Signed to Love: The Billionaire's Contract Bride

FIVE

Chapter 5 – Wounds of the Past

The night at the Madrigal mansion was silent. The grand chandeliers inside had been switched off, leaving only the dim glow of the garden lamps and the cold silver light of the moon. Althea sat on the balcony of her room, cradling a cup of hot tea. The breeze brushed against her skin, but the weight pressing on her heart was far colder.

She gazed at the pale moon hanging in the sky, but instead of comfort, it brought her only a quiet ache. Clarisse’s words echoed in her mind—the woman who seemed to hold the power to unravel the fragile peace of her life. And she could not forget the chilling presence of Lea Sandoval either, whose guarded eyes hinted at secrets Althea was not meant to break.

Why is this happening? she asked herself. With every step I take, there’s a shadow following me. With every smile, there’s a hidden story. Everyone around Xavier… it’s as if they each hold a piece of his heart, but not me.

“Not sleeping?” A low baritone voice cut through the silence.

She turned and saw Xavier. He wore only a plain black shirt and pajama pants, a glass of whiskey in his hand. It was a side of him she wasn’t used to—far from the commanding billionaire who never lost control. For the first time, he looked human, a man burdened by something heavy, not a figure who owned the world.

“I’m not sleepy, Xavier,” Althea replied carefully, trying to steady her voice.

Xavier sank quietly into the chair opposite hers. The dim moonlight spilled across his face, and Althea saw the faint sadness he kept hidden. Moments of silence passed before he spoke again.

“Clarisse shouldn’t have approached you,” he said quietly but firmly. “Whatever she told you… forget it.”

But how could she forget? Those words were needles stuck into her heart, deepening her doubts with every passing second.

“Xavier…” Althea’s voice trembled. “Do you love her?”

He froze. He didn’t answer at once, and the silence grew heavier than any reply. He stared at the glass in his hand, swirling the amber liquid as though he could drown his memories in it.

But for Althea, his silence was enough. She understood then: Xavier carried wounds that had never healed. And one of those wounds bore a name—and it wasn’t hers.

Althea rose to her feet, forcing strength into her voice. “I didn’t sign this contract just to become a shadow of your past. I won’t stay here if I don’t know the truth. I want to know… no matter how much it hurts.”

Xavier gave a faint smile, but it was bitter, almost invisible. “The truth, Althea, is more dangerous than lies. If you insist on uncovering everything… you might not survive it.”

He drank from his glass and stood, each step he took away from her sounding like a door closing between them. With every pace, the chance of having a place in his heart seemed to drift farther away.

Althea remained on the balcony, trembling, unsure whether it was the night’s cold or the weight of his words that chained her to her seat.

She closed her eyes, holding back the tears threatening to fall. Inside her chest, something stirred—an unspoken promise she hadn’t shared with anyone:

I will find the truth. I won’t stop. No matter who gets hurt… even if it’s my own heart.