Looking at the contract in her hands, Annabelle walked out of Jason's office like a robot.
She had just agreed to marry a man she barely knew.
Thirty minutes later, she arrived back at RA Jewels and immediately saw her assistant rushing towards her.
"Ma'am, the bank representatives are here."
Annabelle stopped walking.
"What do they want?"
"They came with the acquisition documents. They said they are ready to begin the process of taking over the company."
Annabelle took a deep breath before walking towards her office.
When she entered, two representatives were already waiting for her.
"You are finally here, Ms. Bradford," one of them said.
"Good afternoon. I am sorry I kept you waiting."
Annabelle walked towards her chair and sat down.
"We are here to finalize the acquisition of RA Jewels," the representative said, placing some documents on the table.
Annabelle glanced at them.
"That won't be necessary."
The man frowned.
"And why is that?"
"I will pay back the loan before the end of the week."
The representatives exchanged glances.
"Ms. Bradford, you have been given enough time already."
"I know."
"Then how are you planning to pay the loan?"
Annabelle paused.
She couldn't tell them about Jason yet. Not until everything was properly settled.
"I will find the money."
The representative stared at her for a few seconds.
"Fine. We will give you until the end of the week. If the payment isn't made by then, we will continue with the acquisition process."
Annabelle nodded.
"That's fine."
The representatives gathered their documents and left.
As soon as the door closed, Annabelle released a long breath.
She had bought herself a few more days.
Now she had to make sure Jason kept his word.
If the gold project went as planned, RA Jewels would finally have a chance to recover.
At least she had something to work with now.
"Go and tell the manufacturing team that the gold project can commence," she told her assistant.
"Yes, ma'am."
Her assistant left the office.
Annabelle sat quietly for a moment before looking at the contract still in her hand.
She had barely had time to think about what she had done.
She had been desperate to save her company, and Jason had given her a solution.
But the solution came with a price.
Marriage.
Annabelle looked down at the contract.
She had already agreed to the conditions Jason had given her, including the one-year duration and the ridiculous one-billion-dollar penalty for breaking the agreement.
"One billion dollars," she muttered.
She still couldn't believe she had agreed to it.
But there was no point regretting it now.
She had made her choice.
Annabelle placed the contract inside one of her drawers and returned to work.
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly.
She spent most of her time dealing with the company's problems and making sure the gold project could begin as soon as possible.
By 7 p.m., she finally looked away from her laptop.
She was exhausted.
She packed her things and stood up.
She was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something.
She was married now.
And according to the agreement she had signed, she was supposed to live with her husband.
The problem was that she didn't even know where Jason lived.
Annabelle sighed.
She would have to ask him the next day.
She picked up her bag and left the office.
When she stepped outside, she noticed a black SUV parked in front of the company.
A man stepped out of the driver's seat as soon as he saw her.
"Good evening, ma'am."
"Good evening. How may I help you?"
"Mr. Grayson asked me to take you to Grayson Mansion."
Annabelle stared at him.
"He did?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She wasn't expecting it, but she got into the car.
About an hour later, they arrived at Grayson Mansion.
Annabelle stepped out of the car and looked at the huge mansion in front of her.
She had seen pictures of the Grayson family home before, but seeing it in person was different.
She walked inside.
As soon as she entered the living room, she saw three people sitting together.
"Good evening, ma'am. Good evening, sir."
She greeted the older man and the middle-aged woman.
"Good evening, my darling girl."
Jason's grandfather smiled warmly.
"I have heard so much about you from my dear friend. Come and sit with us."
Annabelle smiled politely and walked over.
"Jason told me that you two got married. I am so happy. Very happy, in fact."
The old man's excitement made Annabelle smile awkwardly.
"Thank you."
"Father, don't keep her all to yourself," the middle-aged woman said. "I am also happy to finally meet her."
Annabelle turned towards her.
"Nice to meet you too."
The woman smiled.
The conversation continued, and Annabelle mostly listened as they talked about how close the Bradford and Grayson families had once been.
They spoke about old memories and how the families had eventually lost contact with each other.
Annabelle found it strange.
She knew her grandfather had been friends with Jason's grandfather, but she didn't know their families had once been this close.
"Those were good days," Jason's grandfather said.
His voice suddenly became quieter.
"It's a shame everything changed."
Annabelle looked at him.
"What happened?"
The old man paused.
For a moment, he looked uncomfortable.
"Nothing important. That was a long time ago."
Annabelle wanted to ask more, but she decided not to.
After spending a few hours at the mansion, Jason and Annabelle left for Jason's private villa.
They had both rejected the idea of staying at the family mansion.
The drive to the villa was quiet.
Annabelle looked through the window, thinking about everything that had happened in the past two days.
She had gone to Jason for a business deal.
She had ended up signing a marriage contract.
Now she was being taken to his home.
When they finally arrived at the villa, Annabelle stepped into the living room and looked around.
The house was huge, but surprisingly quiet.
"You will be staying in the bedroom on the second floor," Jason said.
"Okay."
She picked up her bag and walked upstairs.
When she opened the bedroom door, she stopped.
Everything she needed had already been arranged.
Her clothes were neatly placed inside the wardrobe.
Her toiletries were already in the bathroom.
Even some of her personal belongings had been brought from her condominium.
Annabelle looked around the room.
She hadn't expected Jason to prepare everything so quickly.
She wondered when he had arranged all of this.
She placed her bag on the bed and sat down.
For the first time that day, she was completely alone.
She looked around the unfamiliar room.
This was her home now.
At least for the next one year.
And Jason Grayson was her husband.
Annabelle slowly lay down on the bed.
She had no idea what the next year would bring.
But one thing was certain.
Her life was no longer the same.