Chapter 2: The Contract
Elara's POV
Elara's fingers trembled as she clutched the silk sheet tighter against her chest, heart racing like a warning drum in her ears.
"You're lying," she whispered.
Kael didn't flinch. Instead, he walked to a sleek cabinet near the window, opened it, and pulled out a black leather folder.
He turned back to her, expression unreadable. "Then maybe this will refresh your memory."
He placed the folder on the bed, right in front of her.
Elara stared at it, afraid to touch it. Her breath came in shaky bursts as she slowly reached out and opened it.
Inside was a contract—thick, stamped, and signed.
Her name was scrawled at the bottom in unmistakable ink: Elara Grace Blake.
Her vision blurred. Her hands went cold.
"What is this?" she choked out.
"The terms of our marriage," Kael said coolly. "You agreed to them three days ago."
Her eyes flew across the pages, but the words barely made sense. Weekly public appearances. Absolute discretion. No interference in his business. No romantic entanglements—with anyone else.
Then her gaze landed on the last line:
Duration: One year.
"One year?" she breathed.
Kael crossed his arms, gaze sharp. "It's a contract marriage. You fulfill your end, and when the time is up, we part ways. Clean."
She stared at him, completely gutted. "Why me? I don't understand. I would never agree to something like this—never."
Kael's jaw ticked. "You did."
"No," she cried. "Someone drugged me. Or forced me. I—I would never sign this. I don't even remember meeting you!"
There was a flicker—just a flicker—of something in his eyes. Guilt? Regret? But it vanished so fast she questioned if it was even there.
"I don't care what you remember," he said flatly. "The papers are legal. You're my wife now, Elara. Backing out isn't an option."
Elara's hands balled into fists. "I'm not a possession, Kael."
"No," he said, cold as steel. "You're an obligation. One I paid a fortune to secure."
Tears burned her eyes, but she blinked them back. "You could've had anyone. Why go this far? Why trap me?"
Silence.
Kael turned his back to her, walking toward the door. Just before he opened it, he paused.
"Because you're the only one who could save something I'm not ready to lose."
And then he was gone.
Leaving Elara sitting there—heartbroken, confused, and trapped in a nightmare wearing diamonds.
Kael's POV
He didn't slam the door.
But he wanted to.
She wasn't supposed to wake up this soon. Not with fire in her eyes. Not with questions he wasn't ready to answer.
Kael Donovan had built empires, crushed rivals, and walked away from scandals untouched. But none of that had prepared him for her—for Elara Grace Blake staring at him like he was the villain in her worst memory.
He stalked into his study and opened a hidden compartment in the bookshelf. Inside: contracts, photos, surveillance records… and a picture.
Elara. Younger. In scrubs. Laughing beside a patient. Pure. Untouched by the world he ruled.
He clenched his jaw.
She doesn't remember. That complicates everything.
His phone buzzed. A message from a secure number.
"Phase one complete. She's inside. Now keep her there."
Kael stared at the screen.
Then he deleted the message.
He wasn't doing this for them. Not anymore.
He was doing it because something about her—something buried in her forgotten past—was the key to everything.
What secret is Kael hiding about Elara's past?
Why can't she remember signing the contract?
And what will happen when the one-year countdown begins?
Why did Kael need Elara so badly?
What is the real reason behind their contract marriage?
Is Elara truly safe in that penthouse... or is she just a pawn in a bigger, darker game?
A mysterious and dangerous truth is lurking beneath the surface.
Anticipate Chapter 3.