Chapter Seven
My fingers brushed over the thick, expensive paper of the envelope Stefan had left behind. I hadn’t opened it yet. A part of me felt the urge to destroy it, to show Stefan that I was not a mere pawn in his game. However, a persistent thought in my mind suggested that perhaps I should understand the situation first.
With a deep breath, I opened the sealed document and retrieved a neatly written paper. As I glanced at the initial sentences, every word felt heavy, burdening me as I read. It was a contract, with all the stipulations Stefan had hinted at, but seeing it in black and white was like feeling cold iron cuffs snap shut around my wrists.
“‘Hereby agrees to be the legal wife of Stefan Hunt in name and duty…,’” I read aloud in a low voice, my stomach twisting. I felt the urge to discard the paper, but I pushed myself to continue reading.
Each sentence seemed more burdensome than the previous one, each request a signal that Stefan's kindness was merely a strategic mo
