Chapter 4: Act, not Obey.
1169 Words
Yuna's breath stalled, her own voice, those exact words played back at her like a trap she had walked into with her eyes open.
“Are you blackmailing me?” Her voice came out smaller than she intended. “That recording holds nothing, not even in court.”
“Ms Vance,” his tone didn't rise. "I'm sure you don't want to make things harder for yourself.”
He looked uncompromising. “Let's not push this to a place you can't handle.”
She wouldn't. She knew, without needing proof, he was someone you shouldn't test.
That recording should never get to the media, she thought of the headlines ‘A grieving model, desperate, negotiating her own marriage.’ She filed the moment away in a quiet, cold part of her mind.
If he thought he had control, he was wrong, she would play along for a while, if this is the game he's playing, she would learn the rules and break them.
She reached for the white envelope, took out a document and read through it.
“Public marriage”….she murmured.
Her grip on the paper slightly tightened, “Don't you care, I might ruin your perfect image with my chaotic personality?”
Liam’s lips curved into a smile, "Your reputation needs me more than mine needs protecting."
Yuna annoyingly batted her eyes at him and continued with the agreement before her.
“Appearances together, cohabitation”
She lifted her eyes sharply. “Cohabitation?”
Liam didn't flinch nor looked at her, his eyes fixed on the computer on his desk. “It would be suspicious if we don't”
He was right, and she hated that he was, but one thing was certain, she'd never share a thirty-square-metre space with this man.
“And this,” she continued, flipping a page, “control over company operations remains under you during the contract period.”
“Temporarily,” he corrected.
“That's not what it says,” she glanced at him, hoping to catch his gaze, his attention stayed on his screen.
“Add it," she snapped.
He lifted his head, his eyes unreadable, “Ms Vance, I think I have played Mr Nice long enough. This is your only chance.”
Yuna couldn't take any more of his threats. 'Who the hell are you to push me around? You need me to achieve whatever future you're trying to secure.'
“No,” her gaze fixed on him. “If I'm doing this, it must be stated here.”
For a moment, Liam simply watched her, measuring his intentions and her words, he gave a small nod. “Reasonable, it will be revised.”
Yuna continued, “After the contract ends, full ownership returns to me, no conditions, no loopholes.”
“Agreed” Liam replied, his gaze shifted away from her.
“My….conditions…” her voice trails, dragging the words, in fear he might blackmail her again, maybe with the slap this time around.
“State them”
“About my personal life,” her voice firmer now. “You don't control it, outside of public appearance, I make my own decisions.”
“You'll perform in accordance with the role.”
“I'll act,” she replied, “not obey.”
Their eyes locked, a quiet challenge passed between them. “Fine,” he replied.
“One more thing”
Liam's steady gaze on her “go on”
“I get a position in the company. I want to know how things work while I still model."
“Easy”
“The last”
“Which is?”
“You mentioned you didn't choose me randomly.”
His expression shifted briefly. “So?”
Yuna leaned forward, ignoring the pull in her body. “What do you know about my family?”
“Enough”
“That's not an answer.”
“It's the only one you're getting.”
His responses frustrated her. “Why me?”
Liam stood up, stepped closer, just enough to close the distance between them, not threatening, not gentle, just deliberate.
“Because," he whispered, “You're the only one who makes this work.” Her breath caught; she was unable to respond.
He dropped another document on her thighs. He straightened himself, glancing briefly at his watch, “Tell your friend to take you to the address on this document. We will begin your therapy sessions next week, we meet there four times a week.”
“Any objections?”
“None”
“One last thing, Ms Vance, we will finalise the signing of the agreement tomorrow.”
“That's fine”
Liam's phone rang from his pocket, he answered a call “I got it." He snapped at the person at the other end.
His expression didn’t change, but something in the air did.
After the call, his gaze shifted on Yuna's face intently.
“Prepare yourself, Vance. By the end of the week, our act becomes real.”
Yuna felt a tightness form in her chest. “What does that mean?” she asked immediately.
Liam didn’t answer instead, he walked past her, adjusting his cuff as if the conversation had already ended in his mind.
“You're about to add another credential to your already controversial figure, you can handle it” he said over his shoulder.
Yuna watched him move toward the door. “Wait,” she called out.
He stopped, but didn’t turn.
“That call, was it about this agreement?”
Then Liam spoke without looking back. “Everything is about this agreement.”
The door opened, “I'll see you in the evening, your ankle needs to be checked." Cold air swept into the office for a moment before it shut behind him.
At that moment, Yuna froze, trying to grasp the situation. ‘Can I really handle this situation, if announced as the wife of the man who purchased her family's company?’
The media and the public's image of her has never been good, right now it's about to get worse.
Yuna's phone vibrated, a message from Hae-ri flashed on the screen: “Are you done with Dr Liam? I heard something strange from Elliot. Call me immediately.”
Yuna stared at it for a moment, she placed the phone face down, because if she answered now, she would have to explain herself.
Most importantly, what would Elliot say? How will Hae-ri react? When they find out her decision.
Her fingers tightened on the document resting on her lap, she looked down at the first page again: CONTRACTUAL MARRIAGE AGREEMENT.
Her eyes stopped on the empty signature line, it looked harmless, just ink and paper.
Yet somehow it felt heavier than the death certificates she had signed a week ago.
Once she wrote her name there, there would be no hiding, nor pretense.
Her phone vibrated again. Hae-ri: I'm outside.
Yuna closed the document without signing it.
Tonight, Yuna Vance would sign away her freedom to reclaim her family's future.
- Writer
