The Velvet Contract

Thirty Million Dollars

Two weeks later, Velvet had finally gotten over the incident that happened at the hotel. After finding out about the deaths of Mitchell and her friends, she tried to look into it, but it was strictly confidential. The news only reported that they had ingested hard drugs that cost them their lives.

And no matter how hard she tried to remember the face of the man who saved her, she couldn’t picture him at all. She was also glad that what happened to her hadn’t made it to the news. The last thing she wanted was a scandal.

She was getting ready to pick up her brother, Jojo, from school when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Paige, asking her to come to the company immediately. Paige said there was an important document she needed to sign. Without hesitation, she called Paige.

“Can’t you just bring it to me?” Velvet asked. “I can go over it here in my apartment. I already promised Jojo I’d spend the day with him.”

“No, Velvet,” Paige replied firmly. “This is a huge deal, and they’re waiting for you at the company. You have to come now.”

Velvet sighed, got into her car, and immediately phoned her baby brother.

“Hi, baby,” she said softly. “Can big sis be a little late today?”

“Why? What happened?” a childlike voice echoed from the other end.

“My attention is really needed at the company right now,” Velvet explained gently, “but I promise, as soon as I’m done, I’ll come straight to you.”

“But today was supposed to be my day…” Jojo complained.

“I’m sorry, baby. Just give me one hour, okay?”

A loud sigh came from the other end, bringing a wide smile to Velvet’s face. He sounded like an old man disappointed in his child. Sometimes, her little brother acted as if she were the younger one.

“Okay, big sis,” Jojo finally said. “I’m reading with my friends anyway. But one hour, okay?”

“Yes, baby. One hour,” she chuckled. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

The call ended.

She told her driver to take her to the company. When they arrived, she stepped out of the car and headed straight for the director’s office.

Inside, she found the director, her manager, and two unfamiliar faces, a man and a woman.

The woman introduced herself as Thea, and the man as James. They explained that they were representatives from Hilton Group and had come to offer Velvet a business deal. The mere mention of the company caused Velvet’s eyes to widen. They wanted her to be the face of their brand for one year.

The Hilton Group is a massive global company, and anyone who worked with them became a global sensation. But at the same time, there were dark rumors surrounding them, rumors that they were the original founders of a dangerous mafia group. This made Velvet a bit skeptical.

Paige handed Velvet the documents, and she began to read through them carefully. But after seeing the amount they were willing to pay, her eyes widened in shock.

Thirty million dollars for being their brand ambassador.

“This is insane,” she thought. “No wonder Paige wanted me to come over.”

She looked up at them. “This is a really good offer,” she said, “but I’ll need some time to think about it.”

Paige looked at Velvet in surprise, and so did everyone else in the room. They had all expected her to jump at the deal because of how generous the offer was, but for Velvet, it was overwhelming.

“It’s alright, Miss Velvet. Just know that the offer will only be available for a week, so please make your decision soon,” Thea said calmly.

“No problem. I’ll let you know before then,” Velvet replied, shaking her hand.

Immediately after they left the room, the director turned to her.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded. “What is there to think about? This is a huge deal. Nobody offers that much to an ambassador these days.”

“That’s exactly why I need time to think,” Velvet said firmly. “It looks too good to be true, so I need to read everything carefully before I sign anything.” With that, she turned toward the door.

“Oh, and I really have to get to Jojo,” she added. “Paige, please have the documents delivered to my apartment later. Thank you…” She trailed off and closed the door behind her.

As soon as it was shut, the director turned to Paige. “Make sure she signs that document. It could be a major game changer for her career,” he said sternly.

“She will, sir,” Paige replied confidently. “Besides, she has a whole week to think about it.” With that, she left the office as well to catch up with Velvet.

“Hey, wait up!” Paige called as she hurried after her.

“I didn’t say I was turning down the offer,” Velvet said as they walked toward the garage. “So why is everyone acting so surprised?”

“It’s just that…” Paige reached out, taking Velvet’s hand and lowering her voice. “We’re talking about thirty million dollars. That’s the kind of deal you jump on, not something you brush aside because you want to go play hide-and-seek with Jojo.”

“Hey! Jojo is important to me, so don’t bring my baby into this,” Velvet shot back. Paige only responded with a judgmental look.

“Okay, I’ll look into it tomorrow,” Velvet bargained, but the look didn’t fade. She sighed. “Fine. This evening. That’s the best you’re going to get. Don’t hold your breath.” She rolled her eyes and slid into her car.

“I’ll call you later this evening,” Paige said as the car pulled out of the driveway.

Inside the car, Velvet called Jojo and told him she was on her way, reminding him to get his things ready.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the school parking lot. She stepped out and saw her brother waiting at the front entrance. The moment he saw her, he ran straight into her arms.

This was all she lived for. Him.

Their parents had died when Jojo was only four years old and Velvet was twenty-two. Since then, she had taken responsibility for both of them because none of their relatives stepped in to help.

Three years later, Velvet decided to audition for a talent show, and one of the judges signed her immediately. From then on, their lives began to change for the better.

She quit her job as a waitress and became a full-time entertainment star. Although she felt incredibly blessed for the opportunity, she became so busy that she felt guilty for not spending enough time with Jojo. Still, her seven-year-old brother was incredibly smart and understanding.

“How was school today?” she asked softly, brushing her fingers through Jojo’s chestnut-brown hair.

“Hmm, not bad,” Jojo shrugged.

They got into the car and drove off.

“So, where do you want to go?” Velvet asked.

Jojo quickly pulled out his tablet, tapped on the screen, and turned it toward her. It showed a picture of a painting.

“You want to go paint?” she asked with a smile.

“Yes! It’ll be fun. It’s been a while since I painted anyway,” he said.

Velvet nodded and told the driver to take them to an art supply store.

Before they got out of the car, she handed Jojo a face mask and a pair of sunglasses. He looked at her with questioning eyes, and she chuckled.

“These are for security reasons,” she explained. “Your sister is a celebrity now. We can’t have people seeing me in public.”

“That’s fair,” he said, nodding as he quickly put them on before they both stepped out of the car.

****

“Do you think she will accept the project? Is the offer good enough, and doesn’t it look suspicious?” the man with gray eyes and jet-black hair asked, his gaze fixed on the file he was holding.

“I believe so, sir,” Thea replied confidently. “We made sure the offer was something she couldn’t refuse. I’m certain we’ll receive Miss Velvet’s response within a week.”

“Hmm. That’s good to know,” he said, his eyes not leaving the document in his hand. “You can leave.”

Thea bowed slightly, then left the office.

“What are your plans now?” Leo, who stood behind him, spoke up. “Your grandfather is really desperate to marry you off soon. He’s in dire need of an heir, and he also told me to convince you to go through the women he listed for you.”

Axel, the CEO of Hilton Group, leader of the most dangerous and secretive mafia circle in the country, and heir to his grandfather’s empire, had a gentle smile on his face. His mind replayed the moment he met her at the hotel.

At first, he had been mesmerized by her beauty. He remembered how soft her body felt against his as if it were yesterday. Ever since that day, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind.

He wanted her, needed her.

And no matter the obstacles, he was determined to make her his.