Mr.Bride

The Contract

The footsteps stopped right outside the alcove.

“Ethan? Adrian?” Dad’s voice was loud, just inches away from the wooden door.

My muscles tensed as I tried to push him away, but he didn’t move. He just stood there, his thumb still pressed against my racing pulse, watching me panic.

The wicked grin on his face faded into a cold, calm expression. He let go of my neck.

But he didn't step back. Instead, he reached up and grabbed my tie. The same stupid tie I had struggled with all morning. He yanked it straight with a sharp, fluid motion.

“Go on,” Adrian whispered, his breath brushing my cheek. “Daddy’s calling.”

He turned and stepped out of the alcove before I could even draw a breath.

“Ah, there you are, Father,” I heard Adrian say, his voice shifting back to that smooth, polite tone. “I was just showing Ethan where the restroom was. The hallways can be a bit confusing.”

“Right. Well, hurry up. The lawyers are waiting in the study,” Dad grunted.

I waited three seconds, wiping my sweaty palms on my trousers. I stepped out of the dark alcove, keeping my head down.

“Sorry, Dad,” I muttered, avoiding his sharp glare. “Got turned around.”

Dad didn't say anything. He just shot me a look that promised hell if I ruined this night, then turned and walked down the hall. Adrian followed him, throwing one last, amused glance over his shoulder at me.

I hated him. I hated him so much my teeth ached.

Two heavy, blue folders sat on the massive mahogany desk. The contract. The legal paperwork that traded my life away to save my dad’s failing company.

Mr. Sterling signed his name with a gold pen, his signature big and arrogant. Dad signed next, his hand steady but his face pale.

Then, the pen was handed to me.

The metal felt cold against my fingers. I looked across the desk. Selena was sitting there, giving me another one of her sweet, innocent smiles.

Right behind her chair stood Adrian. His arms were crossed over his broad chest.

My hand shook slightly. I pressed the pen to the paper and scribbled my name. It felt like signing my own death warrant.

“Excellent!” Mr. Sterling smiled, standing up to shake Dad’s hand. “The merger is official.”

The second the dinner ended, I got out of there. I refused Dad’s offer for a ride. I didn't want to hear his lectures, and I couldn't stand being in the same atmosphere as Adrian for another second.

I ordered a cheap Uber and directed it straight to the lower side of the city.

Leo’s apartment was small, cramped, and smelled like stale pizza. It was the only place in the city where I could actually breathe.

When I walked in, Leo was sitting in his usual spot, hunched over in a spinning chair in front of three massive, glowing computer monitors. He was wearing a faded gray hoodie, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

I didn't say a word. I just collapsed onto his beat-up fabric couch and stared at the ceiling, letting out a long, ragged exhale.

Leo stopped typing. He spun his chair around, looking at me with a worried frown. “You look like you just escaped a crime scene. Did it go that bad?”

“Worse,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes. “I signed it. It’s done. I’m officially getting married.”

Leo sighed, walking over to hand me a cold bottle of water. “I’m sorry, man. Your dad is a piece of work. But hey, you just have to play the part, right? Keep your head down, get the funding, and—”

“It’s not just the marriage, Leo,” I cut him off, sitting up. My stomach did a sick flip just thinking about it. “Her brother. Adrian. He knows.”

Leo blinked, his expression turning sharp. “Knows what?”

“He knows I’m gay,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. “He cornered me. He brought up your name at the dinner table. He looked up my background report, Leo. He knows we lived together in college. He used it to mock me in front of our dads.”

Leo’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? What a psycho. Why does he even care?”

“I don’t know. He pinned me against the wall in the hallway. He told me I was terrified of him because he’s what I actually desire.” I gripped the water bottle so hard the plastic crinkled. “He’s dangerous, Leo. He’s going to ruin everything.”

Leo’s worried expression instantly hardened into anger. He stood up and walked back to his desk. “Adrian Sterling, right? Let me see what I can find on this guy. If he’s digging into your life, I’m digging into his. He might have a corporate firewall, but nobody’s unhackable.”

Leo cracked his knuckles and began typing, pulling up local business registries and deep-web data caches.

I watched him, a tiny sliver of relief washing over me. Leo was a tech genius. If anyone could find leverage to keep Adrian off my back, it was him.

Suddenly, a loud, sharp buzz cut through the silence of the room.

It wasn't Leo's computer. It was his phone, lying face-up on the desk.

The screen blinked with an Unknown Number.

Leo frowned, glancing at me before hitting the speakerphone button. “Hello?”

The room went dead silent. Then, a deep, smooth baritone filled the small apartment. It was a voice I would recognize anywhere.

“Hello, Leo,” Adrian purred through the speaker.

My heart completely stopped. I stood up from the couch, my whole body going rigid with fear.

“I see someone is trying to ping my personal database from your IP address,” Adrian continued, his tone conversational, yet deadly cold. “Tell my new brother-in-law that he left his watch at my house tonight... and that he should choose his company more carefully if he wants his friends to stay safe.”

The line went completely dead.

Leo and I stared at the phone in absolute horror, the silence in the room heavy enough to suffocate us.