Chapter 2: The Deal
675 Words
The next morning felt different.
Too quiet.
Too heavy.
Amara barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she heard his voice again.
Marry me.
She sat up slowly, her heart already racing.
It was real.
Yesterday wasn’t a dream.
She had agreed.
A sharp knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts.
“Amara?”
She stood quickly and opened it.
A man in a suit stood there.
“Mr. Alexander sent me,” he said.
“The car is waiting.”
Her breath caught.
Already?
Everything was happening too fast.
Minutes later, she stepped outside.
The black car was there.
Just like yesterday.
Waiting.
And inside…
was him.
Alexander looked up as she entered.
Calm. Controlled.
Like this was just another normal day for him.
“You’re on time,” he said.
“I didn’t have a choice,” she replied quietly.
A faint smirk touched his lips.
“Good.”
He handed her a file.
“Read it.”
Amara took it slowly, her fingers tightening slightly.
“This is the contract,” he added.
Her heart skipped.
This was it.
No turning back.
Amara lowered her gaze to the file in her hands.
Her fingers felt slightly cold as she opened it.
Page after page of neatly printed words stared back at her.
Terms.
Conditions.
Rules.
It didn’t look like a marriage.
It looked like a business agreement.
“Read carefully,” Alexander said.
His voice was calm, but there was something firm underneath it.
Like he expected no mistakes.
Amara swallowed and continued reading.
One-year contractual marriage.
Public appearances required.
No emotional involvement.
She paused at that line.
No emotions.
That should have been easy.
Right?
“You’re serious about this,” she murmured.
“I don’t joke about important matters,” he replied.
She looked up at him.
His expression didn’t change.
Not even a little.
“Why me?” she asked suddenly.
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, his eyes rested on her… studying her again.
“Because you need something,” he said finally.
“And I need something.”
That same answer.
Vague.
Controlled.
Amara exhaled softly.
She wasn’t going to get more than that.
“What exactly do you gain from this?” she pressed.
This time, his expression hardened slightly.
“That’s not your concern.”
“If I’m going to marry you, it is my concern.”
Silence filled the car for a moment.
Then…
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said.
Amara didn’t like that answer.
But right now…
she had bigger things to worry about.
Like her mother.
“The treatment,” she said quietly.
“It will be handled,” he replied immediately.
Her eyes lifted to his.
“Will be?”
“Already handled,” he corrected.
Amara froze.
“What?”
“The hospital bill has been paid,” he said calmly.
“Your mother’s treatment starts today.”
For a moment…
she couldn’t breathe.
“You already did that?”
He gave a small nod.
And just like that…
everything inside her shifted.
The fear.
The pressure.
The helplessness.
It all lifted at once.
Her eyes burned slightly.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Alexander looked at her briefly…
then away.
“It’s part of the deal,” he said.
But somehow…
it didn’t feel like just a deal anymore.
Amara looked back at the contract.
Her decision was already made.
Slowly…
she reached for the pen.
“Once you sign,” Alexander said quietly,
“there’s no going back.”
Her hand trembled slightly.
But she didn’t stop.
She signed.
The moment the pen left the paper…
everything changed.
“Good,” Alexander said.
Just one word.
Cold. Final.
“When does this start?” she asked.
“Now.”
Her heart skipped again.
“You’ll move in today,” he continued.
“The wedding is in three days.”
“Three days?”
Everything was happening too fast.
But it was already too late.
She had signed.
And there was no turning back.
- Writer
