The Contract
1372 Words
Amara despised three things.
Defeat.
Falling short.
And when Mr. Cole, the billionaire CEO, turned out to be right.
Sadly, tonight had dragged her through all three.
After what seemed like ages, the lights came back on. Still, the damage was already done.
Everybody in the building was concerned.
Her employees.
Her security team.
Her executives.
Everyone seemed worried except for the man standing across from her.
He looked exactly the same.
Calm.
Controlled.
Unshaken.
It irritated her.
"How is it that you remain unbothered?" Amara asked.
She spoke before she could stop herself.
Ethan’s eyes shifted in her direction.
They stood in silence for a moment before he replied.
Then he said, "I am."
His answer surprised her.
She expected arrogance.
A smug comment.
Something to remind her why she disliked him.
Instead, he looked exhausted.
Human.
And she hated that even more.
Hating a villain was easier than facing someone who understood her fear.
"You hide it well."
He clenched his fists.
"Panicking never solved anything."
There he was.
The Mr. Cole she knew.
The man who saw emotions as weaknesses.
The man who built an empire by never relying on anyone.
Amara knew that better than she wanted to admit.
Because she was just like him.
"Why show me this?" she asked.
He glanced at the file.
"You deserve to know, Amara."
"That is not an answer, Ethan."
"It is."
"It doesn’t make sense."
She came closer.
"You knew someone inside NovaGen was double-crossing me."
"Yes."
"And you waited."
"I was trying to find the person controlling him."
"So, you watched me get attacked?"
His countenance changed.
Only slightly.
But she caught it.
She caught a glimpse of guilt.
"I want to protect you."
His words made her angry.
Because everyone always said that, as if that was what mattered most.
Protecting her.
Helping her.
Saving her.
But no one ever seemed to care about what she wanted.
"I don't need your protection, Mr. Cole."
Ethan looked at her.
Not with anger.
Not with frustration.
With understanding.
For some reason, that made it worse.
"You shouldn’t say that."
"But, it's true."
"No."
He walked closer.
"You believe needing someone makes you weak."
Ethan’s words struck home.
Almost too well.
Amara looked away.
He was completely right.
She realized he could see through her.
…
Amara’s father always said the same thing.
People would disappoint you.
Partners would betray you.
Trust had a price.
And the moment you let someone in, you give them the power they need to destroy you.
She learned that lesson early in life.
It was the hardest lesson she ever learned.
So, she built walls.
She built NovaGen.
She built herself.
She never let anyone get close enough to hurt her again.
Not investors.
Not friends.
And definitely not men.
Especially the billionaires with perfect suits and dangerous smiles.
Billionaires like Mr. Cole.
"What can I do for you, Ethan?"
He dug into his briefcase and pulled a folder.
Placed a folder on the table and slid it over to her.
She stared at the folder on the table in front of her.
"What is this? More Evidence?"
"Your solution."
She opened it.
Then froze.
A contract.
Not a business contract.
A marriage contract.
Her eyes moved across the page.
Then back to him.
"You cannot be serious."
"I don’t jest."
"You want me to become your wife?!"
"I do."
Amara stared at him for a few seconds.
Then she laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because she honestly thought she must have misunderstood.
"You came into my office during a corporate attack, and your solution is marriage?"
"Yes."
"Are you insane?"
"No."
"You're a billionaire CEO proposing a fake marriage to your biggest rival."
"Correct."
She looked at him, searching for answers.
"This doesn’t make any sense."
"It does."
"Explain."
Ethan walked over to the window.
The city stretched out below them.
Millions of lights.
Millions of people.
All were unaware that two of the most powerful technology companies were fighting for survival.
"The market believes we are connected."
Amara crossed her arms.
"We aren't."
"They don't know that."
She winced inside whenever Mr. Cole was right.
He was right.
Facts didn't matter to the media.
Stories were important to them.
And word of the story was already getting around.
The savvy engineer and billionaire CEO.
hidden collaboration.
hidden manipulation.
hidden deceit.
A fake marriage would change the story.
"Investors see us as enemies," Ethan added.
"A public marriage changes that."
"It makes us look united."
"Exactly."
She looked down at the contract again.
"You thought of this quickly."
"I always have a plan."
That irritated her.
Of course he did.
He was always several steps ahead.
She was starting to understand why he was dangerous.
"What happens after one year?"
"The contract ends."
"And?"
"We divorce."
The answer was immediate.
It came almost too quickly.
For some reason, that bothered her.
Not because she wanted anything else.
Of course not.
She was Amara Okafor.
She had founded a company.
She didn't need a husband.
Especially not him.
"Rules?"
Ethan looked back at her.
"Three."
She waited.
"No interfering in each other's companies."
"Fine."
"No lying."
That surprised her.
She arched an eyebrow.
"You understand that you're seeking my trust?"
"Yes."
"Interesting."
He held her glance.
"And the last rule?"
She waited.
His voice grew quieter.
"No falling in love."
The room went quiet.
Something about those terms felt strange.
It felt almost like a warning.
Amara looked away first.
"That would be the easiest of all three rules."
Ethan remained expressionless.
"Good."
But both of them still had doubts.
…
Amara took considerable time to sign the marriage contract.
She returned home.
or at least made an effort.
There were reporters all around her residence.
Questions.
Images.
People are demanding explanations.
From the back seat of her car, she observed as strangers broke into the life she had put so much effort into creating.
Her phone rang in her hand.
Her lawyer.
Then her CFO.
Then her board.
More bad news.
Another investor gone.
Another partnership canceled.
Another door closing.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
For the first time in years, she admitted something to herself.
As much as it hurt her to admit.
She couldn't fix all this damage alone.
Despite the years she spent proving she could.
…
At midnight, Amara made her way to Cole Technologies.
Ethan remained there.
Of course he did.
He stood in his office reviewing files and reports.
He was surprised to see her walk into his office.
"You came back."
She held the contract.
"Don't look so surprised."
"I don’t."
"You were."
A smirk lingered on his lips.
She hated that she noticed.
She placed the contract on his desk.
"I have conditions."
"Of course you do."
"My company stays mine."
"I agree."
"For NovaGen, you don't make decisions."
"I understand."
"And if you turn on me—"
She hesitated.
Ethan held out.
"This stops right away if you betray me."
In his eyes, something shifted.
A seriousness.
A commitment.
"I'm not going to."
She was irritated by the confidence.
However, she trusted him.
That was the part she still didn’t understand.
She picked up a pen from his suit pocket.
She signed.
Then, she pushed the contract toward him.
Ethan signed after her.
As the ink dried, it marked the beginning of something strange.
Two enemies.
Two rivals.
Both people who had invested years trying to win.
Had just agreed to become husband and wife.
…
The next morning, the entire world found out.
ETHAN COLE MARRIES AMARA OKAFOR.
The internet blew up.
The stock market reacted instantly.
Their companies stabilized.
Suddenly, things began to look up.
But Amara couldn’t bring herself to relax.
She unlocked her phone, and a message showed up from an unknown number.
It was a photo attachment.
Her wedding contract.
A document that should have been impossible to access.
And below it:
YOU MAY THINK YOU MARRIED YOUR ENEMY.
A second message followed.
BUT YOU JUST MARRIED THE MAN I PLAN TO DESTROY.
Her heart dropped to her stomach.
Whoever was behind this knew everything.
And now...
They knew her weakness.
Mr. Ethan Cole.
- Writer
