THE BILLIONAIRE'S CONTRACT WIFE.

CHAPTER TWO:THE CONTRACT.

Ava’s fingers trembled as she pressed the buzzer outside Blackwood Tower. The glass skyscraper loomed above her, glittering like a fortress of wealth she didn’t belong in. Last night, she’d sworn she wouldn’t call Damien. Yet the words marry me kept echoing as she watched her brother’s frail chest rise and fall.

The elevator whisked her to the top floor, where floor-to-ceiling windows revealed the Manhattan skyline. Damien was waiting in a sleek office that smelled faintly of cedar and power.

“You came.” His lips curved in the faintest smirk. “I had a feeling you would.”

“I’m only here to hear you out,” Ava said, crossing her arms. “I haven’t agreed to anything.”

Damien pressed a button. A man in a gray suit entered with a leather folder.

“Mr. Wright, my attorney. This is the contract.”

Ava sat slowly, her heart thudding as the lawyer opened the folder. The document looked intimidating, full of fine print and conditions.

Damien leaned against his desk, arms folded. “One year. Public appearances as my wife. You’ll live in my penthouse, attend family and corporate events, and maintain the image of a perfect marriage. In exchange, you’ll receive a monthly allowance and a final payout of five million dollars when the contract ends.”

Ava’s jaw slackened. Five million. It was more money than she could ever dream of. Enough to pay for her brother’s surgery, his therapy, even a home far away from their run-down apartment.

“What’s the catch?” she asked warily.

“No intimacy is required unless mutually agreed.” Damien’s gaze was unreadable. “There are moral clauses—you can’t date anyone else. And confidentiality is absolute. If you breach the agreement, you walk away with nothing.”

Ava hesitated. “Why me? You could hire a model, an actress—someone who fits your world better.”

Damien’s eyes darkened for a second. “I don’t want someone already entangled in this society. I need someone believable but unattached. And you…” He let his gaze sweep over her. “You have that look. Like you’ve been through hell and survived. People will believe I fell for you.”

A flush crept up Ava’s neck. She hated that part of her was flattered, even while her instincts screamed to run.

“Why do you even need this?” she demanded. “Why go through all this trouble?”

For a fraction of a second, Damien’s expression softened, almost haunted. Then the mask slipped back.

“Family business. My father’s will has certain… conditions. You don’t need the details.”

The lawyer slid a pen across the table. “If you agree, sign here. We’ll arrange the marriage license immediately.”

Ava stared at the pen. Her entire life balanced on its tip. Her brother’s surgery date was approaching. Her bank account had twenty-seven dollars.

Damien tilted his head. “I won’t ask twice, Miss Cole. If you walk away, the offer disappears.”

Her heart pounded. Signing this contract could ruin her. Not signing could ruin her brother.

Ava took the pen. Her hand hovered over the line. “One year,” she whispered, as if to convince herself.

“One year,” Damien confirmed. His voice carried no emotion, but his eyes followed every movement of her trembling hand.

She pressed the pen to the paper and signed.

The lawyer gathered the contract and left. The silence between them felt charged, almost electric.

“Welcome to your new life, Mrs. Blackwood,” Damien said coolly. “You move in tonight.”

Ava’s breath caught. “Tonight? But—my things, my brother—”

“Handled,” Damien interrupted. “I’ll have someone collect your belongings. Your brother’s care is arranged. From now on, your priority is me.”

A shiver ran through her. She wasn’t sure if it was fear… or something far more dangerous.

Damien stepped closer, invading her space just enough to make her pulse spike.

“You belong to me now, Ava. And I always collect what’s mine.”

Ava swallows hard as Damien opens the door to his private elevator. Cameras flash outside the building—paparazzi already waiting. She realizes with a jolt that the world will now be watching her every move.