THE TRUTH BEHIND THE CONTRACT
1166 Words
Chapter 4 — The Truth Behind the Contract
"Elias."
Aria's voice was quieter than usual.
He stopped when he saw her expression.
"What's wrong?"
She looked at Victoria disappearing down the hallway.
"She was here."
"Victoria?"
Aria nodded.
Elias's expression immediately changed.
"What did she say?"
Aria hesitated.
"She said you didn't choose me because you trusted me."
Elias went silent.
"She said I was convenient."
His jaw tightened.
"I see."
"Is it true?"
"No."
The answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
Aria looked at him.
"Then why did you choose me?"
Elias didn't answer.
That silence was enough to make her heart sink.
"You don't have to lie to me," she said.
"I'm not lying."
"Then tell me."
He looked away.
"Not here."
"Why not?"
"Because people are watching."
Aria crossed her arms.
"Then let's go somewhere else."
---
They ended up at a quiet café several streets away from the university.
Aria sat across from Elias, waiting.
He hadn't said a word since they arrived.
Finally, he placed his phone on the table.
"Your aunt works for my company."
"I know."
"I knew about your family situation before I offered you the contract."
Aria's expression hardened.
"So Victoria was right."
"No."
"Then what?"
Elias took a breath.
"I chose you because I knew you wouldn't betray me."
"How?"
"Your aunt has worked for my family for years. She has always been trustworthy."
Aria looked down.
"So you researched me."
"Yes."
"And you knew I needed money."
"Yes."
"Then I was convenient."
Elias leaned forward.
"At first, maybe."
Aria looked at him.
He continued.
"But that's not why I kept choosing you."
She didn't answer.
"When we started, I thought this would be simple. You needed money. I needed a fake relationship. We helped each other."
He paused.
"Then I got to know you."
Aria's eyes softened.
"You saw how I treated my family. You saw how I worked. You saw how I handled everything."
"Yes."
"And?"
"And I started respecting you."
Aria looked away.
"Respect isn't love."
"I know."
Silence.
Elias's voice became softer.
"But I'm not asking you to believe that I love you."
She looked at him.
"Not yet."
Her heart skipped.
"What?"
He stood.
"Because I know you're not ready."
He walked toward the door.
Aria watched him leave.
For some reason, she wished he would stay.
---
The next few days were different.
Elias stopped texting her constantly.
He still picked her up when necessary.
He still attended family events with her.
But something had changed.
There was distance between them.
Aria hated it.
She hated how quiet her phone felt without his messages.
She hated how she kept looking for his car outside school.
Most of all, she hated that she missed him.
One afternoon, Mia noticed.
"You're thinking about him again."
Aria looked up.
"Who?"
Mia smiled.
"The mysterious CEO."
Aria sighed.
"He's complicated."
"Then stop thinking about him."
"I can't."
Mia raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Aria didn't know how to answer.
Because the truth was becoming obvious.
She was starting to care about him.
More than she should.
---
That evening, Elias's grandmother invited them to dinner.
Aria arrived at the mansion wearing a simple blue dress.
Elias was waiting outside.
When he saw her, he stopped.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Aria became nervous.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You were staring."
"You look nice."
She smiled.
"Thank you."
They entered together.
Dinner began peacefully.
Then Elias's father walked into the room.
Aria immediately became tense.
He looked at her.
"Aria."
"Good evening."
He sat across from them.
"I heard about the incident at the university."
Aria's hands tightened.
Elias looked at his father.
"Don't."
"I'm simply asking."
"Then ask me."
His father ignored him.
"Do you understand what being with Elias means?"
Aria nodded.
"Yes."
"You'll always be watched."
"I know."
"People will criticize you."
"I know."
"You'll be blamed for his decisions."
Elias interrupted.
"Enough."
His father looked at him.
"You think this is a game."
"No."
"You've known her for months."
"That's enough."
His father laughed.
"You don't even know what she wants."
Elias looked at Aria.
"I know enough."
Aria's heart tightened.
His father stood.
"This relationship will destroy you."
Elias didn't respond.
His father left.
Aria stared at the table.
"Maybe he's right."
Elias looked at her.
"Don't."
"What if I really am causing problems?"
"You're not."
"But everything was fine before me."
"Everything was never fine."
She looked at him.
He continued.
"I was just good at pretending."
Aria smiled sadly.
"Maybe we're both pretending."
Elias became quiet.
"Maybe."
---
Later that night, Aria stood alone on the balcony.
The city lights reflected in her eyes.
Elias joined her.
"Cold?"
"A little."
He removed his jacket and offered it to her.
She hesitated.
Then accepted.
"Thanks."
They stood silently.
Finally, Aria spoke.
"Do you regret the contract?"
Elias looked at her.
"No."
"Even now?"
"Especially now."
She smiled.
"Why?"
"Because if I hadn't offered it, I wouldn't have met you."
Aria looked down.
"Elias..."
He stepped closer.
"You don't have to say anything."
She looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, everything was quiet.
No family.
No contract.
No rumors.
Just them.
Then Elias's phone rang.
He stepped away to answer it.
Aria looked toward the garden.
Something caught her attention.
A figure was standing near the gate.
Watching the house.
She couldn't see the person's face.
"Elias."
He turned.
"What?"
"Someone is outside."
He immediately walked toward her.
The figure disappeared.
Elias looked toward the gate.
"Stay here."
He walked downstairs.
Aria waited.
Minutes passed.
Then Elias returned.
"Nobody."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
She nodded.
But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
---
The next morning, Elias received an email.
There was only one attachment.
A photograph.
It showed Aria walking alone outside her university.
Below it was a message:
You have until the end of the contract.
Elias's expression darkened.
Another message appeared.
After that, she leaves your life.
He immediately stood.
His assistant entered the room.
"Sir?"
Elias closed the laptop.
"Find out who sent this."
"Yes, sir."
"And increase security around Aria."
His assistant nodded.
Elias looked at the photograph again.
For the first time, he wasn't worried about his company.
He wasn't worried about his family's plans.
He wasn't even worried about himself.
He was worried about her.
Because whoever was behind the messages knew about the contract.
And that meant someone had been watching them from the beginning.
---
That afternoon, Aria received a message from Elias.
Elias: We need to talk.
She replied.
Aria: About what?
His response came.
Elias: The contract.
Aria's heart sank.
She stared at the screen.
After everything that had happened, was he finally ready to end it?
She didn't know that Elias wasn't planning to end the contract.
He was planning to protect her.
And neither of them knew that the person behind the mysterious messages was much closer to them than they imagined.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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