The office smelled of leather and cold power.
Sebastian Blackwood leaned back in his chair, watching Isabella sit stiffly across from him.
"Do you even know why you're here?" he asked, voice calm but sharp.
"I… I think so," Isabella said, eyes avoiding his.
"You think so?" He raised a brow. "Let's clarify." He slid a folder across the table. "This is your contract."
She blinked. "Contract? What… what is this?"
He didn't answer immediately. He just stared, cold and unwavering.
"You signed nothing last night," he said finally. "I don't care. But this…" He tapped the folder. "…is non-negotiable."
Isabella's hands shook as she reached for it. "I… I can't—this isn't legal. You can't make me—"
"Stop talking," he said sharply. "Read it first."
Her eyes scanned the pages, her stomach tightening with every word.
Marriage. Custody. Financial support. Living arrangements. Terms. Clauses. She felt like her life had been written in ink she hadn't agreed to.
"I… I can't believe this," she whispered. "This is… insane."
Sebastian's gaze darkened. "Isabella Laurent. You are carrying my child. That fact doesn't change. You think money or distance will protect you, but it won't. Not from me. And not from this."
She shook her head violently. "I… I don't want this! I don't want you! I don't want this… contract!"
"You don't get to choose," he said, voice low, dangerous. "Not anymore. You will comply, or I will make you regret it."
Her chest tightened. "You… you can't do this to me! This is coercion! You—"
"I don't care about coercion," he interrupted. "This is reality. Your choice ended the moment I found out. Now it's time to face the consequences."
She pressed her hands to her face. "I… I can't—"
"Yes, you can," he said. "And you will."
Over the next few days, Sebastian made it clear he wasn't leaving.
He arrived at her apartment unannounced.
"I'm here," he said simply.
"I… I don't need you," she said, voice shaking.
"You need me," he said, dark eyes locking onto hers. "Whether you admit it or not."
"I… I'm carrying your child!" she shouted. "I can do this alone!"
"Alone?" His laugh was low, dangerous. "Alone? Do you think I'll let you do anything alone? You're mine. You and this child. And I won't let you face a single day without me."
Her hands trembled. "You… you can't just—"
"I already have," he said, stepping closer. "This contract isn't optional. You can resist, you can run, but the outcome won't change. And believe me, Isabella… resistance won't save you."
Olivia Sinclair noticed the change immediately.
"Izzy… you've gone quiet. More than usual. Are you okay?"
"I… I'm fine," Isabella said tightly.
"No, you're not," Olivia said. "Something is happening. I can see it."
Isabella's fists clenched under the table. "I… I have to handle this myself," she said.
"You don't," Olivia said. "You're not alone, Izzy. You never were."
Isabella shook her head. "You don't understand. You… can't understand."
Sebastian watched from afar, his presence always looming.
"I will not lose her," he whispered. "I don't care what she says. She will obey. She will comply. And she will understand… she belongs to me."
Marcus Hayes shifted nervously beside him. "Sir… she might resist even more. Should we—"
"No," Sebastian said, voice low, deadly. "Resistance will only prove my point. She'll see that in the end, I always get what I want."
One evening, Isabella returned home to find a black envelope on her door.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
"Sign the contract. Not for me. For your child. For yourself. Resistance is futile."
Her hands shook violently.
She crumpled the paper. "No! I… I won't…"
Then the knock came. Strong. Decisive.
"Izzy," Sebastian's voice rang through the door. "Open up. Now."
She pressed herself against the wall. "I… I can't…"
"You can," he said softly. "You will. Or… you'll learn why defiance is dangerous."
Her phone buzzed. Unknown number.
"Sign it. Now."
Her breath caught.
He's everywhere. He's inescapable.
That night, she tried to sleep. She couldn't. Every sound made her jump. Every shadow seemed alive.
She pressed the pillow to her face.
I'll raise this child alone. I'll survive. I have to.
The phone buzzed again. Unknown number.
"You're mine, Izzy. Always mine."
Her hands trembled.
The next morning, Sebastian arrived at her office. Calm. Collected. Dangerous.
"You can't avoid this," he said. "Not today. Not ever."
"I… I won't sign it!" she shouted.
"You already have," he said softly. "Your actions, your life, your choices… they've all signed it. This is reality, Isabella. And reality doesn't wait for anyone."
She clenched her fists. "You can't just… force me!"
He stepped closer. "Force? No. I don't force. I claim. I protect. I ensure. And right now… that's all that matters."
Her heart pounded. She realized then… she wasn't just scared of the contract. She was scared of him.
By evening, she was pacing in her apartment.
I… I can't let him control me. I can't.
A knock at the door. Strong. Decisive.
Sebastian's voice: "Open. We need to discuss this. Face it. Now."
She froze.
I can't…
Another knock. Louder. More insistent.
I will not escape him.
And she knew it.