Contract

Chapter eight

The car door closed softly behind me.

The warmth inside the vehicle wrapped around me instantly, a sharp contrast to the freezing wind outside. For a moment, I simply sat there, staring at the dark leather interior.

Everything about the car screamed money.

I shouldn’t have expected anything less from someone like Killian Montclair.

The driver pulled smoothly away from the curb without saying a word.

I glanced out the window as the streets began to slide past us.

My phone was still in my hand.

I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes for a second.

What exactly was I doing?

Marrying a stranger.Not just any stranger, but Killian Montclair.

One of the most powerful men my father had been chasing for years.

At least he was a rich stranger.

Maybe I had finally lost my mind.

The drive lasted about fifteen minutes before the car turned into the entrance of the same luxury hotel.

The same hotel I got humiliated. The same hotel that landed this crazy proposal.

My stomach tightened. How did I forget he was still staying here.

The car came to a smooth stop near the entrance.

Before I could open the door myself, a man dressed in black suit like the driver and a few other men around the hotel, opened the door for me.

“Miss Jade,” he said politely.

I nodded slightly before stepping out.

The cold air brushed against my face again as I walked into the building.

The lobby looked just as elegant as I remembered.

Crystal lights.

Marble floors.

People dressed in expensive suits and dresses moving quietly around the space.

The man guided me toward the elevators.

“Mr. Montclair is waiting upstairs,” he said. I simply nodded in reply.

We stepped into the elevator, and the doors slid shut behind us.

The ride up felt strangely quiet.

My mind kept racing with questions.

What kind of man proposes marriage to someone he barely knows?

And more importantly…

What kind of man was Killian Montclair?

Was he a man I could be married to?

The elevator doors opened on the top floor.

The driver led me down a quiet hallway before stopping in front of a large suite door.

He knocked once.

The door opened almost immediately.

And for the first time since meeting him, I saw Killian Montclair properly.

He was taller than I remembered.

Much taller.

His dark suit fit perfectly, like it had been made specifically for him. I'm sure it was tailored. Hell all his suits must be tailored.

His hair was slightly tousled, and his expression carried the same calm confidence I had noticed yesterday.

But his eyes were the first thing that truly caught my attention.

They were dark, black even. Sharp and observant, like he was studying everything around him.

Including me.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Killian stepped aside.

“Come in.”

His voice was just as calm as it had been on the phone.

I walked inside slowly.

The suite was enormous.

There was a living area, a dining space, and at least two other doors that probably led to bedrooms.

Killian closed the door behind me.

“Sit,” he said, gesturing toward the sofa.

I sat down carefully, placing my bag beside me.

He didn’t sit with me. Instead, he walked to a nearby table and picked up a thin folder.

When he returned, he placed it on the table in front of me.

“The contract.”

I looked down at it.

The words Marriage Agreement were printed clearly across the top.

“This is really happening ,” I said quietly.

“Yes,” Killian replied simply.

He finally sat down across from me.

“You said you didn’t like wasting time,” I reminded him.

“And I meant it.”

His gaze held mine steadily.

“You’ve had a difficult day.”

That caught me off guard.

“I’m surprised you noticed,” I said dryly.

“I notice everything that might affect my decisions,” he replied calmly.

I glanced down at the contract again.

“And marrying me is a decision?”

“Yes.”

His answer came without hesitation.

I flipped open the folder slowly.

Pages of legal terms stared back at me.

“This is very detailed,” I said.

“I hired very good lawyers.”

That didn’t surprise me.

I scanned a few of the pages before looking back at him.

“And what exactly do you get out of this?”

His expression didn’t change.

“A wife.”

“That’s obvious,” I said.

“But why me?”

A brief silence passed between us.

Then Killian leaned back slightly in his seat.

“You need an escape,and I need stability.”

My brows pulled together.

“For what exactly?” I asked, extremely curious.

“ For a court case”

“You think marrying a stranger will convince a judge you have a stable home?” I asked.

“It has convinced them before,” he replied.

His confidence made it clear he had already thought this through.

“And what do I get out of this arrangement?” I asked.

“You get freedom.”

The word made me pause.

“Freedom?”

“Yes.”

His eyes remained steady on mine.

“You leave this city.”

“You leave your father’s influence.”

“And you start your own company with the money I pay you.”

My heart skipped slightly.

“ How do you know I want to do that?” I asked again. I'm sure my eyes were as wide as saucers.

“ You're smarter than the questions you ask” he replied crossing his left leg over the right.

I looked at him for a while but said nothing before turning to the contract.

“ Everything I need to know is in this contract?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Everything is written in the contract,” he replied calmly.

My fingers rested on the pages.

“Three years,” I said slowly.

“Yes.”

“And after that?”

“We divorce.”

Just like that.

I looked up at him again.

“You’re very sure this will work.”

“Yes.”

“And what if I refuse again?” I asked quietly.

Killian studied me for a moment.

“Then I find someone else.” he said calmly

The honesty surprised me.

But somehow…

I believed him.

And that made the decision feel heavier.