantor may require the guarantee to appear by their side in public and stand as a united front. This is required of the guarantee. But the guarantee has every right to decide and accept what acts they wish to partake in and how, as long as the guarantee acknowledges that such acts must fulfil the terms of the contract..."

The personnel droned on.

I hadn't expected that.

But it was... fair.

I glanced at Marco before turning my attention back to the contract. He looked completely focused on what was being read aloud.

Why had he tried to have that part skipped if there was nothing worth hiding in it?

I filed the question away.

The reading continued for another ten minutes.

Each party would retain ownership of any assets they possessed before the marriage after the contract ended. Neither party could breach the contract or enter into another marriage agreement with anyone else for the duration of the contract. Neither party could engage in a romantic relationship outside the contract. The agreement described that as adultery and stated that it would be treated as such.

All reasonable terms.

Then we stood before a judge and signed our names.

The judge struck the gavel.

"By the authority vested in this court, I pronounce you husband and wife."

Nothing felt different. Except that Anna Cole was now Anna Belucci.

Marco hadn't said a word to me since. And I was perfectly content with that.

The lawyers continued with the remaining formalities, and I was beginning to wonder how much longer I would have to stand there when Marco approached me.

Up close, I noticed details I hadn't been able to make out in those grainy black-and-white surveillance photographs.

He had thick dark hair, deep brown eyes, and a hard jaw.

He was more than a foot taller than me.

I could take him in combat if I had a weapon. Without one, my best option would be to defend myself and run.

"This is for you." He said.

Only then did I notice the small velvet box in his hand.

"What?"

Was this what I thought it was?

"Show me your hand."

It wasn't a question. I hesitated, then lifted my hand toward him.

He opened the box. A diamond caught the light.

It was enormous.

A single-cut stone sat on a polished silver band covered in intricate design. The ring looked like it belonged in a museum, not on someone's finger.

I stared at it.

Marco took it from the box and slid it onto my finger. His hands were rough but careful.

The metal was cold. The ring was heavy. It was worth a fortune.

I wondered how much crime had paid for it.

"I didn't know we would be exchanging rings."

"I don't expect anything from you." He said, in a way that stung for a reason I couldn't explain.

He looked at the ring on my finger.

"But you should have this. You're my wife now. You're a Belucci. This is a symbol of it."

I looked down at my hand. I was wearing a symbol of the family I wanted to destroy.

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

There were things I hadn't considered before throwing myself into this mission. Small things, perhaps, but important ones.

Who was a Belucci? How did they behave? How were they perceived by ordinary people? How were they treated?

I was about to find out.

"Thank you," I said. "I'll take care of it."

The words surprised even me.

If I wanted this mission to go anywhere, if I wanted to get anything useful from Marco, I needed him to trust me.

"I didn't think you'd be able to wear that in public," he said. "I'll get you something more discreet. But you are to keep it on you at all times, especially when you're outdoors."

I nodded.

"Understood."

"Mrs Belucci, everything is done. It's official now." Mr Hutch approached us.

Marco stepped away to speak with his lawyers, leaving me alone with Hutch.

I lowered my voice.

"What is my next move from the Bureau?"

His eyes moved around the room before he answered just as quietly.

"I suggest you not get ahead of yourself, Agent."

Right. No one was going to tell me. All I could do was wait.

"Anna."

I turned. Marco stood a short distance away.

It was the first time he'd said my name. And the way he said it was different from everyone else.

There was a slight stress on the second syllable, his intonation shifting so that it sounded almost like ah-nah.

Mr Hutch had gone pale.

He had probably felt the same flash of fear I did—the fear that we'd been overheard.

Marco gestured toward the exit.

"Let's go."

I frowned.

"Go where?"

"I'm taking you home."

He turned and started walking. I followed.

"I can take a cab back to my place. You don't have to drop me off."

He stopped.

Then turned to look at me.

"You live with me now."

I stared at him.

"That's too soon. I thought there would be some time. A few days, at least. I have things to pack."

He started walking again. We were already halfway down the stairs.

A car waited outside. One of the guards stood waiting beside an open door.

Marco motioned to him.

The guard pulled out a small notepad and a pen and handed them over.

"Your things will be brought for you," Marco said.

He passed the items to me.

"Write down your address, apartment number, and any special requests you may have."

"I'm telling you—"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

He didn't give me a chance to finish.

"Get in."

I stared at him.

Anger simmered beneath my skin. But I knew better than to let it show.

It was too early to give him a reason to be suspicious. I needed to keep my head clear.

"Fine."

I stepped into the car.

The interior was cool and far more spacious than I'd expected.

Marco slid in beside me.

There was enough space between us for two people.

