The Billionaire's Contract

Terms and Conditions

The wedding was a low-key one with witnesses from the Ramirez family, local advisers, and consultants. Everything was arranged to satisfy the optics of legal witnesses, local presence, and photographic evidence. Sofia wore a simple dress borrowed from a cousin, the fabric resting lightly against her skin, unadorned and unremarkable.

Adrian stood beside her, with his expression unreadable. To Sofia, the ceremony felt like everything was planned in a perfect way to fit the why, the reason for the contract in the first place. She spoke the vows steadily, her voice calm despite the odd, weird weight settling in her chest. She did not look at Adrian when she promised permanence she did not expect to keep.

He noticed, and for the first time, that it unsettled him.

Most women would set their gaze on him like they had just won the prize, which made him feel good about himself, but this was different. Sofia completely avoided eye contact to keep herself afloat. Afterward, there was no celebration.

Adrian left right after for meetings. Sofia returned home to pack her life into suitcases, bidding farewell to her family and even visiting Mateo in the hospital.

Moving in, everything about her new home was different. It was more spacious with beautiful architecture. They both had their separate rooms as her things were brought into her own room. A few days in, she realized that living with Adrian was not as difficult as she thought, although difficult in a quieter way.

The apartment was organized but impersonal. There were no pictures on the walls or anything that represented either of their personalities. Adrian moved through it like he was invisible in the house, present yet distant, unbothered.

He rarely spoke to her, and when he did, it was always brief and cold. One time, while they were having dinner, they had a conversation which was the longest they’ve had in weeks.

“I am giving you access to an account for household expenses only. Meanwhile, public appearances are a must and will be scheduled. You’ll get prepped for interviews and learn how to answer these triggering questions, then your outfits will be taken care of, and if, by any chance, you want some alone time, just inform your security.

There was no cruelty in his tone, which would have been easier for her, but instead, there was entitlement that intensified negativity, the underlying insistence that self-respect should be sacrificed to be grateful.

Sofia understood and accepted this without complaint. He gave her a stern look as she always avoided eye contact with him, and when he spoke, he found it rude.

“You look at me when I’m talking to you,” he says, now talking in a loud tone. “You can’t talk anymore, but when we first spoke, you had a huge mouth with all the ‘American' jargon.

That same tone, he added, “Anyone in your place would be grateful I’m even doing this for you and your family; else your father won’t be here with us.”

Now getting upset that all she did was nod without saying anything, he found it impolite. She, on the other hand, did this as a way of showing respect.

Understanding the threat at the end and knowing there was nothing she could do about it, she responded this time around, slowly raising her head and making eye contact with him.

“Oh my bad, would you prefer I say thank you every time you speak? I would hate to divert your attention from the debt you enjoy carrying over my head with my lack of gratitude.”

He was unable to speak and could only observe her. He hadn't thought she was capable of such scathing sarcasm and had taken her stillness for surrender.

After that moment, he began paying attention to her more while she was already making her way around the house, cooking quietly. She learned the routines of the apartment and even started adding personal touches to her home.

It was no longer a shell of a house. She added pictures to the hallway and added some decorations to the kitchen, just like she wanted. Adding more colors infused with her tradition.

Adrian saw the new changes and made no comments; he just kept observing her and noticed how the staff answered to her. Watching them spend more time in the rooms she occupied, and even smiled more readily, and always listened.

Even while she had always been like that and didn't even need to ask for respect, rather, she gained it without trying, he recently realized that she had become beloved to practically everyone around her, and as a result, his business started to change.

Local partners began to soften while carrying out business activities, while community leaders began agreeing to meet as they had previously avoided. Adrian reminded himself that everything was a coincidence and was in denial that it might, in fact, be because of her.

Sofia stood by the balcony like she always did to enjoy the view of the beautiful city, especially at night with the lights, which was breathtaking and mesmerizing to watch. Tonight, she just wanted to talk to someone, to express herself, and what she was feeling. The thought of being with someone she couldn’t even talk to for as long as this, she reasoned, was her duty now, even if it meant sacrificing her happiness to support her family. Holding this thought, she went to bed.

That same night, Adrian wasn’t himself, either; he needed something to take the edge off, and what he wanted was a distraction, so he went out for a while and was back with women.

The next morning he felt off, awfully quiet for him, too quiet that she knew, and the staff knew, too. It felt strange, and he never did it again. Knowing he was in a completely different environment, now known as a married man, he didn’t want anything that would make the headlines the next morning or jeopardize what he was trying to fix for his business.

A few weeks passed, and Sofia began accompanying Adrian to community events. Being a local, she connected with people more as she listened and remembered names. At this point, she was easily identified and represented Carrington Enterprises as she spoke of shared concerns about labor, of health, and of dignity; she was like the bridge that connected their business with locals in the city.

Adrian watched her from afar, quite impressed with her performance. He realized that none of this could be bought. Though not impressive in the ways he had been taught to value, she mattered.

He even went as far as noticing little things about her, like the way she folded her hands when thinking, always lost in her thoughts, and the way her silence carried intention. He realized that she did not fear him, unaware of his power; she saw him, and that was the most dangerous thing of all.

Sometimes, Adrian would go read the contract over again, comforted by its clarity. A contracted marriage for only a year. One that would soon come to an end, leaving him in complete control and proving to his father that he can indeed handle things on his own.

After a long day of meetings, he came home one evening to find Sofia laughing with a staff member, her face glowing. He couldn’t help but enjoy the view and savor the moment; he was beginning to notice how beautiful she was, and this tingled something in him…something he wasn’t sure of yet.

Then he realized the only thing he had to compel her to stay on track was gradually dissolving like he was losing his grip on her.

While in New York, Peter Carrington, seated in his office, received reports from Parras, and when he looked at them, he couldn’t help but smile with this inner satisfaction; his plan was working out, his son changing and making his own decisions.

Adrian, going over the contract again, sees an extra attachment he hadn’t noticed before, stuck together with the contract.