The Lie That Married Us

CHAPTER FIVE: THE CONTRACT

Serena’s POV

“Marriage?”

The word barely left my mouth. For six years, I had imagined seeing Damian again. I had imagined anger, i had even imagined hatred but i had never imagined him asking me to become his wife.

Damian didn’t react.

“A contract marriage.”

I stared at him for several seconds, I genuinely wondered if I had heard him correctly.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“You’re asking me to marry you?”

“For twelve months.”

I let out a disbelieving laugh.

“This is insane.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t.”

I let out a sigh as he walked past me and placed the folder on the small table beside the window.

“Read it.”

I didn’t move.

“Why me?”

That was the question, the only question that mattered.

Damian turned to face me.

“I need a wife.”

“That doesn’t explain why you chose me.”

“You’re independent.”

“So are hundreds of women in Belmont.”

“You don’t need my money.”

I folded my arms.

“Still not an answer.”

His eyes held mine.

“Because I know you’ll keep your end of the agreement.”

I almost laughed.

“You’ve known me for two days.”

“Sometimes that’s enough.”

There was something strange about the answer. I couldn’t explain it, but I pushed the feeling away.

“What’s in the contract?”

“Twelve months.”

I opened the folder. The first clause was exactly as he had said. The marriage would remain legally valid for twelve consecutive months, after which we would be free to end it.

There would be public appearances when necessary, and neither party could disclose the existence or terms of the private agreement.

Living together for the duration of the marriage. I read the clause again and my stomach tightened. My eyes stopped on the line.

Living together.

With Damian.

I read the sentence again, hoping I’d somehow misunderstood it, i pointed at it.

“This wasn’t mentioned.”

“It is now.”

I looked up at him. Six years. Six years of building a life without him and now he wanted me to wake up beside him every morning.

“That’s going to be a problem.”

“Why?”

Because you were the one person I had never learned how to forget.

“Because I don’t like people getting too close.”

He didn’t respond, so I pointed to another clause.

Neither party may interfere with the other’s private affairs without permission.

“Why?”

“Because we’re not actually in love.”

“Then why would we need to pretend?”

“Because the marriage needs to look real.”

I studied him.

“So we’re supposed to live together, attend events together, and convince everyone we’re in love.”

“Essentially.”

“And we’re not allowed to interfere in each other’s private lives.”

“Correct.”

I shook my head.

“This is ridiculous.”

“You can say no.”

But when i looked at him he looked as though he was completely certain that I would not say no and that irritated me.

“Why are you so confident?”

“Because it’s a strange offer.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s not?”

I glanced down at the contract again.

Twelve months.

My mind immediately went to the archives, the Cross family, the records, and the missing pages. If I married Damian, I’d have access to places I could never reach as Serena Laurent.

I’d be inside the family, inside the company and finally close to the records i had been trying so hard to get. Close to the people who had been there when everything happened, it was the opportunity I’d been waiting for.

Maybe it was reckless, maybe it was dangerous. But I had already come back to Belmont knowing exactly what I was risking.

I looked at Damian.

“What’s in it for you?”

He didn’t hesitate.

“My grandfather placed controlling shares of Cross Holdings into a family trust. I can only claim them after remaining married for twelve consecutive months.”

That explained the timing. It also explained why he needed a marriage that was legally real.

“So this is about your company.”

“Yes.”

“And after twelve months, you get your shares.”

“Yes.”

I nodded slowly, at least he was being honest about that part.

“And what do I get?”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“What do you want?”

I almost smiled.

There it was, the question I had been waiting for.

I wanted the truth, i wanted my father’s name back, i wanted the missing pages and i wanted to know who had destroyed our family. But I couldn’t tell him any of that so i said the only thing I could.

“Freedom.”

His eyebrows lifted.

“Freedom?”

“After twelve months, we walk away. No questions. No expectations.”

He nodded.

“Agreed.”

I looked down at the contract again. I knew what I was doing. This wasn’t love, it wasn't forgiveness and it definitely wasn't some impossible second chance. It was simply an arrangement. A transaction

He needed a wife and I needed access. We could both get what we wanted. I picked up the pen while Damian watched me intensely.

“You’re really considering this.”

“I am.”

“Why?”

I looked at him.

“Maybe I have my own reasons.”

Something flickered in his eyes, then disappeared.

“Fair enough.”

I lowered the pen, but before I signed, something stopped me.

I looked at him again. There was something about his face it was something familiar. For one moment, I saw the boy I remembered, the boy who used to sit beside me in the garden, the boy who once promised that he’d never let anyone take me away from him.

But I blinked, and the memory disappeared and once again in front of me was Damian Cross. The CEO, the businessman, the stranger. The man who had just offered me a twelve-month marriage contract.

I looked back at the paper and signed.

My hand trembled when I did, and I stayed silent, praying he hadn’t noticed.

I pushed the contract toward him.

Damian picked up the pen and signed beneath my name.

For a moment, I stared at our signatures.

Two names, One agreement, Twelve months.

I had just agreed to marry Damian Cross, the man whose family had destroyed mine, the man I had once loved, and the man I had spent six years trying to forget.

Damian closed the folder.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Cross.”

I looked up.

“Don’t get used to it.”

The corner of his mouth lifted.

“I won’t.”

He stood.

“There’s one more thing.”

“What?”

“The wedding.”

My eyes widened.

“What about it?”

“Three days.”

I stared at him.

“You’re joking.”

“No.”

“Three days?”

“We need to make the arrangement public as soon as possible.”

I couldn’t believe him.

“You’ve lost your mind.”

“Possibly.”

He walked toward the door, and I followed him with my eyes.

“Damian.”

He stopped.

“What?”

“Why do I feel like you’re not telling me everything?”

For the first time, something changed in his expression.

“Because neither are you.”

And he walked out.

I stood there in silence, my heart beating faster than it should have because he was right. I wasn’t telling him everything. He didn’t know about the ledger, Victor Bennet, why I had really returned to Belmont and as far as I knew, he had no idea who I really was.

I looked down at the contract.

Twelve months, that was all.

Twelve months to uncover the truth and clear my father’s name.

Twelve months inside the Cross family.

I had no idea what could possibly go wrong.

But as I stared at Damian’s signature beneath mine, one thought refused to leave my mind.

Maybe marrying Damian Cross was the most dangerous decision I had ever made.

And the worst part was that I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one hiding something.