Chapter 1: The Contract
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I never imagined my mother's death would bring me to him.
The man in the black suit sat behind a glass desk like a king in a palace of silence. Dominic Raine. Cold. Powerful. Dangerous. His eyes didn't blink when I walked in. He just stared.
I tightened the strap of my worn purse and cleared my throat.
> "You wanted to see me?" I asked, voice low.
He slid a file across the desk. "That's the contract."
I didn't sit. I didn't touch it. I just stared at his face, sharp like it was carved from stone.
> "What kind of contract?" I asked, though I already knew. My chest ached with shame.
> "Marriage," he said, like the word meant nothing. "One year. No emotions. No questions."
I laughed, bitterly. "You want me to marry you for money?"
His jaw flexed. "I want a bride who won't fall in love. You need money. I need a name on paper."
I stared at him, speechless. This wasn't a proposal. It was a business deal. But it was also a lifeline. My mother's hospital debt had swallowed every penny I had. My little brother was still in school. I had nothing left.
He leaned forward.
> "One million dollars. All yours. At the end of one year."
One year of lies. Of pretending to be someone I wasn't. Of living with a man who didn't believe in love.
My hands shook as I picked up the pen.
> "Why me?" I whispered.
His eyes darkened. "Because you're not the kind of woman I could fall for."
That hurt more than I expected. But I signed anyway.
Because I didn't have the luxury of pride.
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To be continued…