The contract marriage with a billionaire

Chapter 4

Noah Smith rested casually against the edge of the desk, yet the stance carried a quiet dominance, as though the very atmosphere bent to him. The dim light carved sharp planes across his face ,defined cheekbones, a firm jawline, and sstorm-greyeyes that sliced through the room with unsettling precision. Strands of dark hair fell across his brow, lending him a dangerous allure that rooted me to the spot.

This was no longer the boy I remembered from high school. The timid teenager with oversized glasses and an unsure grin had been replaced by a man radiating confidence and power. His suit, perfectly cut, eemphasisedthe breadth of his shoulders and the strength in his frame, every detail exuding deliberate control. Even in stillness, he seemed larger than life, impossible to overlook.

And those eyes ,piercing, unreadable, yet inviting ,seemed to strip away my ddefences When they caught mine, something inside me fluttered.

“Noah,” I managed at last, my voice thin. “You… you’ve changed.”

A faint smirk curved his lips, one brow lifting. “It’s been a while, Sofia. But I’m still me.”

But I knew he wasn’t. That shy boy was gone. This Noah carried a dangerous ease, a magnetism that was impossible to ignore.

“How have you been?” I asked, trying to sound steady despite the hammering of my heart.

“Busy,” he said lightly, his deep voice holding an edge of secrets. “But enough about me. I heard about… everything.” For an instant, his expression softened. “I’m sorry, Sofia. For what happened.”

The words reopened old wounds. I forced a brittle smile. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” he countered, tone firm, ggreyeyes darkening. “That’s why I’m here.”

My brows knit. “What do you mean?”

He met my gaze, and for a heartbeat the room went still. “I need your help. But it’s… unconventional.”

“Unconventional?” My voice rose warily. “What are you asking?”

His smirk faded. What remained was a seriousness that unsettled me. “A marriage contract.”

I blinked. “You… what?”

“I want you to be my wife,” he said calmly. “On paper. There’s a situation. Having you by my side could help both of us.”

I’d walked in tonight expecting anything but this. My pulse stumbled. “Why?”

He leaned back, expression cool. “Let’s just say some people think they can exploit my single status. Marriage changes that. It throws them off.”

“So you’d make me your decoy?” My voice cut sharper, old resentment stirring.

“Not a decoy,” he said, eyes steady. “An ally. Someone with as much to gain as I do.”

My arms folded, part ddefence part composure. “And what exactly do I gain?”

“Revenge.” The word landed like a promise. “I know what Daniella and Daniel did. They won’t take you seriously until you have someone powerful at your side.”

He’d baited the hook perfectly. Revenge, dark, tempting, exactly what part of me craved. And damn him, he was right.

But still I hesitated, chewing my lip. “You think this will actually work? They’ll just… back off?”

A low laugh escaped him. “I don’t plan on giving them a choice.” He leaned closer, voice dropping to a velvet murmur. “With me, you won’t just be Sofia Sinclair. You’ll be untouchable. You’ll have the upper hand.”

I swallowed hard, caught between the ghost of who I’d been and the steel of who I’d become. The old Sofia would’ve run. The new one, the one betrayal had forged, wanted this.

“I need time to think,” I whispered.

“Of course.” His knowing look said he’d already expected that. “But don’t wait too long. Daniel and Daniella won’t.”

I nodded, his words sinking deep. He turned to leave but paused at the door, gaze softening for a heartbeat. “Happy birthday, Sofia,” he murmured, warmth flickering beneath his aarmour Then he was gone, and the room felt emptier than before.

---

Later, pacing the hallways alone, I replayed our meeting in my mind. Noah’s confidence, his offer of revenge, they pulled at me like gravity. He’d returned to my life like a storm, and part of me wanted to be swept up.

Rounding a corner, I collided with Daniel. His familiar smirk cut across his face, oily with arrogance.

“Oh, look who’s back,” he drawled. “I thought you’d gone off to lick your wounds.”

I stiffened, masking the instinct to lash out. “Move, Daniel.”

“Don’t be like that.” He reached out, fingers brushing my arm. I recoiled from the cold of his touch. “What happened between us doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends.”

Friends. The word was poison.

“Friends?” My laugh came sharp and bitter. “Gabriel, I’d rather befriend a snake. At least snakes strike where you can see them.”

His smirk faltered, eyes narrowing. “Watch your mouth. You’re not in a position to make enemies.”

“Oh, I’m exactly in that position.” My gaze locked on his, letting him see the steel he’d forged in me. “Don’t mistake my silence for weakness. Next time you try to block me, you won’t like the outcome.”

Anger flashed across his face, but I brushed past him, heart pounding with a fierce, dangerous exhilaration.

—----

Two days later, I stood before Noah again. This time there was no hesitation. His ggreyeyes searched mine, waiting.

“I’ll do it,” I said, my voice firm. “I’ll sign.”

Relief and triumph flickered together in his smile. “Good,” he murmured, a promise lurking in the word. “Welcome to your new life, MMrsSmith.”

The pen felt heavier than it should have as I signed my name, the scratch of ink sealing a pact that was equal parts dangerous and irresistible. Noah watched me, unreadable, though a flicker of satisfaction curved his lips. The weight of what I’d agreed to pressed in, yet so did a strange, intoxicating thrill. For the first time in months, I wasn’t cornered I had a weapon, and his name was Noah Smith.

“From this moment,” he said quietly, sliding the papers away, “you’re no longer alone.”

I met his gaze, storm meeting steel, and rrealisedthe truth: this was more than a contract. It was the spark of something that could either save me or destroy us both.

“And deep down, I wasn’t sure which fate I wanted more”.