Syrena's heart was beating a mile a minute. The contract lay between them like a time ticking bomb waiting to explode with its cream pages outlined with gold edges. She could almost smell the ink on paper, dark, final and binding her to a life she could never dare imagine for herself.
She caught Alexander's eyes boring into her and she felt his presence testing her as though he could already predict her choice. He was not pleading, wooing merely waiting like a predator confident its prey would be caught in the trap.
She wanted to stand for a moment and walk around, maybe even run and tell him she was not who he thought she was that she was wrapped in borrowed silk.
Just then, her mother's words flashed across her memory, "if Alexander Graves does not choose you, we lose everything..." then followed by Elianna's words - "it will be on a grander scale, you're already acting the part."
Her hand moved voluntarily without her thinking about it; she slid the folder closer and flipped to the final page. There, her name stared at her just below the dotted line, waiting for her to sign it.
Alexander's brows went up, the only sign that he was surprised. "You are going to read it first?"
"No," she said softly. "I am going to sign it."
Something flashed in his eyes, was it interest? amusement? She could not tell as it vanished just as quickly as it came.
She reached for the silver pen lying on his desk, it felt heavy like it carried the weight of her decision. Her fingers trembled but her signature came out steady and smooth like curling across the page like ribbon.
When she was done, she set the pen down with a click, and the sound echoed against the silence.
Alexander picked up the papers and scanned the ink with a faint, "no questions, no demands and not even a clause to protect yourself. That is bold of you Miss Vale or foolish of you, I can't tell which at the moment." He mused out loud.
"I do not have the luxury of time," she said, her voice firmer than she really felt about the situation at hand.
He put the papers in a folder and snapped it shut.
"You're either the most reckless woman I've ever met…" He leaned back, eyes glinting like storm-lit steel. "…or the most dangerous."
Syrena rose to her feet, smoothing her dress, forcing her mask back into place. "We all play our roles differently, Mr. Graves."
He stood too, his presence towering over her. "I hope you play yours well in future. You're Mrs. Graves now—at least on paper."
He extended his hand and she hesitated a fraction of a second before placing her own in his. His grip was firm and warm but it felt like a brand on her skin even after she let go.
"You will be moving into my private residence tomorrow," he said already turning back toward the window as though she was just another deal he had just put through. "I will have my assisstant send you the details. Until then, Miss Vale, you best be prepared."
His dismissal of her was clear.
Syrena left his office on unsteady legs, as the elevator doors slid shut, she prayed silently she would not live to regret the decision that she had just made.
Even as she walked out of the glass doors of the building she had a new fear growing at the back of her mind what if this man she had just signed away her life to awakened something in her that he would never reciprocate. "Oh, God what had she gotten herself into..."
The cab ride back from Graves Enterprises felt endless, the city blurring past in streaks of glass and steel. Syrena barely noticed the traffic horns or flashing billboards; her fingers were still tingling from where they'd gripped the gold pen, her mind replaying the moment Alexander's gray eyes lingered on her, cold and unyielding.
She was Mrs. Graves. At least, in name.
When the cab finally pulled into the Vale mansion's circular drive, she found Elianna waiting. Still radiant even in daylight, Elianna leaned casually against the front steps, a latte in hand, her sapphire gown from last night traded for a white top and denim shorts that made her look more queen than guest.
The moment Syrena stepped out, Elianna straightened, reading her face instantly.
"Well?" she demanded, her voice a conspiratorial hush, though her eyes sparkled like diamonds. "What did he want with you so early?"
Syrena's throat tightened. She clutched the folded copy of the contract against her chest, unsure if she could even say the words aloud. But Elianna, impatient as always, looped her arm through Syrena's and pulled her inside.
"Spill it," Elianna ordered, steering her toward the sleek white-and-gold living room. "You look like you've seen a ghost—or kissed one."
Syrena let out a shaky laugh, more nerves than amusement. "I… didn't kiss him."
"Tragic," Elianna said breezily, perching on the edge of the sofa like she owned the place. "Then what?"
Syrena sat opposite her, fingers tightening on the papers. "He—he offered me a contract."
Elianna's brows arched high. "A contract?"
"A marriage contract."
For a beat, silence. Then Elianna's laugh rang out, rich and delighted, filling the high-ceilinged room like champagne bubbles.
"Oh, darling, that's magnificent!" She clapped her hands together, her sapphire rings catching the morning light. "Do you realize what this means? You're not just a prospect anymore. You're the chosen one."
Syrena swallowed. "It's not what you think. He was very clear—he doesn't believe in love. He doesn't promise affection. He only wants… loyalty. Appearances at play."
Elianna leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "And you signed it, didn't you?"
Syrena looked down, shame and fear evident on her face. "Yes."
Elianna let out a triumphant cry, springing up from the sofa. She spun once in her silk robe, radiant with victory. "Syrena Vale, you genius! You've done it. Do you know how many women would kill for what you've just signed your name to?"
Syrena blinked up at her. "But what if I've killed myself?"
Elianna stilled, her smile softening as she took Syrena's hands in hers, squeezing firmly.
"You haven't killed anything," she said. "You've secured your throne. Alexander Graves may not believe in fairy tales, but power is its own kind of love story. And you—" Elianna's grin returned, fierce and sparkling. "You'll be his queen."
Syrena searched her friend's glowing face, and a tiny flicker of hope lit inside her.
If Elianna believed in her, then maybe just maybe—she could survive if not conquer the heart of Alexander Graves.