Chapter Four

Isabella's POV

The first thing I did as soon as I got home was to free myself from the boundage of the tight pencil skirt and the crisp white shirt, which Rose had so thoughtfully chosen for me.  

I just wanted to breathe. Pulling on my old sweatshirt and jeans. I was sort of myself once again.

But I didn't waste time. My mother was waiting, I had to share with her the good news.

The sterile scent that I am used to at the hospital welcomed me into her ward room. And there she was, weary and her once bright eyes dull but still endeavoured to brighten at my sight.

"Mom." I was sitting by her bedside and I held her hand. Her lips smiled a little, but she was very quiet. Her strength had been taken away by the sickness.

"I have good news," I said to her, and forced a smile over my face. "I went for an interview today and I got the job. At Anderson innovations, isn't that good news mom?"

Her eyes widen slightly, her face lightning up a little. I felt her squeeze my hand, the slightest sign of approval and encouragement she could manage, and it almost broke me.

"I can pay off some of your bills now, " I said, blinking back the tears which threatened to run down."

"We'll manage. I promise. I'll take care of you."

She smiled once more, weak, but sincerely, and it was good enough to make me happy.

It took me almost an hour before I was compelled to leave her after spending some time with her, as I knew she had to go to sleep. Then I proceeded to the coffee shop. To work my last shift there.

The routine somehow felt off. Cleaning the place, polishing tables, smiling at the clients who barely glanced at me. I should have been relieved that this was finally coming to an end but instead I was simply exhausted.

When my shift ended, I walked home and all the muscles in my body were screaming at me that I should sleep. I fell into my bed and allowed darkness to prevail.

~

The following day I arrived at Anderson innovations earlier than most of the employees. Daniel Harper had clarified it. Eight sharp. And I arrived at Seven-thirty.

I had a new desk ready to receive me, it was well stocked and clean. I had arranged files, gone through his calendar, and replied to emails with the type of attention that caused me to lose track of time. For the first time, I felt like I belonged somewhere bigger than myself.

I visited the HR office at about mid-morning to collect a file that Daniel had requested.

That was when I saw her.

"Avery?" I called out in shock.

My cousin glanced a little, with some kind of a smile on her face. "Well. Well. Well. Isabella."

Of course. It would be her.

I was just so unlucky.

"What are you doing here?" I asked quietly. 

"I work here," she said in a sweet and venomous tone. "But 'm surprised to see you here. What did you do, beg to get a pity job?"

I felt my throat tighten.

"You have always been nothing. Isabella. You believe that putting on a skirt and sitting on a nice table would make that any different? How wrong of you my darling, you will never be anything but the girl without money, without influence and with no future."

Her words were more hurtful than they should have been. I bit my lips and denied her the delight of witnessing my tears. Yet it seemed to me as though I was on the verge of tears.

I had not yet been able to reply when a voice interrupted. "Ms. Duncan."

I turned. It was a woman with whom I haven't met before, she was polished and looked business-like. The CEO wants to see you. Immediately."

My heart skipped a beat. "Me?"

"Yes." She indicated that I should come with her.

Confused and stunned. I followed behind her. Each step felt heavier than the previous one. 

What could the CEO want to see me for?

As we walked in the office, Kieran was sitting in his office in his fitted suit, looking as crisp as ever. He waved away his PA and the door closed behind me. Suddenly it was just us. 

"Sit." His voice was cold and authoritative.

I obeyed, my heart racing.

He bent his head forward and stared at me.

"I won't waste your time. I have a proposal for you."

My brows furrowed. "A proposal?"

“A marriage contract, " he said, like it was the most usual thing in the world. "One year. After that, it ends."

I stared at him, stunned. "You can't be serious."

"I'm very serious." His gaze didn't falter. "This agreement will be mutually useful."

I shook my head. "I can't agree to that, I barely even know you."

"You don't need to know me." His voice was monotonous, cautious. "You need money. Your mother is lying in a hospital bed. And the bill is drowning you. I can change that. I will pay for her treatment, transfer her to the best hospital in the city. And give you enough money to change your life."

I was stunned. "How do you know about my mother?"

"I make it my business to know everything about the people I deal with."

The weight of his words pressed down on me. He knew the thing I'd been carrying alone, the thing that kept me up most nights.

"You sign the contract," he continued, "and your mother's suffering ends. You walk away a year later with more money than you have ever seen. Or say no and keep working yourself into the ground while she fades away."

The room was silent except for the sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

This was insane. Marry a man I barely knew for money? It went against everything I believed in.

But my mother's face flashed before my eyes. Her fragile smile, her weak hand squeezing mine.

Kieran slid a folder across the desk. "The terms are outlined here. Read them. And sign."

My hand shook as I opened it. The first page was full of dense legal language, but as I flipped, the words became clearer, rules, conditions and boundaries.

Rule One: This marriage will last exactly one year from the date of signing. No extensions unless both parties agree.

My chest tightened. One year. 

Rule Two: During office hours, both parties are to maintain complete professional distance. No one in the company must suspect the nature of the relationship.

I looked up at him. “You mean… I have to pretend I don’t even know you?”

Kieran’s expression was unreadable. “Exactly. At work, you’re Daniel Harper’s secretary. Nothing more. If anyone finds out otherwise, the deal is immediately terminated.”

My throat was dry.

I turned back to the page.

Rule Three: Family and friends are not to be informed of the arrangement. Confidentiality is mandatory.

My stomach dropped. “Not even my family?”

His gaze hardened. “Not your family. Not your best friend. No one. This agreement lives and dies between us.”

I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening on the paper.

Rule Four: Both parties will share living arrangements in the Anderson estate for the duration of the contract. Appearances must be maintained in public. In private, expectations are minimal. Two people forced to live together, nothing more.

The words blurred for a moment as my mind tried to process what I was reading. Live with him. Under the same roof. For an entire year.

I shut the folder halfway, shaking my head. “This is insane.”

Kieran leaned back in his chair, perfectly composed. “It’s practical. I get what I need. You get what you need. Nothing more, nothing less.”

I stared at the folder in my lap. Every word screamed trap. Every instinct begged me to run. But behind my eyes, I saw my mother’s tired smile, her hand squeezing mine in that hospital bed.

This wasn’t about me. This was about saving her.

I picked up the pen. My hand trembled, but I forced the letters onto the page. My name was written into a contract that bound me to Kieran Anderson for one year.

When I looked up, his eyes were steady, sharp, almost filled with excitement.

It was done.

I'm now married to Kieran Anderson.