Clause Seven
773 Words
"No..."
The word barely escaped Claire's lips.
The contract slipped from her trembling hands and landed on the passenger seat.
She stared at it as though it had suddenly become something dangerous.
Her pulse thundered in her ears.
She reached for the document again, praying she had misunderstood.
Slowly, she reread Clause Seven.
Every word, every sentence, every impossible condition.
She would become Damian Blackwood's legal wife. She would move into his home.
She would appear beside him in public whenever required, for twelve months.
In return, Blackwood Global would assume full responsibility for every medical expense related to Sarah Anderson's treatment.
The surgery, the medication, the recovery, everything.
Claire closed her eyes.
A single signature. That was all it would take to save her mother.
But the price… The price was her freedom. Tears blurred her vision.
"This can't be real."
She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, trying to force herself to think.
There had to be another way. There had to be.
She reached for her phone and searched for every medical charity Dr. Carter had mentioned.
One by one, she called them. Some didn't answer.
Others placed her on endless waiting lists.
The few who did answer offered sympathy instead of solutions.
"I'm sorry. "The approval process takes several months."
"We'll contact you if funding becomes available."
Months… Her mother didn't have months.
Claire lowered the phone, for the first time since leaving the hospital...
She felt defeated, Her gaze drifted back to the contract. She hated it.
She hated the man who had written it.
But more than anything...
She hated that it was the only hope she had left.
Without giving herself time to change her mind, Claire started the engine.
Twenty minutes later, she was standing once again inside Blackwood Global.
The receptionist looked up and smiled politely.
"I'll let Mr. Blackwood know you've returned."
Claire shook her head. "No."
Her voice was calm now, too calm.
"He already knows."
The receptionist hesitated, then slowly nodded.
"The elevator is waiting for you."
Claire wasn't surprised, she stepped inside.
As the doors closed, she caught her reflection in the polished steel.
The woman staring back at her looked nothing like the one who had walked into this building earlier.
She looked exhausted, cornered.
The elevator climbed in complete silence.
When the doors finally opened...
Damian was already standing at the far end of the office.
As though he'd known she would come back.
"I was beginning to think you'd chosen hope over the truth," he said quietly.
Claire tightened her grip on the contract.
"No, her voice barely shook, "I came because I wanted answers."
Damian studied her for a long moment.
Then he spoke, "Ask.
Damian held her gaze.
"You want answers," he said. "The problem is, you're asking the wrong questions."
Claire frowned, "Then tell me the right ones."
He walked to the window, his hands resting in his pockets.
"The first question isn't why I want to marry you."
He turned to face her, "It's why your father trusted me."
Claire's heartbeat quickened, "My father barely knew you."
Damian's expression remained unreadable.
"He trusted me enough to leave something in my care."
Claire froze, "What?"
"I can't tell you."
Her frustration boiled over.
"Then why bring me here? Why show me those files? Why drag my father into this if you refuse to explain anything?"
"Because the time has come."
"The time for what?"
Damian stepped closer.
"For you to finish what Jonathan Anderson started."
The words struck her like a slap.
"My father wasn't involved in whatever this is."
"He was."
"No!"
Her voice echoed through the office, "You didn't know him."
"I knew him better than anyone."
Silence filled the room.
Claire's eyes burned with tears, "You expect me to believe that?"
"No, Damian's voice was calm, "I expect you to discover it yourself."
He reached into his desk drawer and placed a small silver key on the table.
Claire stared at it, "What is it?"
"A safety deposit key."
She looked back at him.
"It belonged to your father."
Her breath caught.
"He left instructions."
Claire's fingers curled into fists, "What instructions?"
Damian didn't answer, Instead, he slid the key toward her.
"He said I should give this to you..." He paused.
"...only when you were ready to lose everything."
Claire's hand trembled as she reached for the key.
Before her fingers could touch it, Her phone rang.
Mom.
Relief washed
over her, She answered immediately.
"Mom?"
All she heard was frantic breathing.
Then Sarah's terrified voice whispered,
"Claire..." A pause.
"They found it."
The call went dead.
- Writer
