Zara stormed into the sleek office, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Each step felt heavier than the last, weighed down by anger, fear, and something she didn't want to admit, a flicker of curiosity she couldn't shake. The city skyline stretched beyond the glass walls, bathed in the golden light of dawn, mocking her with its calmness. She pressed her palm against the cool glass, trying to steady herself, her pulse hammering as she imagined Adrian Black watching, unshaken, from behind that desk.
Adrian sat behind the massive mahogany desk, immaculate as always, his posture perfect, his expression calm. Yet those piercing blue eyes… they cut right through her, sharp as ice, making her stomach tighten despite herself. He didn't glance up immediately, as if her fury were only a minor distraction in his perfectly ordered world.
"Good morning, Zara," he said finally, voice smooth, casual, and infuriating all at once.
"You call this morning?" she snapped, slamming her hand lightly on the desk.
"You're…you're ruining my family's company with your… your demands!"
Her voice cracked slightly, betraying the anxiety she'd tried so hard to hide. She swallowed hard, wishing she could find the courage to walk away, but her gaze kept snapping back to him.
Adrian's lips curved into that faint, maddening smirk.
"Ruining? I call it negotiating reality. Perhaps you should try it sometime."
"This isn't a game!" she hissed, stepping closer.
"My family's legacy is on the line, Adrian. And if you…"
"Enough," he interrupted, leaning back, fingers steepled, eyes locked on hers.
"We both know the only way forward… is marriage."
Her mouth went dry. "Marriage? You must be insane." Her mind raced, imagining the humiliation, the gossip, the long nights trapped under the same roof with him. She felt a shiver run down her spine, part fear, part… something else she didn't want to name.
"Contract. One year. Business arrangement. You save your family's company. I get… what I want," he said, voice low, deliberate, leaving the last words hanging in the air like a challenge.
The unspoken weight of his words made her stomach twist, her pulse quicken, and her thoughts scatter in ways that made no sense.
Zara's hands trembled slightly. She hated him. She feared him. Yet a strange, unwelcome curiosity tugged at her heart. Was it the danger? Arrogance? Or something else? She shook her head, trying to push the thought away, but it lingered, unrelenting.
"Fine," she whispered, voice quivering, "One year. But if I regret it…"
"You will," he interrupted smoothly, smirk tugging at his lips. "But perhaps… not in the way you expect."
Zara's eyes narrowed, searching for any hint of sincerity in that flawless mask of arrogance, but found none. Her stomach fluttered in a way that made her want to scowl and punch the wall at the same time. Every fiber of her being screamed to resist, yet an odd thrill surged through her.
Adrian leaned forward, resting a hand on the desk.
"You think this is merely business, Zara. But soon, you'll realize that some contracts… bind more than just paper. They bind hearts, pride, and choices you never imagined making."
Her mind spun, trying to grasp it all. This wasn't just about saving a company or appeasing her family, it was about her pride, her choices, and the dangerous pull she felt toward a man she was supposed to loathe. She took a shaky breath, the faint scent of coffee from the desk drifting into her nose, grounding her just enough to think.
Zara exhaled slowly, trying to calm the wild storm inside her. For the first time, she understood her life wasn't fully her own. Adrian held the pieces now, her decisions, her heart, and maybe even the secret parts of her she'd long kept hidden.
The room fell silent, save for the distant hum of the city below. And in that quiet, Zara realized one undeniable truth: this contract would change everything. And whether she wanted it or not, she was already caught in its grip, and there was no turning back.