I sank onto the bed, feeling numb, and utterly confused. Marriage contract? Was he serious? It didn't matter if he was some CEO or a king. I wasn't going to marry him. I would rather live on the street, than tie myself to someone like him.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my bag, jolting me out of my reverie. I took it out and when I saw who it was, relief washed over me.
"Katie," I whispered.
"Anna, where are you? Are you okay?" her voice was frantic, and I could hear the worry in every word.
"I'm fine," I lied, not wanting to bother her more.
"Are you sure? Because Claudia just announced she's donating your diamond necklace to a charity auction."
My heart stopped for a moment.
"What? A charity auction?"
"You know, the Starlit Haven? Your grandmother's necklace. She's calling it hers and saying it's for a good cause or whatever. You can't let her do that, Ann."
My grip on the phone tightened. How dare she? The Starlit Haven was mine. It was a keepsake. The one thing I had left of my grandmother. How could she claim it as hers?
"I'll get it back," I said, trying to sound confident.
"You better, lady," Katie muttered before hanging up.
I sat there, staring at the blank screen, tears welled up my eyes and fell freely as I buried my face in the pillow. Was this my life now? She had nearly succeeded in getting rid of me, wasn't that enough? Why was she claiming something so precious to me and trying to sell it like it meant nothing?
I heard the door opened amidst my sob and shortly Alexander entered.
"Look up," he said.
I didn't want to, but my body betrayed me at his command. And when he saw the tears on my face, his brows furrowed slightly.
"Are you crying over a few sheets of papers?"
I swallowed the lump on my throat. "Does… your offer still stand?" I asked, instead.
"What offer?"
"To sign the contract. I will do it, but on one condition."
He didn't respond, and slightly tilted his head, his eyes boring into my soul as he waited for me to say it.
"You will help me get my necklace back. It's worth millions," I quickly said and looked down, my heart pounding wildly in my chest, as I waited for his reaction.
For a moment, he was silent, then a dry chuckle escaped his lips.
"Tell me," he said, calmly, "why should I help your kind?"
I blinked twice. "My kind?"
"Yes," he uttered. "You don't make demands, Miss Steele. You don't set conditions. You're in no position to negotiate."
He stepped even more closer, and stared down at me. I felt so overwhelmed by his presence. "Sign the papers," he said, dropping them onto the bed in front of me, "while I am still being generous."
His arrogance lit a fire inside of me and I pushed the papers away.
"What if I don't, what will you do?" I challenged, looking straight into his eyes, despite the fear crawling in my heart.
His gaze darkened. He raised his hand and gripped my jaw, so hard that it felt like my bone was getting crushed. "Don't test me," he hissed. "Don't make me lose my patience."
I glared at him, hating how powerless I felt. But then an idea bloomed in my mind. If I married him, I could find a way to get my necklace back. Even if it meant stealing money from him. I wasn't a thief, but he deserved it for the way he treated me.
"Fine," I said finally. "I'll sign."
He released me, and I rubbed my jaw, glaring at him as I picked up the pen.
"It's six months," he said. "After that, you're free to do whatever you want."
Six months. That was all I needed. I affixed my signature on the papers, not bothering to read a word. Whatever the terms were, they didn't matter. What could probably be worse than the years I spent with my family?
He took the papers and nodded. "I already have mine. I'll take you to get your certificate."
I was surprised. He already had his certificate? How long had he been planning this?
I forced myself to nod, despite my confusion. "Okay."
****
As soon as we stepped out of the estate, the sunlight hit my eyes. I quickly shut them tightly. I hadn't seen the sun for days and my eyes needed time to adjust. I blinked several times and looked again, but I couldn't. So, I just peeked through my lashes and moved forward.
Alexander was walking ahead of me, his long strides causing me to stumble a few times as I tried to catch up with him. I wanted to ask him if we were going to the registry from here, but decided not to.
Without a word, He opened the passenger seat of a sleek black car and gestured for me to enter. I hesitated for a second and slid in before he got in himself and we rode away.
The drive to the registry was silent. I hated it because it made my heart beat in terror as I thought more about it.
Marriage. I was about to get married to a man I barely knew, a man who radiated danger from every side of him. It wasn't just wrong, it felt like walking into a trap with my eyes wide open.
But I needed my necklace. I could endure whatever hell this was going to be as long as I got it back.
Finally, we arrived at the courthouse after the long drive. I followed Alexander inside, relieved to see that the room was nearly empty. Only a handful of people were scattered around, none of them paying much attention to us. Still, I kept my head down, letting my hair shield my face. The last thing I needed was for someone to take a picture and post it online. If my family found out I was alive, everything would fall apart before I could get my necklace back.
Alexander handled most of the formalities. I only had to give my name and sign. But the moment the pen was in my hand, it slipped from my fingers and clattered onto the table. My body went still for a moment. What if that was a sign from above to push the papers away and escape through the open door while I still could?
I shook the thought away and picked up the pen, my hand trembling as I wrote down my name and signed. Alexander signed next. I watched as his hand moved delicately on the papers. His hand didn't even tremble like mine.
After that, the clerk scanned the papers, stamped them, and stood up with a smile. "With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you as husband and wife."
My stomach twisted… Just like that?
"And now," the clerk added, "you may kiss the bride."
My head snapped up. Kiss?
Before I could process anything, Alexander leaned towards me, his face inches away from mine. I closed my eyes, my heart pounding wildly in my chest as I braced myself to a kiss on the lips. But to my surprise, I felt the slightest touch of his lips on my forehead instead.
My eyes flew open in surprise, wondering why he would do that. Then again, what did I expect from a fake wedding?
Alexander pulled away without a smile.
"We're done here. Let's go."