CHAPTER 2: THE CONTRACT WIFE
1904 Words
Amelia didn't sleep that night.
She sat beside Daniel's hospital bed long after the nurses had dimmed the hallway lights, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Every few seconds, a machine beside him gave a soft beep.
Normally, the sound would have comforted her.
Tonight, it only reminded her that morning was coming.
And with it, a decision she could no longer take back.
Her phone rested in her lap.
The last message from Alexander Blackwood was still open.
Good. The marriage will take place tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
Amelia read the word again.
It still didn't feel real.
She looked at Daniel.
His eyes were closed, his face pale beneath the hospital lights.
“Am I doing the right thing?” she whispered.
Daniel didn't answer.
He couldn't.
But Amelia already knew what she had to do.
She couldn't save him with hope.
She needed money.
And Alexander Blackwood had offered it.
---
Morning came far too quickly.
Amelia stood in front of the small mirror inside the hospital restroom, staring at her reflection.
She barely recognized herself.
Her eyes were swollen from crying.
Her skin looked pale.
She hadn't slept more than a few minutes.
She changed into a simple white dress she had borrowed from a friend and pulled her hair back neatly.
She looked like someone preparing for a wedding.
But there was no happiness in her eyes.
No excitement.
No nervous anticipation about walking down an aisle.
Only fear.
She was going to marry a stranger.
A man she knew almost nothing about.
A man who had offered her money in exchange for a year of his life.
Her phone vibrated.
Amelia looked down.
Mr. Wilson: The car is waiting outside.
She took a slow breath.
This was it.
She looked at Daniel through the small glass window in his door.
“I'll be back,” she whispered.
Then she walked away.
---
The car waiting outside was black and expensive.
The driver stepped out and opened the door for her.
Amelia hesitated before getting inside.
The interior smelled faintly of leather.
She sat quietly as the door closed.
The car pulled away from the hospital.
Amelia watched the city pass through the tinted window.
People walked along the sidewalks.
Cars stopped at traffic lights.
Children crossed the streets with their parents.
Everyone seemed to be living an ordinary morning.
Nobody knew that her entire life was changing.
She rested her forehead against the glass.
By tonight, she would be married.
And nobody would know.
---
The ceremony wasn't what Amelia had imagined.
There was no church.
No flowers.
No guests.
No music.
The car stopped outside a private government building, and Mr. Wilson led her inside.
A lawyer was waiting in a quiet office.
Alexander was already there.
He stood near the window with his hands in his pockets, looking out over the city.
When Amelia entered, he turned.
His eyes moved over her for a brief moment before settling on her face.
“You came.”
Amelia closed the door behind her.
“I said I would.”
He nodded.
The lawyer cleared his throat.
“We can begin.”
Amelia walked toward the desk.
A stack of documents waited for her.
She picked up the first page.
Her name was printed beside his.
Amelia Carter.
Alexander Blackwood.
Her stomach tightened.
Seeing their names together made everything suddenly feel permanent.
The lawyer pointed to the first signature line.
“Please sign here.”
Amelia picked up the pen.
Her fingers trembled.
For one brief moment, she imagined putting the pen down.
Walking out.
Going back to Daniel.
Finding another way.
But another thought came immediately.
Daniel's surgery.
His face.
His life.
Amelia closed her eyes.
Then she signed.
One page.
Then another.
And another.
When she finished, she pushed the documents toward Alexander.
He signed without hesitation.
His handwriting was steady.
Controlled.
Almost painfully calm.
The lawyer gathered the papers.
“Congratulations. You are now legally married.”
Amelia stared at him.
Married.
Just like that.
No vows.
No promises.
No kiss.
Only signatures.
Alexander turned toward her.
“You can leave if you want.”
Amelia looked at him.
“That's it?”
“Yes.”
She glanced around the room.
“No ring?”
“This isn't a traditional marriage.”
“I noticed.”
For the first time, something almost resembling amusement appeared in his eyes.
“Regret already?”
Amelia lifted her chin.
“No.”
“Good.”
The lawyer gathered his papers and left the room.
The door closed.
Silence filled the office.
For the first time, Amelia realized that she and Alexander were completely alone.
They were legally husband and wife.
Yet they were still strangers.
Alexander reached into his pocket and handed her a black card.
“Your first payment has been transferred.”
Amelia stared at the card.
Then she checked her phone.
Her breath caught.
$200,000.00 USD
The money was there.
Real.
She stared at the screen for several seconds.
Her knees suddenly felt weak.
Daniel was going to get his surgery.
“You kept your promise,” she whispered.
Alexander's expression didn't change.
“I always do.”
Amelia looked up.
“Then I'll keep mine.”
Something changed in his eyes.
Only for a moment.
“Good.”
---
The drive to Alexander's house took longer than Amelia expected.
The city gradually disappeared behind them.
Tall buildings gave way to quiet roads and thick trees.
Amelia looked out the window.
“Where are we going?”
“My home.”
