Terms of the Heart

The Contract

“Brittany, you are such a monster. How could you? Alex, on the other hand…. Well, I’m done.” Karla shouted.

Karla had shivers all over her body as she remembered this experience and heard the familiar voice at that end.

“Long time no see,” the voice said.

“What do you want, Brittany?” Karla asked angrily.

“Relax baby girl. I saw you at auction yesterday. I see you’ve moved on quite well. What happened at it sucked too. Hopefully nothing bad happened to you.”

“You just got nice all of a sudden again, didn’t ya? I see your cold heart has thawed out quite well,” Karla said with sarcastic tone in her voice.

“Oh come on! It’s in the past now. Let’s make peace already, alright?” Brittany suggested.

“I’m not interested in your lies right now, Ms. Hayes. Goodbye,” Karla whispered, severing their connection.

Karla and Liam parted ways after agreeing to meet each other and firm up details of their upcoming arrangements. The night was filled with restlessness for both as they contemplated about whether or not they were making the right decisions.

Karla’s day began early, her mind already occupied with the difficult job she had to do; drafting a contract that would suit both her and Liam’s interests. As she entered Randolph Holdings’ headquarters, she was welcomed with the energetic movement of people in her team who looked normal from outside but in reality, everyone was tensed because of the chandelier incident.

“Good morning, Ms. Randolph,” Linda, her assistant smiled as she handed over a cup of hot coffee accompanied by some documents.

“Morning, Linda,” Karla replied while still thinking on what to tackle first. “Please make an appointment with Mr. Harrison for us. We have a contract to write.”

Linda jotted something into her tablet. “Any special message I should pass?”

“It’s urgent and personal consultation is needed,” said Karla without any chance of being challenged. She wanted the finest legal advice she could get hold of and only Michael Harrison could grant it to her. “Don’t forget to let me know if you hear any news about that accident at the auction.

Liam, however, was in the cramped apartment he also used as a studio and was looking at another blank canvas. He kept replaying the previous events in his head; the beautiful stranger from the auction, what looked like an accident but wasn’t, and an unexpected marriage proposal. Everything seemed to be unreal.

His phone buzzed and broke his chain of thoughts. It was Natalie calling.

“Hello… Liam Moore… How did it go last night?” she asked with curiosity and concern.

Liam sighed while running his fingers through his hair. “It was intriguing. I met someone who made me an offer that I don’t know if I will accept.”

“Offer… Like a commission?” Her voice lifted with hope.

“Not exactly… More like …. contractual matrimony…” Liam said waiting for Natalie’s reaction.

After some seconds of silence that seemed to drag on endlessly, Natalie spoke again in a low voice and serious tone. “Is it something you are okay with? That sounds…. complicated.”

“It is. That might be my one way out of this financial quicksand which is sweeping me away. My work will finally get acknowledged. However, I’m about to meet her discuss about all these things,” Liam confessed.

“But be careful, Liam … make sure you actually want it,” Natalie warned. “If there is something you need my help with, please ask.”

“Thanks, Nat. I really appreciate it,” Liam said, feeling at ease after the conversation.

At Randolph Holdings, Michael Harrison, the company's chief legal advisor, was already in Karla's office. His sharp, piercing eyes scanned her as she explained the entire situation. “So you're proposing a contract marriage to meet your grandfather's demands?” Michael asked.

“Yes, and it needs to be airtight, totally foolproof, beneficial to both parties and have all contingencies covered. Can you handle it and that too, confidentially?” Karla said firmly.

Michael nodded, taking down notes. “I'll draft something that covers all legal aspects and protects the both of you but are you sure you want this?

“Unfortunately, it's no longer a matter of what I want. It's what I need to do. I can't let Randolph Holdings slip away because of an outdated condition and a couple of naive minds.”

Later that afternoon, Karla and Liam reconvened at the same café, the air between them thick with tension and determination.

"Have you had a chance to think about my offer?” Karla asked, scrutinizing Liam's expression.

"Well, yes, I have," Liam replied, taking a deep breath. "I'm willing to proceed, but I need to make absolutely sure my interests are safeguarded as well."

"Certainly," Karla affirmed, handing him a folder. "My lawyer has drafted a preliminary contract. I'm sorry I couldn't get it across to you before now. We could go through it together now if you don't mind."

“Sure, let's begin.”

They spent the next couple of hours meticulously examining the document, which stated in details, the terms of their arrangement: the duration of the marriage, financial support for Liam, provisions for Liam's art career, and a clause for the dissolution of the marriage after one year, should they both agree that things weren't going as planned.

"This is comprehensive," Liam said, leaning back. "But what about personal boundaries?

Privacy?"

Karla nodded, flipping to a specific section of the contract. "We've included a section on personal space and boundaries. We'll live together for sure but maintain separate spaces, and our interactions will be primarily for public appearances and business functions."

Liam scanned the section, nodding in agreement. "Okay, this looks reasonable enough. When do we start?"

"As soon as you're ready," Karla replied. "We'll need to plan a formal announcement and a public engagement to make it believable."

“Believable… Well, this is a huge one. I just hope we can pull this off,” Liam said worriedly.

“We sure can. Just trust me. It's all I ask,” Karla requested.

“I trust you ma'am,” Liam said, struggling to believe his own words.

“It's Karla from now,” she smiled, stretching her arm out for a handshake.

“Karla….”, Liam repeated, grabbing her hand in the handshake.

And with that, they sealed their fate.

The days that followed were a whirlwind of activity. Karla and Liam began appearing together at various events, their new relationship quickly becoming the talk of the town. Rumors flied effortlessly but quickly died down as a few folks confirmed seeing them together at the charity auction and the cafe. It was termed love at first sight and their ‘chemistry’ held the public in awe. Gradually, the chandelier incident faded from everyone's mind.

For the public, it was a whirlwind romance, but for them, it was a meticulously planned partnership. Karla's board and business associates were noticeably more at ease seeing her with a stable partner, even if the relationship was somewhat unconventional. Liam's art began receiving more attention, invitations to exhibit his work pouring in. Despite the initial awkwardness, they found a rhythm in their interactions, a balance between their personal lives and public appearances.

The number of investors willing to pump their wealth into Randolph Holdings shot up exponentially. Karla had found her footing once again. She executed her role perfectly. With her marriage in view, no one questioned her leadership and decisions anymore.

There she was at the top of the game. Her plan was working perfectly. She sat in her office, enjoying the bliss she had craved for so long when suddenly, her quiet time was interrupted by a knock at her door.

"There's my darling. Missed me? You didn't think I'd let you marry some artist and forget about me now, did you?" the figure at her door said while smirking, eyes blazing with subtle yet obviously dangerous anger.

Karla's heart raced as she realized her past was about to collide with her present in a way she never saw coming. “You……..”