The Contract Behind My Revenge

Three years was a long time to hold a grudge. For Elena Carter, it wasn't long enough. She stood across the street from the towering glass building that carried the name LAURENT HOLDINGS, her fingers tightening around the strap of her handbag. The building looked exactly as she remembered. Cold. Untouchable. Powerful. Just like the woman who owned it. Victoria Laurent. Elena's eyes remained fixed on the golden letters above the entrance. Three years ago, she had stood in this same city with nothing but a suitcase, a broken heart, and the shame of being Daniel Carter's daughter. Her father had been called a thief. A fraud. A criminal. His face had appeared on every business channel in the country. And Victoria Laurent had stood in front of the cameras with tears in her eyes, pretending to mourn the man whose life she had helped destroy. Elena had believed every word. Until she found the message. Don't trust the woman everyone calls a saint. Her father's final message. The words had changed everything. Elena slowly exhaled. Today, she wasn't the frightened girl who had run away. She had come back prepared. She crossed the street. The moment she stepped through the revolving glass doors, the familiar scent of expensive perfume and polished marble greeted her. People moved around the enormous lobby in tailored suits, speaking into phones and carrying folders. Nobody recognized her. Good. That was exactly how she wanted it. Elena approached the reception desk. “Good morning.” The receptionist looked up with a professional smile. “Good morning. How may I help you?” “I have an appointment with Ms. Laurent.” The receptionist checked her computer. “Name?” “Elena Carter.” The woman's fingers stopped moving. It lasted barely a second. But Elena noticed. The receptionist looked at her again. “Carter?” “Yes.” “Are you related to Daniel Carter?” Elena's expression didn't change. “He was my father.” The receptionist swallowed. “I see.” “Is there a problem?” “No. Of course not.” The woman quickly printed a visitor's pass. “Ms. Laurent is expecting you.” Elena accepted the pass. Interesting. Victoria had been expecting her. That wasn't part of the plan. She slipped the pass around her neck. “Thank you.” As she turned away, her phone vibrated. She pulled it from her handbag. UNKNOWN NUMBER One message. You shouldn't have come back. Elena stared at the screen. Her heartbeat quickened. Then another message appeared. Some graves are better left closed. Her fingers curled around the phone. For a moment, the old fear returned. The fear she had spent three years burying. Then she smiled. Not because she wasn't afraid. Because whoever had sent the message had just confirmed one thing. She was getting close. Elena deleted the messages and walked toward the elevators. She wasn't leaving. Not this time. --- The elevator doors opened on the thirty-second floor. A young assistant was waiting. “Ms. Carter?” “Yes.” “Ms. Laurent is in her office.” Elena followed her down the hallway. Every step brought memories she didn't want. Her father had walked these halls. He had worked here. He had trusted these people. And somewhere inside this building was the truth about what happened to him. The assistant stopped outside a large wooden door. “She's waiting for you.” Elena nodded. The door opened. Victoria Laurent stood beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out over the city. She wore an elegant cream-colored suit. Her dark hair was perfectly styled. Not a single detail was out of place. She turned. For several seconds, neither woman spoke. Then Victoria smiled. “Look at you.” Elena's stomach tightened. “You remember me.” “How could I forget Daniel's daughter?” There was something strange in the way she said her father's name. Almost like a warning. Elena walked farther into the office. “I've changed.” “Yes,” Victoria said softly. “You have.” Their eyes met. Victoria's smile disappeared. “You shouldn't have come back, Elena.” There it was again. The same warning. Elena's expression remained calm. “I came back because this is my home.” Victoria walked toward her. “Some things are better left in the past.” “My father believed that too.” Victoria went still. Elena watched her carefully. “My father also believed people were honest.” Victoria's eyes hardened. “Daniel made his own choices.” “So I've been told.” “And yet you're here.” “Yes.” “Why?” Elena smiled. “Work.” Victoria studied her. “I don't believe you.” “You don't have to.” For the first time, something almost like amusement flickered across Victoria's face. “You've become bold.” “I had to.” Silence stretched between them. Then Victoria stepped closer. “Be careful, Elena.” “About what?” “About the questions you ask.” Elena's heart pounded. But she kept her face expressionless. “I haven't asked you anything yet.” Victoria's eyes narrowed. Exactly. That reaction was exactly what Elena had been waiting for. She turned toward the door. “I'll see you around.” “I'm sure you will.” Elena left the office. Only when the elevator doors closed did she allow herself to breathe. Victoria was afraid. Not of Elena. Of something Elena might discover. And that meant her father's final message had been telling the truth. There was something hidden. Now Elena just had to find it. --- Across the city, Adrian Blackwood stared at the marriage contract lying on his desk. “This is ridiculous.” Luca Reyes sat opposite him, completely relaxed. “Your grandfather wrote the condition himself.” “I know.” “You've spent six months trying to find a loophole.” “And?” “And you didn't.” Adrian leaned back in his chair. The office was silent except for the faint sound of rain against the windows. His grandfather's will was simple. Adrian could inherit controlling ownership of Blackwood International only if he remained legally married for one year. His grandfather had apparently decided that the future CEO of the company needed stability. Adrian thought the old man had been insane. “I don't need a wife,” he said. Luca raised an eyebrow. “You need one for twelve months.” “Same thing.” “No. A wife can be divorced after twelve months. A company can be lost forever.” Adrian glared at him. Luca smiled. “You know I'm right.” Adrian picked up the contract. “Find me someone.” Luca nearly laughed. “Excuse me?” “Someone willing to sign this.” “You're asking me to find you a wife?” “A contractual wife.” “That somehow sounds worse.” Adrian ignored him. “I don't care about her background. She gets paid. She follows the rules. We stay married for one year. Then we walk away.” Luca stared at him. “And what if she falls in love with you?” Adrian gave him a cold look. “That won't happen.” “That's very confident.” “It's a contract.” Luca stood. “Fine. I'll find your temporary wife.” He reached the door. “Luca.” He turned. “Make sure she understands something.” “What?” Adrian's expression hardened. “This marriage will never become real.” Luca nodded. “Understood.” The door closed. Adrian looked down at the contract again. He had no idea that the woman who would eventually sign it was already standing in the middle of the storm he was unknowingly walking into. And neither of them knew that their marriage would begin with a lie... while the truth about Elena's father waited somewhere in the shadows.