Chapter 2 – Terms and Conditions
863 Words
Emma sat in the back of the sleek black car, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap as the city lights passed in a blur. Her mind was spinning. She had walked into Alex Donovan’s office with nothing but desperation—and now she was leaving with a future she hadn’t planned, tied to a man she barely knew.
A man who made her feel like a pawn.
She remembered the coldness in his voice. “Then you leave. And I assume the debt collectors find your father before the month ends.”
No threats. No raised voice. Just facts, spoken like he was reciting numbers on a spreadsheet.
Her father’s pale, fragile face flashed in her mind. His tired eyes. The quiet way he tried to hide his pain. The guilt slammed into her chest again, heavy and suffocating. There was no other way.
The driver turned onto a quiet street lined with luxury apartments. He stopped in front of a tall glass building, then stepped out to open the door for her. Emma blinked at the entrance.
Was this her new life?
The inside was like a page out of a design magazine—polished marble floors, silver elevator doors, soft ambient lighting. The silence in the hallway echoed her nerves. She followed a tall concierge to the penthouse floor, where a soft chime welcomed her into the apartment.
It was stunning.
Cold.
Beautiful.
Empty.
There were no pictures, no warmth—just expensive furniture arranged with mathematical precision. A single white envelope sat neatly on the marble kitchen island. Her name was written on it in bold, clean letters: Emma .
Her breath caught.
She tore it open with trembling hands and found a thick contract. The air seemed to tighten as she read:
> Clause 1: You are to be my legally wedded wife in public.
Clause 2: You will not interfere in my business.
Clause 3: You will remain for a period of 12 months.
Clause 4: You will receive ₦10 million in monthly compensation.
Clause 5: All personal information and family matters remain confidential.
Clause 6: Physical intimacy is not required unless mutually agreed.
Her heart pounded harder.
And then, the final warning:
> “Failure to comply or early termination from either party will result in a breach penalty of ₦50 million.”
Fifty million.
Emma stumbled back into one of the bar stools, the contract trembling in her hands. This wasn’t just a business arrangement. It was a golden cage — lined with cold rules and consequences.
She blinked hard against the tears. No crying. Not now.
He didn’t care about her. She was a transaction. A placeholder.
But her father needed help. And she had already said yes.
Emma reached for the pen.
“Sign it, Emma. Save him.”
And so she did.
---
The Next Morning...
Her alarm rang at 5:00 a.m. sharp. A suit had been laid out for her — elegant, modest, black and white. There was a note attached:
> “Wear this. First impressions matter.”
No signature. But she didn’t need one.
Her phone buzzed exactly ten minutes later. The car was waiting downstairs.
---
The elevator ride to the top floor of Carter Corporation felt like ascending into another world. Each ding took her closer to him — the man whose cold words still echoed in her head.
When the doors opened, Emma stepped into a hallway of glass and steel. The view from the top floor stretched across the city skyline, but she didn’t stop to admire it.
The receptionist barely glanced up. “Top floor. Go right in.”
She adjusted her jacket and pushed the door open.
Alex Donovan was already there.
He stood behind his massive glass desk, flipping through a document like she wasn’t even in the room. He didn’t greet her. Didn’t even look up.
“You’re late,” he said coolly.
Emma blinked. “I’m three minutes early.”
Now he looked up.
“In my world, early is on time. On time is late. You’ll learn.”
She bit her tongue.
“I’m here. What do you need?”
He stepped around the desk and handed her a file. His presence was as sharp and polished as the suit he wore. Everything about him screamed control — from his perfect posture to the way he barely blinked.
“This is your first task,” he said. “Review it. Don’t mess it up.”
Emma took the file, her fingers brushing his for a brief second. It felt like ice.
“You’ll live here. You’ll work here. And you’ll attend events when required. Nothing more.”
She stiffened. “And what exactly do you get out of this?”
Alex’s eyes locked onto hers. “Convenience,” he said. “And silence.”
She swallowed the lump rising in her throat.
“And if I stop being convenient?”
He tilted his head, that unreadable look on his face again. “You’re easily replaced.”
The words hit her harder than they should have.
Not because she was shocked.
But because she realized… he meant it.
- Writer
