BOUND TO THE BILLIONAIRE BY CONTRACT

MRS CARTER

Chapter 9 – Mrs. Carter

The grand iron gates of Carter Manor slowly opened as the black Rolls-Royce glided through the long driveway lined with towering maple trees and perfectly trimmed hedges. The golden light of the setting sun reflected against the magnificent mansion, making it look even more breathtaking than before. Olivia sat quietly beside Ethan, her wedding bouquet resting on her lap. The excitement of the ceremony had faded, replaced by the realization that this would now be her home.

She turned to look out the window.

"I still can't believe I live here now."

Ethan glanced at her before looking ahead again.

"You'll get used to it."

She smiled faintly.

"I'm not sure anyone could get used to a place like this."

The car came to a gentle stop in front of the mansion. Before either of them stepped out, the massive front doors opened. Two neat rows of servants stood waiting on the marble staircase, dressed in matching uniforms. At the front stood the elderly butler, Mr. Harris, who had served the Carter family for over thirty years.

The moment Ethan stepped out of the car, every servant bowed respectfully.

"Welcome home, Mr. Carter."

Olivia hesitated before stepping out.

Mr. Harris smiled warmly.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Carter."

The words caught her by surprise.

Mrs. Carter.

She had heard them from the officiant at the wedding, but hearing them here made everything feel real.

The rest of the staff bowed politely.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Carter."

Olivia smiled nervously.

"Thank you."

She noticed curious glances among some of the younger maids. They had expected a glamorous socialite or the daughter of a billionaire. Instead, standing before them was a graceful young woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile.

One of the maids whispered quietly to another.

"She's even more beautiful up close."

"And she doesn't look proud at all."

"I thought rich people only married other rich people."

Mr. Harris cleared his throat softly, and the whispers immediately stopped.

William Carter walked down the steps with a broad smile.

"There are my newlyweds."

Olivia smiled.

"Grandpa."

The older man beamed.

"There, you said it."

He hugged her gently before turning to Ethan.

"You finally brought your wife home."

Ethan gave a small nod.

"We did."

William looked between them, satisfaction evident in his eyes.

"Come inside. Dinner is waiting."

The dining room was unlike anything Olivia had ever seen. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the long polished table. Fresh white roses decorated the center, and silver candleholders reflected the soft light.

Several chefs entered carrying beautifully prepared dishes.

Olivia looked around in amazement.

"This is... too much."

William laughed.

"Nonsense. It's your first dinner as part of this family."

Throughout the meal, William kept the conversation light, asking Olivia about Mason's recovery and sharing amusing stories about Ethan's childhood.

"When Ethan was eight," William began with a grin, "he tried to fire one of the gardeners because the roses weren't blooming fast enough."

Olivia covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

"He did?"

William nodded.

"He walked around with a toy briefcase and told everyone he was the chairman."

Olivia looked at Ethan.

"I can't imagine that."

Ethan sighed quietly.

"Grandfather enjoys embarrassing me."

"I enjoy telling the truth."

Even Ethan couldn't hide the small smile that appeared on his face.

For the first time since they had met, dinner felt almost... normal.

After dessert, William stood.

"I'll leave you two to settle in."

Before leaving, he looked at Ethan.

"Take good care of your wife."

"I will."

William smiled with satisfaction before walking out of the room.

Silence settled between Ethan and Olivia.

Finally, Ethan stood.

"I'll show you your room."

They walked upstairs together, passing elegant paintings and tall windows overlooking the gardens. At the end of the hallway, Ethan stopped in front of a pair of carved wooden doors.

"This is the master suite."

Olivia blinked.

"Our room?"

"Our suite."

He opened the doors.

The room was enormous. A king-sized bed stood in the center beneath a crystal chandelier. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city skyline, while a fireplace crackled softly in one corner. A private sitting area and two walk-in closets completed the luxurious space.

Olivia looked around in stunned silence.

"It's bigger than my entire apartment."

Ethan watched her reaction.

"If there's anything you need, tell Daniel."

She slowly turned toward him.

"Ethan..."

"Yes?"

She smiled sincerely.

"Thank you."

He looked at her for a moment before answering quietly.

"You don't have to thank me every time."

She laughed softly.

"I know."

Outside the bedroom window, a luxury sedan slowed to a stop across the street. A man wearing a dark cap lifted a camera with a powerful zoom lens and quietly snapped several photographs of the mansion.

One picture captured Ethan and Olivia standing together in the bedroom window.

The man lowered his camera and smiled.

Then he picked up his phone.

"Mr. Hayes," he said. "Your newlyweds are home."

A cold voice answered from the other end.

"Good."

