Chapter Two: The Contract

The building was the tallest one Nadia had ever stood in front of. Glass and steel rose so high she had to tilt her head back to see where it ended, and even then, the top seemed to disappear into the clouds.

Mrs. Calloway had arranged everything — a car to pick her up, a folder of instructions on what to wear, even a warning not to be late. "The Hale family doesn't wait for anyone," she'd said, and Nadia hadn't been sure if it was meant as advice or a threat.

She smoothed down the front of the plain black dress she'd bought secondhand and walked inside.

The lobby alone felt bigger than her entire apartment. A woman at the front desk checked her name against a list, gave her a small, unreadable smile, and directed her to the top floor.

The lawyer's office was all glass and quiet efficiency. A man in an expensive suit slid a thick folder across the desk before Nadia had even finished sitting down.

"Ms. Voss. I'm Mr. Grant, Mr. Hale's attorney. This is the marriage contract. I'd advise you to read it carefully before signing."

Nadia opened the folder. The pages were dense with legal language, but a few lines stood out clearly enough.

*Term: five (5) years, non-negotiable.*

*Compensation: to be paid in full upon signing, with additional disbursements at agreed intervals.*

*No physical relationship is required or expected. Public appearances as a married couple will be required for business and social functions.*

"Five years," Nadia said quietly. "That's fixed? There's no way to end it sooner?"

"Mr. Hale was very specific about that condition. Non-negotiable, as stated." Mr. Grant's eyes flicked up to hers, something unreadable in them. "I'd recommend you be equally firm about anything you need before you sign, Ms. Voss. Once this is finalized, the terms don't change."

Nadia thought of her mother's face in the hospital bed, the number Dr. Whitmore had given her, the silence on the other end of the phone after Marcus hung up. There was nothing left to be firm about. She had already given up the right to bargain days ago.

She signed where she was told to sign, page after page, until her name stopped looking like her own.

"Mr. Hale would like to meet you before the ceremony," Mr. Grant said, rising. "If you'll follow me."

The office at the end of the hall had windows on every wall, looking out over a city that seemed impossibly far below. A man stood with his back to the door, and even from behind, something about the way he held himself made it clear he was used to being the most important person in any room he entered.

"Ms. Voss." He turned. Nadia hadn't expected him to look so young, or so tired behind the composed expression he wore like armor. "Damian Hale."

"Nadia." She hesitated, unsure if she was supposed to offer her hand or wait for him to. He didn't offer his, so she didn't either.

"I assume Mr. Grant explained the terms."

"He did."

"Good." Damian studied her for a moment, the kind of look that felt like it was cataloging her rather than seeing her. "Then we understand each other. This is an arrangement. Nothing more. I'm not interested in pretending otherwise, and I'd appreciate it if you weren't either."

"That's fine with me," Nadia said, and was surprised by how steady her own voice sounded. "I'm not here for anything but the money."

Something flickered across his face — surprise, maybe, or the faintest trace of respect — gone before she could be sure she'd seen it at all.

"The ceremony is Friday. Small, private, necessary witnesses only." He turned back toward the window, already done with her. "My assistant will send you everything else you need to know."

Nadia took that as her dismissal and walked out, her heart pounding harder than she wanted to admit.

She was almost to the elevator when she heard voices coming from a half-open door behind her — Mr. Grant, and a woman's voice Nadia didn't recognize, sharp and clipped.

"—and you're certain he doesn't suspect anything? Five years is a long time to keep something like this quiet."

"He has no reason to suspect his own aunt, Mrs. Sinclair," Mr. Grant said. "As far as he knows, the timeline was his idea. He thinks he outsmarted the family by choosing someone unconnected. He has no idea the five years were never his choice at all."

The woman laughed softly. "Good. Then everything is exactly where it needs to be. Five years from now, my Vivienne walks into that family, and this girl walks out with nothing but the money she was paid for. Make sure it stays that way."

Nadia went completely still, one hand frozen on the elevator button, her heart no longer just pounding but slamming against her ribs.

*Everything is exactly where it needs to be.*

She didn't know who Vivienne was. She didn't understand yet what the five years had to do with anyone but her and Damian. But she understood, with sudden, cold clarity, that she had just walked into something far larger than a simple contract — and that whatever it was, it had already been decided long before she'd ever signed her name.