Our Contracted Romance

Chapter 2: Accepted

Mara let out a long breath as she unlocked the small apartment she shared with her family. The hallway was quiet, lit by a single warm lamp, and the familiar scent of lavender her stepmother liked drifted faintly through the air. It was a humble place—tiny, a little worn, but clean and filled with the quiet warmth they created together.

As she stepped inside, her younger brother, Evan, looked up from the couch where he was working on his assignments. His blond hair was messy, and his glasses were sliding down his nose. “Hey, you’re back,” he said, pushing the glasses up and giving her a hopeful smile. “How did it go?”

Mara set her bag down carefully, hiding the swirl of emotions in her chest. “It went… okay,” she said softly. “They said they’ll contact me soon.”

Evan nodded, trusting her completely.

Across the room, her stepmother lay resting on the narrow bed by the window, wrapped in a soft cream blanket. She tried to sit up when Mara entered. “Welcome home, sweetheart,” she whispered, her voice weak but warm.

Mara rushed to her side. “Don’t push yourself, please,” she murmured, helping her adjust the pillows. Her stepmother’s breathing was shallow again, and the faint wince she tried to hide made Mara’s heart tighten.

“Did you take your medicine?” Mara asked gently.

Her stepmother gave a tired smile. “I saved the last dose for tonight.”

Mara nodded slowly, trying to ignore the ache in her chest. She knew they needed more medication—better treatment—rent money—school fees—and food. So much depended on her.

As she tidied the room and checked Evan’s homework, her mind went back to the tall man by the window… to the quiet seriousness in his eyes… to the contract she’d signed.

The secret she was now a part of.

She looked at her stepmother resting, at Evan working hard despite everything, and she whispered to herself:

“This is why I did it.”

But the reality of what she had agreed to settled heavily inside her.

And all she could do now was wait for the call that would change the entire direction of her life.

Mara slipped off her jacket and headed straight to the tiny kitchen space, rolling up her sleeves. The apartment was quiet except for the soft rustling of Evan’s papers and her stepmother’s gentle breathing. She opened the fridge—half-empty as usual—and took out what she could: a few vegetables, some pasta, and a small piece of chicken she’d been saving.

She began chopping quietly, letting the steady rhythm calm her mind. The warm light above the counter cast a soft glow as steam slowly rose from the pot. Evan peeked in from the living room. “Do you need help?” he asked.

Mara smiled faintly. “I’m okay. Go finish your homework.”

He nodded and disappeared again.

As the pasta cooked, she seasoned the chicken lightly and stirred the vegetables together, making the meal stretch enough for all three of them. She tasted the sauce—simple but warm. Comforting in a way she desperately needed right now.

When dinner was ready, she set the table gently: three plates, three glasses, a soft cloth under the pot to protect the old wooden surface. “Dinner’s ready,” she called quietly.

Evan hurried over, always grateful for any warm meal. Mara helped her stepmother sit up, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders before guiding her to the chair.

“This smells lovely,” her stepmother whispered, smiling tiredly.

“I hope it tastes okay,” Mara replied softly.

They ate together, the small clinks of forks and the soft hum of evening filling the room. Evan chatted about something funny that happened at school. Her stepmother listened, her eyes warm even through the exhaustion.

Mara barely spoke. She just watched them—watched the two people she was fighting for. Each smile they gave made the decision she’d made earlier feel necessary… even if it scared her.

When the plates were scraped clean and her family looked a little more at peace, Mara finally allowed herself a quiet breath.

This little dinner—this moment of calm—was exactly what she wanted to protect.

And exactly why she had signed that life-changing contract.

[ THE NEXT MORNING ]

Mara woke before the alarm even rang, her body still buzzing with the weight of yesterday. The sky outside was pale and quiet, the first light slipping through the curtains. She pushed herself out of bed, careful not to wake her stepmother, and moved quietly into the kitchen.

She made something simple for Evan—scrambled eggs, toast, and a small cup of warm milk. He appeared a few minutes later, rubbing sleep from his eyes, his hair sticking up in every direction.

“You’re up early,” he mumbled.

Mara smiled softly. “Big day for you, remember? You have that test.”

“Oh—right.” He brightened immediately and sat at the table to eat.

She packed his school bag, double-checked his notebooks, and tied his shoelaces when he struggled with them. By the time they were ready to leave, her stepmother was still asleep, wrapped in blankets and breathing peacefully.

Mara locked the door quietly and took Evan’s hand as they stepped into the cool morning air.

But her steps froze.

A sleek, black vehicle was parked directly in front of their building. Not the type that usually showed up in this neighborhood. The windows were tinted, the body clean and polished, the engine humming softly even though it wasn’t moving.

Evan stared. “Wow… whose car is that?”

Mara’s heart tightened.

She didn’t need to ask.

She knew.

The rear door opened slowly, and a man in a formal suit stepped out—one she instantly recognized from the office.

“Miss Mara,” he said politely, giving a small nod. “Good morning. Mr. Vallin has sent me.”

Mara’s breath caught, her fingers tightening around Evan’s hand.

The call she was waiting for hadn’t come.

Instead…

they came for her.

The man gave Evan a kind smile before looking back at Mara. “If you don’t mind,” he said gently, “Mr. Vallin asked that we make things easier for you. I can take your brother to school on the way.”

Evan’s eyes widened with excitement. “In that car?”

Mara hesitated, her heart pounding. Everything felt sudden… too sudden. But the man wasn’t threatening. His voice was calm, respectful, and patient—almost as if he understood she was nervous.

She finally nodded. “All right… thank you.”

