Bound in his name
921 Words
Three days. That’s how long it had been since Maya signed her name on the dotted line that tethered her to Liam Ford for life.
Well — for as long as the contract demanded, anyway.
She hadn’t seen him since that night. No calls. No texts. Just silence, which she was both grateful for and deeply unsettled by.
But that morning, a black town car had pulled up to their gate with a simple message:
> Your fitting is at noon. Don’t be late.
Maya had stared at the card for a long minute before tossing it on the couch.
“Seriously?” Caleb asked, popping his head into the room with a bowl of cereal in hand. “He’s summoning you now?”
“It’s a dress fitting. Not a duel.”
“Feels like both.”
She sighed, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Cal.”
“You’re marrying a millionaire. Correction — a vindictive millionaire you used to have feelings for and then ghosted. Sounds like you’re doing a lot.”
Maya shot him a look. “You’re not helping.”
“I’m your brother. I’m not here to help. I’m here to throw sarcasm and secretly follow you to make sure you don’t get trafficked.”
---
Later – Bridal Boutique, Victoria Island
Maya stepped into the boutique and immediately felt underdressed.
Velvet carpets. Soft classical music. The kind of place that didn’t list prices because if you had to ask, you couldn’t afford it.
A staff member greeted her with a wide smile and a clipboard. “Miss Sinclair, welcome. Mr. Ford has taken care of everything. You’ll be trying on our exclusive line today.”
Caleb whistled low beside her. “Damn. Am I allowed to touch anything, or will I owe them my kidney?”
Maya ignored him, her eyes scanning the room. No Liam.
Of course. He wouldn’t be here. Why would he be?
---
But she was wrong.
Just as the attendant zipped her into the third dress — a blush-toned ballgown with intricate beading — Liam walked in.
No announcement. No warning. Just him, in a charcoal suit, calm as ever.
“You’re late,” Maya muttered.
“You’re glowing,” he replied.
She frowned. “Are you being... nice?”
“Don’t get used to it.” He walked closer, studying the gown. “That one. That’s the one.”
“I haven’t even decided.”
“You don’t have to. That’s your dress.”
“I don’t take orders, Liam.”
“Good,” he said smoothly. “Because I don’t give suggestions.”
Caleb fake-coughed in the corner. “Y’all toxic and rich. This is my favorite genre.”
Liam smirked. “Pick whatever else you like. It’s all covered.”
Maya blinked. “Wait, what?”
“The entire collection. If you want all ten, take them.”
She stared at him like he’d grown horns. “Why would you spend that much on clothes for a woman you’re marrying out of convenience?”
“Because you’re still going to be my wife. And I don’t do things halfway.”
---
The Engagement Dinner
It wasn’t even the wedding yet — just the announcement dinner — and already, social media had exploded.
Pictures of Maya and Liam, walking hand-in-hand into the luxury rooftop restaurant, were everywhere. Her dress shimmered. His suit looked tailored by angels.
Inside, the guest list was a who's-who of the elite. Politicians. Celebrities. And a cluster of young female CEOs who looked like they’d just lost a bidding war on something expensive — or someone.
At one of the tables, three of them leaned in to whisper.
“Is that her? The girl he’s marrying?”
“She looks like she works in PR. I thought he’d go for someone more… refined.”
“I heard she ghosted him years ago. He’s probably doing this out of spite.”
“Or maybe she’s pregnant.”
They laughed behind their champagne glasses.
Maya caught the tail end of their conversation as she passed by, and for a split second, her smile wavered. But then she remembered Liam’s words — give them a show — and straightened her spine.
Caleb was seated at her left when she reached the head table.
“Is it weird that I want to throw cake at someone?” he murmured.
She snorted. “You and me both.”
Liam arrived a moment later, slipping into the seat beside her like it belonged to him. He looked around the room, expression mild, then leaned toward Maya.
“They’re watching.”
“I know.”
“Smile.”
She didn’t. “You smile.”
He did — a wicked, lazy, arrogant smile that sent ripples across the room and more whispers among the CEOs.
---
That Night
Back in the car, silence sat between them like an uninvited guest.
Maya finally broke it. “Why are you doing all this, Liam?”
He stared out the window. “Doing what?”
“The theatrics. The money. The everything.”
He turned, eyes sharp. “Because you’re mine now.”
Her breath hitched.
“I don’t mean romantically,” he added smoothly. “I mean contractually. You’re going to be my wife. You’ll wear the ring, play the role, smile at galas. And in return, your father’s company survives.”
Maya swallowed hard. “You could’ve picked anyone.”
He looked away again. “But I didn’t.”
- Writer
