The Contract Proposal
1180 Words
Chapter Two: The Contract Proposal
The moment Sophia entered the car, tension filled the air.
Neither spoke.
Neither looked directly at the other.
Five years of heartbreak sat between them like an invisible wall.
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The luxury car pulled smoothly into traffic.
Rain streaked across the windows.
Sophia folded her arms tightly.
“What is so important that you dragged me into your car?”
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Ethan looked out the window for a moment.
Gathering his thoughts.
Then he turned toward her.
“You look tired.”
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Sophia blinked.
Of all the things she expected him to say, that wasn’t one of them.
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“Excuse me?”
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“You look exhausted.”
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She felt irritation rise immediately.
“I didn’t get into this car for a wellness assessment.”
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A tiny smile threatened to appear on Ethan’s lips.
The first sign of the old Ethan she had seen all evening.
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“I heard about your company.”
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Her stomach tightened.
Of course he knew.
People like Ethan always knew everything.
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“My business is none of your concern.”
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“It is if you’re about to lose it.”
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The words hit harder than she wanted to admit.
Because they were true.
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Sophia looked away.
She hated feeling vulnerable.
Especially in front of him.
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The silence stretched.
Then Ethan handed her a file.
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She stared at it suspiciously.
“What is this?”
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“Open it.”
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Reluctantly, she did.
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The first page made her eyes widen.
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A financial report.
Her company.
Every detail.
Every debt.
Every problem.
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Sophia slammed the folder shut.
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“You investigated me?”
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“No.”
Ethan’s voice remained calm.
“I helped you.”
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“What?”
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He leaned back.
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“Three months ago your company was denied a business loan.”
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Sophia froze.
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She remembered.
She remembered sitting in the bank afterward and crying in her car.
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“The approval came two days later.”
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Her heart skipped.
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“You?”
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Ethan nodded.
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The realization left her speechless.
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For months she had wondered how the loan had suddenly been approved.
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And all this time…
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It had been him.
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“Why?”
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The question came out almost as a whisper.
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Ethan’s jaw tightened.
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Because the real answer was dangerous.
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Because despite everything…
He still cared.
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Instead, he gave a safer response.
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“Because your company deserved a chance.”
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Sophia wasn’t sure she believed him.
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Before she could ask another question, the car stopped.
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They had arrived at one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants.
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“I thought we were talking.”
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“We are.”
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Ethan stepped out.
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Sophia sighed dramatically.
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Some things never changed.
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Ethan still expected everyone to follow his lead.
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Inside the restaurant, a private dining room had already been reserved.
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The room overlooked the city skyline.
Soft music played in the background.
Candles flickered gently.
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It felt dangerously romantic.
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Sophia immediately hated it.
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“This is ridiculous.”
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Ethan ignored the comment.
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A waiter poured drinks before quietly leaving.
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Finally, Ethan got to the point.
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“I need a favor.”
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Sophia laughed.
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“There it is.”
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The millionaire CEO hadn’t called because he missed her.
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Of course not.
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He needed something.
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“What kind of favor?”
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Ethan took a deep breath.
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Then he said four words that completely stunned her.
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“Marry me.”
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Sophia choked on her water.
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“What?!”
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Several people outside the room glanced over.
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Neither noticed.
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“Not a real marriage.”
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“Oh, that’s comforting.”
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“A contract marriage.”
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Sophia stared at him as if he had lost his mind.
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“You are insane.”
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“Possibly.”
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“Ethan, we haven’t spoken in five years.”
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“I know.”
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“You broke my heart.”
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His expression flickered briefly.
Pain.
Regret.
Something deeper.
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Then it vanished.
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“And you broke mine.”
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The room fell silent.
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For a moment neither spoke.
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The old wound was still there.
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Still hurting.
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Still unresolved.
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Finally Ethan slid another document across the table.
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“This explains everything.”
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Sophia opened it cautiously.
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The proposal was detailed.
Extremely detailed.
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A six-month marriage.
Public appearances.
Family events.
Business functions.
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In exchange…
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Ethan would completely eliminate her company’s debt.
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Fund its expansion.
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And guarantee its future.
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Sophia’s breath caught.
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The amount of money involved was life-changing.
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Life-saving.
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Impossible.
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“This is crazy.”
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“Probably.”
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“Then why do it?”
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For the first time, Ethan looked uncomfortable.
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“My grandmother.”
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Sophia blinked.
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“Amelia?”
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His expression softened.
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The mention of his grandmother always affected him.
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Amelia Hayes had adored Sophia.
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Years ago she had practically treated her like family.
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“She’s sick.”
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Sophia’s heart sank.
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“How sick?”
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Ethan stared down at his hands.
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“Very.”
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The answer hurt.
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More than she expected.
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“She wants to see me married.”
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Silence.
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“She believes I’ll never move on.”
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Sophia looked away.
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Because part of her wondered if he had.
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And part of her knew she hadn’t.
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“Ethan…”
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He interrupted gently.
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“It’s only six months.”
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The proposal sat between them.
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Tempting.
Dangerous.
Complicated.
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Sophia knew she should say no.
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Absolutely no.
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Contract marriages belonged in movies.
Not real life.
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Especially not with an ex-boyfriend she still wasn’t completely over.
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Yet her struggling company flashed through her mind.
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Her employees.
Her dreams.
Everything she had worked for.
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And then she thought about Amelia.
The woman who had always been kind to her.
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The room felt suddenly smaller.
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Because she realized something terrifying.
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She was actually considering it.
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Ethan noticed.
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For the first time that evening, hope flickered in his eyes.
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A tiny spark.
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The kind that appeared when impossible things suddenly seemed possible.
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Then Sophia looked directly at him.
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“If I agree…”
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His heart pounded.
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“…there will be rules.”
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A slow smile appeared on Ethan’s face.
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And for the first time in five years, both of them stepped onto a path neither could predict.
A path that would force them to confront the past they had been running from.
And perhaps…
The love they never truly left behind.
- Writer
