The Billionaire's Contract

The Clause

Holding it in his hands, wondering where it came from, the clause was brief. He found it insulting, so he read it just once at first. Then again, a final time, this time slower, as if he were waiting for the words to rearrange themselves to something else.

“How didn’t I notice this?” he thought to himself.

It was somehow hidden in the final pages of the contract. Like it was meant to be buried, it was another paragraph framed in a contractual tone.

The marital agreement was not to be terminated for a year, else Carrington Enterprises would have to be reviewed again by the Parras Ethics Commission with strict adherence to community guidelines. He exhaled deeply.

While he knew about the duration of the contract, he was baffled by an actual investigation if things went sideways. For him, a review and the public meant one with the media; having all his business out like that was like being exposed fully; he didn’t like the idea. This could ruin his reputation and that of the company.

He sat up properly in his chair, staring at the chandelier in his office, then the clouds and the city with lights flickering like they were being disturbed.

He thought to himself again, This has never been about citizenship; marriage was never going to fix this permanently. It has always been about containment.

Then he picked up his phone,

“I need the original draft,” he said to the person on the other call. “Unedited.”

There was no immediate response at the other end for a few seconds.

“There is no other draft, Mr. Carrington.”

Speechless, Adrian’s lips looked like they were sealed.

He walked past Sofia’s room, her door slightly open, so he stopped. Peeping inside, he saw that she was fast asleep on top of her covers with an open book placed on her chest, her hair loosened across the pillow, while the bedside lamp was still on, slightly shining on her face.

She looked relaxed when she slept because normally she always wore a straight face, lost in her thoughts. But looking at her sleeping, she looked relaxed and at peace.

With this view, he went in without thinking. He always found it strange the way she never demanded attention from him or asked him any questions about himself; that stillness in her bothered him. She never sought his attention for the convenience of their marriage. Although she often showed her gratitude, she had already accepted her fate and simply endured it, intentionally.

Now he looked at her with so much interest, like he was searching for answers; he wondered if she knew about the clause. If she did, then she hid it effortlessly.

Adrian, who had been among people and not excluding his family, who hid things from him, could tell when someone was hiding something.

He carefully turned off the lamp and quietly left.

By sunrise the next morning, an article was being circulated, and it hit Parras’s number one business publication by 6:00 a.m.

It was on national feeds; a few minutes later, New York had gotten the memo and placed a call.

The title was sharp and created tension.

FOREIGN BUSINESS MOGUL MARRIES LOCAL FOR INTEGRITY PROP

Then it continued with:

“Rumors are flying around about Carrington Enterprises' union with a Parras native being an alternate motive to pass all social and community guidelines.”

Attached was a photo of Sofia standing beside him at a recent community brunch, her expression unreadable, and this stung him a bit. This means they are being watched.

“How were they able to access a private event like this?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” his assistant replied.

However, he got the message; they were watching.

Sofia saw the news while in the kitchen.

Now she understood why the staff was whispering when she came in.

Reading the article first without reacting. Then the comments, calling her a disgrace to her people, a gold digger, and even a local pawn. Her face was still inexpressive, but she was making a fist.

Just then, Adrian walked in. Their eyes met, and he understood that she had seen it and addressed it quickly.

“It’s being handled,” he said.

“Really? She asked for confirmation.

Her tone was different yet calm.

He didn’t like the calmness in her tone.

“This is a game from competitors or even political, but I know it isn’t personal,” he said.

She kept her gaze on him for a few more seconds.

“It is personal to me because my name is being dragged.”

That made him feel some type of way as he approached her closer.

“I’ll fix it; it affects us both in different ways.”

Now, all she could do was pause to breathe while silence echoed in their presence.

Then she asked in a calm tone.

“So this was your plan the entire time?”

“What?” he scoffed.

“Did you even think of how it would affect me?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

And that was answer enough.

She turned away, nodding her head in agreement as she left.

By noon, the Ramirez home was filled with reporters, asking questions and taking pictures.

Carlos called her right away in a panic.

“They are asking about the hospital. How could they possibly know that? He said

Adrian overheard.

He interrupted their conversation and gently collected the phone from her. Then he ordered his team to send security right away and then hung up.

“They will be better off here,” he said firmly.

With this, he knew information had leaked because nobody knew about the hospital and payment, only the staff.

By evening, he had a meeting with his legal team.

“The press knows about the hospital bills; it got out somehow,” he said coldly.

“Are you implying someone leaked the information?” His lawyer asked, surprised.

“I’m not implying, I’m confirming it,” Adrian replied.

“Someone is behind all these who wants his marriage questioned.”

Then he paused. “And they knew exactly how; they’ve been watching this whole time.”

That night, the apartment felt different and tense.

Sofia stood on the balcony, arms wrapped around herself, city lights reflecting in her eyes as she was enjoying the view, wondering what she was supposed to do in this phase.

Some moments later, he joined her. Nobody spoke; they were just enjoying the silence when she suddenly asked him.

“What would you have done differently?”

Pretending like he understood what exactly she was asking, he answered.

“Be a little more extra careful.”

“You probably should’ve picked someone else for this.”

“Maybe. And how would that have turned out for your family?” he asked, looking at her directly.

Then she looked away first.

“I’m glad it was you,” he added.

Even the words surprised them both as they locked eyes.

“You should choose who you want to be,” she said quietly. “Before the world chooses for you.”

He was almost asking what she meant as he tilted his head, but was interrupted by a phone call.

It was New York, so he answered.

At the end of the call was Peter, whose voice was calm as usual.

“I see you’ve been busy.”

Adrian didn’t respond immediately and added,

“This was all you,” Adrian said flatly.

A soft chuckle.

“Of course, I know everything.”

“This was all your plan. Happy now?”

Silence. Then:

“You needed to be held accountable for something.”

Adrian’s grip tightened on the phone as his tone changed.

“Why would you even do this?”

“I’m preparing you; you wouldn’t get it now,” Peter answered.

He hung up angrily.

Adrian just froze and stood in the dark for a long time after, trying to understand why his father would do him like this.

By the time he got back inside, Sofia was fast asleep.

Restless, he had a few drinks and kept pondering, trying to make sense out of it all.

Flooded with a lot of theories, he opened his laptop.

He accessed internal records and found something he hadn’t expected.

A flagged transfer, which was recent and involved a lot of money and was even authorized from New York, his father’s office.

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together, he realized that maybe this wasn’t some random resistance. It could be controlled pressure created to see how he would react.

He took deep breaths to understand the situation.

Meanwhile, Sofia switched positions in her sleep, unaware of what had just been unveiled.

Or maybe she was and was so good at pretending.

His phone beeped with a message from an unknown number.

“Maybe you’ve been sleeping with the enemy this whole time.”

Attached was a photo, taken a few weeks ago:

Sofia is speaking to the officials of the Parras Ethics Commission outside a government building.

This was before the marriage, before the hospital, before everything.

Adrian’s breathing was faster now, not out of rage, just something colder.

He looked toward her bedroom door as she was sleeping.

He couldn’t help but think.

What if she’s part of this…

Or worse, have a hand in all these?

Seeing this, he deleted the message and left the photo. And for the first time since arriving in Mexico, Adrian didn’t know who he could trust.

Not his father.

Not his company.

Not even the woman sleeping under his roof.