The contract marriage with a billionaire

Chapter3

In the days that came after, it was as though I were trapped beneath the surface, lungs burning, unable to break free. I wandered aimlessly from room to room, more like a drifting shadow than a living person, weighed down by my own powerlessness. The place that should have been my refuge had turned me invisible. Wherever I looked, Daniella clung to Daniel smiling with a sly tilt of her lips, murmuring barbs just loud enough for me to catch, laughing in a way that made sure I knew exactly how insignificant I was in their world.

They had everything, each other’s affection, the spotlight, even my parents’ approval while I felt like nothing more than a ghost trespassing in their perfect life.

I tried to retreat into silence, to build a wall around myself, but even that was stripped away. Daniella made a sport of cutting me down, acting as though my mere presence spoiled the air. My parents never intervened; my mother’s eyes grew even sharper every time Anaya hurled an insult. It was as if they all agreed I didn’t belong.

Then, the night before my birthday, something unexpected happened.

I came back from a walk to find the house alive with activity. Staff bustled about carrying trays, flowers and decorations clearly preparing for a party. Confused, I watched them transform the space. Finally, I spotted my mother giving instructions to a decorator.

“Mom?” I ventured, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

She barely looked at me. “Oh, you’re here. I thought you’d be out tonight. Just…try to look decent tomorrow. It’s your birthday.”

A party for me. It was the last thing I’d expected from them.

That night, lying in bed, I turned it over in my mind. Maybe they hadn’t written me off completely. Maybe this was some flicker of care, even if it was only for show. A thread of hope crept in despite myself. I hated that hope, but I couldn’t shake it. As sleep came, I dreamed of another life, one where love wasn’t conditional and “family” actually meant something.

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The next evening I stood at the edge of the room, wrapped in a dress that felt too elegant, as though someone was trying to soften the harsh outlines of my reality. Guests filled the space, strangers and acquaintances alike, none of them paying me any notice. I might as well have been part of the wallpaper.

Then Daniella appeared as though on cue glittering in emerald green, arm locked possessively with Daniel’s. She spotted me instantly, smiling with her usual sugar-poisoned sweetness as she approached.

“Sofia, happy birthday!” she said loudly enough to draw eyes. Her grip on Daniel tightened, her nails pressing into him. “When Mom told me about the party, I just knew I had to do something special for you.”

Her gaze sparkled with the same malice I’d learned to expect. I forced a mild smile.

“Daniella,” I said, “I can always count on you to make things memorable.”

Daniel grinned, taking a slow, deliberate look at me. “And here I thought you were done with parties,” he said. “Guess you’ll take what you can get.”

I swallowed my retort and instead tilted my head in practised indifference. “You two look lovely together,” I said, sweet enough to make Daniella’s smile twitch.

“Oh, we do, don’t we?” she purred, then looped her arm around Daniel’s neck and kissed his cheek, eyes still on me.

The performance wasn’t over. She whispered to a waiter, then turned back with a mock-innocent look. Moments later a tray appeared carrying an enormous cake, gaudy with glittering icing. My heart sank as the room hushed, every eye on us.

“Everyone!” Daniella called. “It’s my dear sister’s birthday. Let’s make it unforgettable!”

I saw the trap in her eyes the humiliation she wanted. But this time I wasn’t going to play.

With a calm smile, I stepped forward, admiring the cake. “Thank you, Daniella. It’s beautiful. You must have put so much thought into it.”

Her expression flickered. I picked up the knife, sliced a neat piece, and held the plate out to her, my voice sugar-soft. “Would you like the first bite?”

For a second she hesitated, but couldn’t back down in front of the guests. She took the plate with a tight smile and a small bite.

A polite ripple of applause followed until her eyes went wide. She gagged, spitting the cake back onto the plate as her hands flew to her mouth. The frosting had smeared bright and garish across her lips, a ridiculous stain for everyone to see.

I covered my amusement with a gasp. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you’d react like that. Are you alright?”

Her cheeks burned as she wiped her face, glaring at me. “You did this on purpose,” she hissed.

I kept my serene smile. “Whatever do you mean? I thought you’d love it after all, you planned the party.”

The crowd’s whispers swelled; people cast her curious, disapproving glances. Even my parents looked caught between anger and embarrassment as they hurried to her side and led her away.

As they did, a member of the staff approached me with a small bow. “Miss Sofia, someone is here to see you.”

“Someone…for me?” I repeated, startled. Who would come for me on a night like this?

“He asked to meet you in the study,” the man said quietly.

Intrigued, I excused myself and walked down the hall. My thoughts raced, trying to imagine who it could be, but nothing prepared me for what I saw when I opened the door.

A tall figure stood by the window, back to me. He turned at the sound of the door, and my heart stopped.

“Noah?” I breathed, the name falling from my lips like a ghost resurrected.

He offered a small, hesitant smile. “Hello, Sofia,” he said. His voice was calm but his eyes held a fierce determination that sent a shiver through me.

I swallowed hard, still rooted to the spot. “What…what are you doing here?”

He stepped closer, gaze steady. “I heard it was your birthday,” he said softly. “And I thought it was time we talked.”