"The game begins tonight

Olivia slowly walked farther into the master suite, her fingertips lightly brushing against the polished wooden furniture. Everything was elegant, from the cream-colored walls to the grand piano placed beside the windows. It felt less like a bedroom and more like a luxurious apartment.

She turned to Ethan.

"This room is beautiful."

"It's yours now," he replied calmly.

"Our room," she corrected with a small smile.

Ethan looked at her for a second before nodding.

"Our room."

He walked toward a pair of white doors and opened them.

"The left walk-in closet is yours."

Olivia stepped inside and gasped.

Rows of designer dresses, handbags, shoes, and accessories filled the spacious closet. Most still had price tags attached.

She turned around in disbelief.

"When did all this happen?"

"This morning."

"This morning?"

"The stylists took your measurements after the rehearsal."

Olivia gently touched one of the dresses.

"There must be hundreds of them."

"You'll need clothes for dinners, charity events, business parties, and family gatherings."

She shook her head.

"I've never owned more than five dresses."

Ethan noticed the mixture of excitement and uncertainty on her face.

"If you don't like something, we'll replace it."

She looked at him and smiled.

"It's not that."

"Then what?"

"I'm just not used to people doing things like this for me."

For a brief moment, Ethan didn't know how to answer.

He had spent years solving problems by writing checks.

But Olivia never reacted the way other people did.

She wasn't greedy.

She wasn't pretending.

She was genuinely grateful.

"You'll get used to it," he said quietly.

"Maybe."

She carefully closed the closet door.

Ethan walked toward a nearby study connected to the bedroom.

"There's something we should discuss."

Olivia followed him.

On the desk rested a blue folder.

He handed it to her.

"Our contract."

She opened it slowly.

"The rules remain the same even after the wedding."

She nodded.

"I remember."

"We'll present ourselves as a normal married couple in public."

"I understand."

"In private, you'll have your own freedom."

Olivia looked around.

"But there's only one bedroom."

"There are two."

He pointed toward another door.

"It leads to a private bedroom connected to this suite. You can stay there whenever you want."

Relief spread across her face.

"I was wondering how we were going to explain that."

"No one outside this room needs to know."

She smiled.

"Thank you for thinking about that."

Ethan slipped his hands into his pockets.

"I keep my promises."

Just then, someone knocked gently on the door.

"Come in," Ethan said.

Mr. Harris entered pushing a silver tea cart.

"Forgive the interruption, sir."

"What is it?"

"The chairman asked me to bring tea for both of you."

Olivia smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Mr. Harris."

The elderly butler looked pleasantly surprised.

"It is my pleasure, Mrs. Carter."

As he poured the tea, Olivia noticed his hands trembling slightly.

Without thinking, she stood up.

"Please, let me help."

She carefully took the teapot from him and poured the remaining cups herself.

Mr. Harris looked touched.

"No lady of this house has ever served me."

Olivia smiled.

"My mother always taught me that kindness doesn't depend on wealth."

The old butler bowed respectfully.

"The Carter family is fortunate to have you."

After he left, Ethan looked at Olivia.

"You didn't have to do that."

"I know."

"Then why?"

She picked up her cup.

"Because he looked tired."

Ethan remained silent.

That simple answer stayed with him.

Most people noticed power.

Olivia noticed people.

Later that evening, Olivia stepped onto the private balcony connected to the suite.

The city lights stretched endlessly beneath the night sky.

She rested her hands on the balcony railing and smiled softly.

"I never imagined my life would change this much in a single week."

Behind her, Ethan walked onto the balcony.

"It has changed for both of us."

She looked at him.

"Do you regret marrying me?"

The question caught him off guard.

He thought for a moment before answering honestly.

"No."

She smiled.

"I don't regret it either."

For a few quiet moments, they simply stood together, watching the city.

Neither noticed the small red light blinking from a camera hidden among the trees outside the estate wall.

Across the street, the photographer lowered his camera after taking dozens of pictures.

He immediately sent them to Victor Hayes.

Less than a minute later, Victor's phone rang.

"I've received them," he said.

"What are your orders, sir?" the photographer asked.

Victor studied the photographs of Ethan and Olivia standing side by side on the balcony.

"They're getting comfortable with each other faster than I expected."

"So... should we act now?"

Victor smiled coldly.

"No."

"Keep watching."

"I want to know every place they visit."

"Every person they meet."

"And every weakness they don't realize they're showing."

He ended the call and looked at Olivia's photograph one last time.

"Enjoy your first night as Mrs. Carter," he whispered.

"Because very soon..."

"...your perfect new life will begin to fall apart."

Outside, thunder rumbled in the distance as dark clouds slowly gathered over Carter Manor, promising that the peace Ethan and Olivia had found would not last forever.