He opened the door for them, and Evan scrambled inside first, awe written all over his face. Mara followed slowly, her heartbeat loud in her ears as she slid into the leather seat. The man closed the door gently, then entered the front seat.

As the vehicle pulled away from the old building, Evan pressed his face to the window. “This is so cool,” he whispered.

Mara managed a small smile, though her mind was racing. She watched her neighborhood fade behind them—the cracked walls, the old shops, the narrow streets—feeling like she was already leaving one life and stepping into another.

“We’ll drop him safely at school first,” the man said, looking at her through the mirror. “And then I’ll take you to the estate. Mr. Vallin would like to see you.”

Mara swallowed, gripping her hands tightly in her lap.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Evan leaned over and whispered excitedly, “Mara… does this mean you got the job?”

She forced a soft nod. “Something like that.”

He grinned, unaware of the storm waiting ahead.

And as the car drove smoothly through the morning streets, Mara felt her world shifting—quietly, quickly, pulling her toward a future she wasn’t ready for… but had already chosen.

When the car rolled to a stop in front of Evan’s school, conversations froze mid-air. A group of students lingering by the gate stared openly. Even some teachers paused.

The car was far too luxurious—sleek black paint, tinted glass, the kind of vehicle only wealthy parents or diplomats used.

And then Evan stepped out.

The same Evan who usually trekked to school with a worn backpack and shoes that had been patched three times. The boy who always tried to hide the fact that he never brought lunch.

Now he emerged from the back seat of a luxury car, eyes bright, smiling like the world had just handed him a dream.

A murmur ran through the students.

“Is that Evan?”

“No way—how?”

“Who brought him?”

Evan glanced around, nervous at the sudden attention, then tried to act normal—even though he couldn’t stop grinning.

The man escorting him stepped out, closed the door gently behind him, and nodded to Mara through the window. Evan leaned in quickly.

“I’ll see you after school,” he whispered, trying not to look too proud but failing terribly.

She smoothed his hair. “Behave. And concentrate.”

“I will,” he promised before jogging toward the gate.

Teachers gave him curious looks, but no one stopped him. Some whispered to each other. Others watched the car instead, trying to guess who on earth Evan’s family knew.

The man got back into the front seat, and the moment the door closed, the world outside looked smaller.

“Shall we go?” he asked.

Mara swallowed, still shaken by all the stares Evan had received. It reminded her that everything was changing too fast.

“Yes,” she said softly.

The car moved forward, leaving behind a buzz of confusion—and a boy who, for the first time in a long while, felt seen.

As the car continued down the quiet road, Mara cleared her throat softly. “Can I… ask something?”

The assistant—Jonas—glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “Of course.”

She hesitated. “Your boss. Mr… Vallin. What is he like?”

Jonas gave a small smile, as if he had heard the question many times but never from someone speaking so carefully. “Mr. Vallin is a very private man. He keeps to himself. He’s focused, disciplined, and… not the easiest person to read.”

“So he is cold,” she murmured.

“Cold,” Jonas agreed, “but not unkind. There’s a difference. He simply learned to shut things out. Most people in his world do.”

Mara looked out the window, watching buildings blur past. “And his wife? Is she… gentle?”

Jonas nodded. “Mrs. Vallin is warm. Truly warm. The kind of woman who apologizes when she bumps into furniture. She’s the one who suggested this entire arrangement. Their struggle to have a child has weighed on them for years.”

Mara’s heart tightened; she hadn’t expected the wife to be so soft.

“Does anyone else know about the agreement?” she asked quietly.

“No one,” Jonas said firmly. “It’s confidential. For your sake, and for theirs.”

She nodded, her fingers curling together nervously.

Another moment passed before she whispered, “Do you think he’ll even talk to me?”

Jonas gave a tiny, amused shrug. “Mr. Vallin speaks only when necessary. Don’t take it personally. He’s lived a long time behind emotional armor.”

Mara sank back into her seat, thinking of the man who barely looked at her yesterday—silent, sharp, distant.

“Vallin…” she repeated gently under her breath, as if trying to understand the weight of the name and the world she had suddenly stepped into.

At the Vallin mansion, the atmosphere was nothing like the calm ride Mara had just experienced.

The moment Jonas led her through the tall entrance doors, raised voices echoed from deeper inside the house. Sharp, frustrated—nothing gentle about them.

A woman’s voice.

They stepped into the main hall just in time to see Mrs. Vallin standing at the foot of the grand staircase, her posture stiff, her eyes blazing at the maids lined up before her.

“I asked for the nursery room to be ready yesterday,” she snapped. “Yesterday, Clara. Not this morning. And yet here we are.”

One maid—Clara—bowed her head, trembling. “I—I’m sorry, ma’am. I just needed more—”

“More what?” Mrs. Vallin cut in. “More time? More excuses? I am surrounded by incompetence!”

Another maid tried to step forward. “Ma’am, Clara has been working all night—”

“Then she should have worked better,” Mrs. Vallin said coldly. Without hesitation, she turned to the head butler. “She’s dismissed. Effective immediately.”

Gasps. Clara’s hand flew to her mouth, tears forming instantly.

“Mr. Vallin—please—” Clara whispered.

“I won’t repeat myself,” she said sharply, already turning away.

Mara froze beside Jonas, completely taken aback. This was not the soft, gentle woman she had imagined from Jonas’s description. This woman looked exhausted, brittle, and dangerously close to breaking.

Jonas cleared his throat softly. “Ma’am… Miss Mara has arrived.”

Mrs. Vallin spun toward them, her anger dissolving so quickly it startled Mara. Her eyes widened—not with rage, but with something closer to panic and relief blended together.

“Oh…” she breathed, smoothing her dress with shaking hands. “You’re here.”