“I know. I mean, how far is it?”
“Far enough.”
She turned toward him.
“Far enough for what?”
Alexander looked at her.
“So no one will find you unless I allow it.”
Amelia's stomach tightened.
She studied his face.
“Am I a prisoner now?”
“No.”
His answer came immediately.
Then, after a brief pause, he added,
“You're my wife.”
The words sounded strange.
Not romantic.
Not affectionate.
Almost like a statement from a contract.
Still, Amelia couldn't stop herself from noticing how different they sounded now.
She was his wife.
Even if neither of them felt like husband and wife.
---
The gates opened as the car approached.
Amelia stared through the window.
Then she saw the house.
She almost laughed.
House wasn't the right word.
It was a mansion.
Modern walls of glass and stone rose behind enormous gates. The grounds stretched farther than she could see, lined with trees and perfectly maintained gardens.
The car stopped.
A driver opened the door.
Alexander stepped out.
Amelia followed.
A line of staff stood waiting near the entrance.
They were dressed in black and white uniforms.
When Alexander approached, they bowed.
“Welcome home, Mr. Blackwood.”
Then their eyes moved toward Amelia.
The room seemed to pause.
Nobody spoke.
But Amelia could see the questions in their faces.
Who was she?
Why was she here?
Why had Alexander brought her home?
Alexander didn't explain.
“Come.”
Amelia followed him inside.
The mansion was even more overwhelming from within.
High ceilings.
Marble floors.
Massive windows.
Paintings that probably cost more than everything Amelia had ever owned.
But despite all its beauty, the house felt strangely cold.
Beautiful.
Expensive.
And completely empty of warmth.
Alexander led her upstairs.
He stopped at the end of a long hallway.
“This is your room.”
He opened the door.
Amelia stepped inside.
The room was enormous.
A large bed stood in the center.
There was a private bathroom, a walk-in closet, and a wide window overlooking the gardens.
Everything was perfect.
And none of it belonged to her.
“This is mine?”
“Yes.”
Alexander pointed across the hallway.
“And that is my room.”
Amelia looked from one door to the other.
“You're putting me right across from you?”
“Yes.”
“Is that necessary?”
“It is practical.”
“For what?”
Alexander looked at her.
“To maintain appearances.”
Amelia almost rolled her eyes.
“Right.”
He turned to leave.
Then stopped.
“Dinner is at eight.”
She looked at him.
“Do I have to attend?”
“Yes.”
“I thought this wasn't a real marriage.”
Alexander's gaze settled on her.
“It is real.”
Amelia waited.
“Just not emotional.”
He walked away.
The words remained with her long after his footsteps disappeared.
---
At eight o'clock, Amelia entered the dining room.
The table was enormous.
Far too large for two people.
Alexander was already seated at the opposite end.
He looked up when she entered.
“You're on time.”
“I was told to be.”
A servant pulled out her chair.
Amelia sat.
The servant placed a plate in front of her and quietly left.
Silence returned.
Amelia looked across the table.
Alexander was eating as though nothing unusual had happened.
She couldn't stand the silence.
“So…”
He looked up.
“Do we eat in silence every day?”
“Unless you have something to say.”
Amelia raised an eyebrow.
“I have a lot to say.”
“Then say it.”
She hesitated.
There were dozens of questions in her mind.
But only one seemed important.
“Why are you really doing this?”
Alexander's expression hardened slightly.
“I already told you.”
“Your family.”
“Yes.”
“But there are other ways to deal with family pressure.”
He placed his fork down.
“Not for me.”
Something in his voice made Amelia stop.
There was a story there.
A painful one.
But Alexander clearly wasn't interested in telling it.
She changed the subject.
“Does your family know about me?”
“No.”
“And if they find out?”
“They won't.”
His certainty unsettled her.
Amelia looked down at her plate.
“This still feels like a dream.”
“It isn't.”
A pause.
Then his voice softened slightly.
“Get used to it.”
---
Later that night, Amelia stood beside the window in her new bedroom.
The mansion was silent.
She looked across the hallway.
Alexander was behind that door.
Her husband.
A man she had known for less than two days.
A man who had bought a marriage because it suited his plans.
She pressed her hand against the cold glass.
She had entered this house because she wanted to save Daniel.
That was all.
She would follow the rules.
She would keep her promise.
And after one year, she would walk away with enough money to start a new life.
At least, that was what she told herself.
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
Amelia looked down.
Unknown number.
She opened the message.
Her blood ran cold.
Be careful, Mrs. Blackwood.
Another message appeared.
Not everyone in this house wants you here.
Amelia stopped breathing.
Slowly, she looked toward the hallway.
The mansion suddenly felt different.
The silence no longer seemed peaceful.
It felt like someone was listening.
Watching.
Waiting.
Amelia tightened her grip around the phone.
For the first time since entering Alexander's house, she wondered if saving Daniel had just placed her in greater danger.
And somewhere in the darkness of the mansion...
someone was already watching her.
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