Chapter 2:A Ring for Her Silence
474 Words
Leah sat across from Xavier in his spotless office, the contract still untouched in front of her.
Her fingers trembled in her lap. Was she really going to sign away her life for a man she barely knew?
Xavier tapped his pen against the glass desk. “You asked why I chose you,” he said, voice cool and unreadable. “You’re the only one who doesn’t come with scandals. No lovers, no exes, no media baggage.”
“You mean I’m boring,” she muttered.
He raised a brow. “I mean you’re clean. Untouched. Innocent.”
Leah’s cheeks burned.
“But why marriage?” she asked. “Why not just… pay someone to pretend?”
Xavier’s jaw clenched. For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—pain? Anger? She couldn’t tell.
“My father’s will was very specific. No wife, no inheritance.”
“And your real girlfriend didn’t want to marry you?”
“I don’t do girlfriends,” he said flatly. “They get emotional.”
Leah wanted to laugh. But nothing about this was funny.
She looked down at the contract. The numbers made her dizzy. That money could buy time. That money could save her mother.
She picked up the pen. Her fingers hovered.
“One year?” she whispered.
“One year,” he confirmed. “You’ll have everything you need. Clothes, a private driver, a new identity if needed. And when the year ends, we part ways. No strings.”
“No touching,” she said firmly, eyes narrowing.
His lips curved slightly. “Unless you ask nicely.”
She ignored the heat rising in her neck and signed her name with a shaky hand.
Xavier stood and walked over to a drawer. From it, he pulled out a black velvet box and opened it.
A silver diamond ring sparkled inside.
Leah’s heart pounded. “Is that real?”
“It’s worth more than your apartment complex,” he said, taking her hand without asking and sliding the ring onto her finger.
It fit perfectly.
Her breath hitched. “So… that’s it? I’m your wife now?”
“Not yet. The media announcement goes live tomorrow. Until then, you stay here. No calls. No visitors. No mistakes.”
“What if I change my mind?”
“You won’t.”
She stood to leave, but he stepped in front of her.
“One last thing,” he said, voice lower now. “Whatever happens, whatever you hear in this house... stay silent.”
Leah froze. “What do you mean?”
He leaned in close, his mouth brushing her ear. “Not everything in the Blackwood estate is legal, Miss Carter.”
A chill ran down her spine.
And before she could ask another question, the door slammed shut behind her.
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**To Be Continued…**
- Writer