He took out his phone almost immediately and turned his attention to it.

I wasn't sure whether I'd made the right decision by giving in so easily. The notepad was still in my hand. A copy of our marriage certificate and the contract sat inside my bag.

I'd signed up for this. I was going to see it through.

I wrote down my address and handed the note to him.

His phone rang.

He answered, listened for a moment, then ended the call. Without saying anything, he took a picture of the note and sent it to someone.

My stomach tightened. Other people would be going through my belongings. What if there was something in my apartment that connected me to the Bureau?

A document. A photograph. Something I'd overlooked.

How could I get exposed this early into the mission?

Focus, Anna.

I took a breath.

Focus.

Everything would be fine.

The car moved through the city, and soon enough, the Belucci estate came into view.

The gates alone told me everything I needed to know. Security wasn't an afterthought here.

It was part of the architecture.

At least four guards were stationed at the entrance, performing a mandatory check even though their boss was the one arriving.

I watched them through the window.

There would be cameras. More guards. Probably several layers of security I couldn't see from the road.

Planting a microphone or other surveillance device here wouldn't be easy.

But difficult wasn't impossible.

The gates opened. The car entered the compound.

The estate appeared larger than it had in the photographs. The pictures hadn't done it justice.

Stone walls. Tall windows. Perfectly maintained grounds. A garden stretched along one side, with a greenhouse tucked farther back.

The place was beautiful. Almost too beautiful.

We stopped near a large water fountain, and someone opened my door.

I stepped out. And for a moment, I looked around, taking it all in. Then I heard my name.

"Anna."

Marco stood ahead of me, waiting. I walked toward him. We crossed the remaining distance to the house together.

I was going to live here. The thought still didn't feel real.

The doors opened before we reached them. An older woman appeared. The instant she saw Marco, her face warmed.

"Welcome back, Marcello," she said.

Then her eyes moved to me.

"And who do we have here?"

"This is Anna."

Marco gestured toward her.

"Anna, this is Rita. She's in charge of the house. If you need anything and I'm not here, go to her."

Rita turned to me and immediately took both my hands.

"Welcome home, Anna."

Home. The word caught me off guard. She seemed genuinely happy to see me.

I didn't understand it.

I'd been married to Marco for less than an hour. As far as I knew, no one in this house had any reason to be happy about my arrival.

"Did you have the room prepared as I asked?" Marco asked.

"Yes, yes."

Rita turned back to me.

"Come with me. You'll love it."

She led me upstairs. We followed a winding staircase into a hallway, then turned into another shorter corridor.

"Most of the rooms are here," Rita explained.

I counted more than seven doors. And there were still more?

Finally, she stopped.

"This is your room."

She took out a key and unlocked the door. I stepped inside.

The room was enormous.

The bed had drapes around it, and a massive ornate chandelier hung from the centre of the ceiling. A shelf sparsely filled with books occupied part of the wall. A sitting area occupied the other side of the room, while another door led toward the bathroom.

I walked farther inside, taking it all in.

The bathroom was spotless. The shower was completely enclosed in glass, and a large bathtub sat beneath the window.

Then I noticed another door.

"What's that?"

Rita smiled and unlocked it. A balcony.

I stepped outside.

The view was beautiful.

Below, the garden stretched across the compound, filled with plants that softened the intimidating grandeur of the estate. A rocking chair sat in one corner.

"Wow."

I couldn't hide my surprise.

This entire place was nothing like I'd expected. Maybe this was why people like the Beluccis were willing to do the things they did for money. But was it ever worth it?

Rita looked pleased.

"I hope you like it."

She took my hands again and led me back inside before placing the keys in my palm.

"I would give you a tour of the entire place, but I know you must be tired."

Her eyes dropped to the ring on my finger, and her smile widened, but she said nothing.

"Thank you so much, Rita."

I said, returning her smile. I knew I had to be careful with everyone in this house.

If I wanted to accomplish anything here, the housekeepers couldn't have a reason to be suspicious of me either.

"I'll let you rest now."

She turned toward the door, then paused.

"Oh, also, Marcello's room is just down the hall, opposite yours."

She smiled again and left.

I sat on the bed.

The mattress immediately gave beneath me, pulling me into its warmth.

I stared at the ceiling for a moment.

Then I heard a shriek.

It stopped.

I frowned.

In a house this large, it could have been anything.

I ignored it. But then it happened again. Louder this time.

I sat upright.

The sound came from somewhere down the hallway.

Someone was screaming. Something about the sound made the hairs on my arms rise.

I got up and rushed toward it.

It sounded like someone was in pain.

I reached the door the sound was coming from and pushed it open without hesitation

And it was...