Pretty F*cked Up

Anastasia's POV

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Two months ago if you told me I would be signing a contract to get married to one of the dangerous men of London I would have written you off and said it could never be. That has suddenly become my predicament which I can't get out off.

I had sent my driver off, because I wanted to walk through the city, I needed fresh air because this contract was burning through every fragment of peace I have. I walked fast, shoulders back and my heels hitting the pavement with intention.

What unsettles me the most is the knowledge of the disconnection between my mind and my body.

My mind circulating around the contract, I had etched every word of the contract on my mind. Every term and every clause and what I stood to gain and lose at the same time.

The first term was how long this arranged marriage was going to last for. It looks short, but it absolutely doesn't feel like it. The second term was that I was going to be appearing in every public function that required a spouse, I was meant to be with him in every one of them. I can't attend by myself nor leave alone, I must be by his side.

The third term was that I had to live in his house. Whoever set the goddamn rules that if you're married you have to live together? Fourth term? I couldn't be with any other man, I must be faithful to the marriage, no sleeping out there which was just ourightly outrageous.

And there goes the fifth and sixth term, I must cooperate with the merger between the stavros and reed merger and also never disclose the nature of the arrangement of our marriage.

I sighed out loudly, feeling extremely frustrated already and it's just day one.

The only thing I get out of this is Nora's medical funding, the merger benefits and the footage completely buried and what do I have to give up?

My home for six months, my privacy, the ability to fucking control my own narrative and not being bound by some goddamn contract.

I got home , taking an Uber. In a few minutes I was home and immediately I called ‎Zara before I even took off my coat.

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‎Zara picks up on the second ring.  “Hey, how are you?” She sighs loudly over the phone. “Are you holding up?”

“Honestly zara, I'm frustrated already by this, the terms in that contract is just outrageous. He is literally controlling my whole life!” I fussed, feeling angry and unsatisfied about the whole situation.

“You want me to come over?” She asked, waiting for a response from me.

I went quiet, I wasn't the type of person who would cry, or feel down because of certain situations, I handle shit and move on with my life. My quiet response have zara everything she needed.

“I'll be there in twenty minutes,” she said ending the call.

I stood in the middle of the living room, everything perfectly arranged just the way I like it and then my gaze fell on the photograph of Nora and I sitting on the shelf that's above the fireplace. I stare at the photograph for a long time before walking into the kitchen.

I brought out the wine I had been saving for one of the deals I might be closing this season.

I didn't think I'll be drinking it on the day I signed a marriage contract with a killer.

I drank two glasses of wine, when Zara knocked and entered without prior invitation. She walks to the kitchen, draws out another glass and pours herself some wine.

“You can talk to me when you're ready,” her voice calm and soothing. One of the things I loved about Zara was that she never filled silence with noise, she was very attentive and had been there for me through every trial I've gone through.

The kitchen was filled with silence, and the slurping of wine until I was ready to talk. I turned to face her, placing my wine glass on the island. “Bianca stole from him, from Nikolai, and he thinks it's me. He has a camera footage and he threatened to reveal to the public” I said bluntly.

“What?!” her face warped with shock and confusion at the same time. “What did she steal this time?

“I have no idea,” I sighed, my shoulders slumping down.

“Why would he think it was you, it could be anyone that just looks like you,”

I cleared my throat before continue any further. “Actually we kinda met at the club we hooked up, he took me to his house, I left before he woke up, so yeah, he thought I actually stole it and there's a fucking evidence carrying a face that isn't mine!” My tone increased as I slam my hand on the island.

“That fucking Bianca, I swear to God I'll kill her, she just had to be stupid as always.”

“Just calm down, I know you don't mean it,”

I shot her a look that said otherwise, cause honestly if I could kill Bianca, If I had the guts I'll do that in a heartbeat.

“Now I have to marry him and stay with him for six months,” I leaned down resting my arm on the island with my head resting on my hands.

“It's just six months I think you'll be fine,”

I stood up straight to look at her. “It's isn't just six months Zara, it's six months of having my life been controlled by the same person you told me was a killer,”

“Does Bianca know about the contract?” I shook my head in a way that told her I was saying no.

“What happens to Nora's funding if you breach the contract within the six months?”

“I absolutely do not know what's going to happen if I decide to do that,”

“This is pretty fucked up Anastasia, men like that don't just draw up a contract for six months over just a briefcase that could contain literally nothing who knows?”

“For Bianca to steal it, then it's pretty loaded. She's just so fucking stupid, can't go about her business without dragging me in it,”

“This is really fucked up,” she sighs loudly, running her hand through her hair. “When do you move in with him?”

“Sunday,” I replied bluntly.

“What?! So soon?”

“That's what it is, a fate Bianca has placed me in.”

“You need to come up with a plan, something to tarnish Nikolai's reputation. That's the only way you're getting out of this without getting burned!”

Fuck!!

The realization of everything dawning of me fully.