Chapter 5 – Terms and Conditions
1187 Words
Clara barely slept that night.
Long after Alexander Knight left the house, his words continued echoing inside her head.
The wedding,It sounded unreal. Like something from another person’s life.
She lay awake staring at the ceiling of her bedroom, the faint glow from the streetlights outside slipping through the curtains. The room that had always comforted her suddenly felt unfamiliar.
Too small,too quiet,everything was changing too fast.
A few hours ago, she had been thinking about assignments, client sketches, and the future interior design studio she hoped to own someday.
Now she was engaged to a billionaire she barely knew not because she loved him,
but because her father needed saving.
Clara turned onto her side and squeezed her eyes shut, but sleep refused to come. Every time she tried to rest, she saw Alexander’s face again—calm, unreadable, almost cold.
The strange part was not his proposal.It was how certain he had been that she would agree,as though he already understood desperation better than anyone else in the room.
A soft knock suddenly came from her bedroom door.
“Clara?” Ethan’s voice called quietly.She sat up immediately.“Come in.”
The door opened slowly, and Ethan stepped inside wearing gray sweatpants and a black hoodie. He looked just as exhausted as she felt.
“You’re still awake,” he said.Clara let out a humorless laugh,“Can you blame me?”
Ethan closed the door behind him before sitting at the edge of the bed.For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Ethan sighed heavily “You don’t have to do this.”Clara looked down at her hands.
“Yes, I do.” “No,” he argued quickly.Dad will find another solution.Clara shook her head slowly,“there is no other solution.”
The pain in Ethan’s eyes made her chest ache.“I hate this,” he muttered,so do I.
He leaned back slightly, running a frustrated hand through his hair.
“There’s something wrong with that man.”Clara frowned faintly.
Alexander? Yes Ethan’s voice hardened. “Nobody offers marriage like a business deal unless they’re hiding something.”
Clara remembered the way Alexander had looked at her earlier that evening.
Steady,Controlled and Almost impossible to read. “You noticed that too?” she asked quietly.
Ethan scoffed softly,“how could I not?”
Silence settled between them again.Then Ethan looked at her seriously. “Promise me something.” “What?”
“If he hurts you…” Ethan’s jaw tightened. “I don’t care how powerful he is. I’ll deal with him myself.”
Despite everything, Clara smiled weakly.“You sound like an overprotective father.”Well, somebody has to be. Her smile faded slowly afterward.
Because deep down, Clara knew Ethan was scared,not just for her but for all of them.
---
The next morning arrived too quickly.By ten o’clock, Clara found herself standing in front of Knight Global Headquarters.
The building towered high above the city like a symbol of power itself. Its glass exterior reflected the bright morning sunlight, making it look almost untouchable.
Clara swallowed nervously.
Beside her, Richard Bennett adjusted his tie.“You’ll be alright,” he said softly.
Clara wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself.
Inside the building, everything looked polished and expensive. Employees moved quickly through the lobby with tablets and files in their hands while security guards stood near the elevators.
The atmosphere felt cold,Professional,Controlled and It reminded Clara of Alexander.
A tall woman dressed in a fitted navy suit approached them.“Miss Bennett?” she asked politely.Clara nodded.
“I’m Sophia Greene, Mr. Knight’s assistant. He’s expecting you.”Sophia led them toward a private elevator.
As they stepped inside, Clara caught Ethan muttering quietly beside her.
“Of course the billionaire has a private elevator.”Clara almost smiled,almost.
The elevator doors opened onto the top floor, revealing an elegant hallway lined with dark marble floors and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Sophia stopped in front of large double doors.“Mr. Knight is inside.”then she pushed the doors open.
Alexander stood near the windows with one hand in his pocket, speaking on the phone. The city skyline stretched behind him.
He looked intimidating even in silence.When he noticed them, he ended the call immediately.
“Mr. Bennett,” he greeted calmly before his gaze shifted toward Clara.“Miss Bennett.”
Clara hated how formal he sounded after proposing marriage less than twelve hours ago.
Richard cleared his throat awkwardly.“You asked us to come.”Alexander nodded once.
“There are details we need to discuss,”Details?.
Clara felt sick hearing the word attached to something as personal as marriage.Alexander walked toward his desk and picked up a thin document folder.
“The contract,” he said simply.
Ethan folded his arms instantly.“You actually wrote a contract for this?”Alexander glanced at him briefly.
“I don’t make important decisions without documentation.” “Of course you don’t,” Ethan muttered.
Ignoring the comment, Alexander handed the folder to Clara.Her fingers hesitated slightly before taking it.
The words Marriage Agreement stared back at her from the first page.The sight made her stomach twist.
Alexander spoke calmly while she flipped through the pages.“The marriage will remain legally valid for one year unless extended by mutual agreement.”
Clara looked up sharply.“Extended?”“A precaution.”
“You make it sound like a business merger.” “In many ways, it is.” Clara stared at him in disbelief.
“How can you talk about marriage like this?”Alexander’s expression barely changed,because emotions complicate things unnecessarily.
For some reason, that answer bothered Clara more than anything else he had said.It sounded practiced.
Like a belief he had carried for a very long time.She looked back down at the contract.
Most of it discussed public appearances, media behavior, confidentiality, and financial arrangements.
Then her eyes stopped suddenly on one sentence.Her brows pulled together.
“What is this?”Alexander remained calm.“A standard condition.”
Clara’s voice sharpened. “It says I’m not allowed to discuss your family matters with anyone outside this marriage.”
“That is correct.”“And if I do?” Alexander’s gray eyes met hers steadily.
“There will be consequences.” Ethan stepped forward immediately.
“Hold on” But Clara interrupted him, still staring at the contract.
Below the clause was another sentence that made her chest tighten even more.
The wife agrees to reside permanently at the Knight estate for the duration of the marriage agreement.
Clara looked up slowly,“you expect me to move in with you?”
Alexander didn’t hesitate.“Yes.”
Something about the certainty in his answer made panic rise inside her chest,this suddenly felt bigger than she imagined.
Far bigger,because marrying Alexander Knight didn’t simply mean signing papers.
It meant stepping completely into his world.And judging from the cold look in his eyes…
It was a world Clara wasn’t sure she would survive.
- Writer
