The moment the signature dried, the apartment felt smaller, as if the walls themselves were closing in.
Alexander stood, pocketing the contract. "Pack a bag," he said simply.
"Excuse me?" Elena blinked. "You can't be serious."
"I am," he said. Calm, controlled, dangerous. "Tonight, you come with me. Your life changes immediately."
Her stomach lurched. One signature. One contract. One year. And now she was expected to follow this stranger into… what? Luxury? Danger?
The mysterious man from before studied her quietly. "You should have asked about page seventeen," he murmured.
"What clause?" she demanded.
"Enhanced security oversight," he said, voice low. "Your communications, movements, and associations are now monitored for corporate risk."
Elena's chest tightened. Contract, marriage, monitoring - all at once.
Alexander gestured toward the car waiting outside. "Time is short. We move now."
Inside the vehicle, Elena struggled to process the magnitude of her decision. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows. She glanced at Alexander, who typed silently on his laptop as if nothing had happened.
"You didn't tell me about the surveillance," she said finally.
"It's for your protection," he replied evenly.
Elena clenched her fists. Protection or control? She couldn't tell.
The car slowed. Wrought-iron gates opened, revealing a sprawling estate bathed in golden light. Her new life awaited -
unknown, luxurious, and terrifying.