Decisions

Chapter Seven:

Jade's POV

“I am ready.”

The words left my mouth before my brain could find a way to stop them. They felt heavy and permanent, like a stone dropped into a deep well.

The silence on the other end of the line was immediate. It was not the kind of silence that suggested a dropped call or a lack of attention. It was the kind of silence that meant he was processing my answer, weighing it, and deciding exactly where it fit into his grand design.

For a heartbeat, I wondered if he had changed his mind. Perhaps he had realized that a broken, disinherited woman was not worth the trouble after all. But then his voice came again, cutting through the static of my anxiety.

“I see.”

He sounded calm. He sounded controlled. It was as if my entire life was not currently hanging by a fraying thread. It was as if I had not just offered to tether my soul to a man I had only met while bleeding in a stairwell.

His tone did not carry surprise. It did not carry the warmth of a man who had just won a prize. It carried the chilling weight of certainty.

“You made that decision quickly,” he added. His voice was a low rumble that seemed to vibrate against my ear.

I looked down at the black card still clutched in my hand. I rubbed my thumb over the raised, embossed letters as if the name might suddenly smear or disappear. Killian Montclair. The name was a legend in the city, and now it was a contract I was about to sign.

“Circumstances change quickly,” I replied. My voice was harder than it had been when I was begging my father for my mother’s shares.

There was a quiet pause. Then I heard him hum softly. It was a dark, amused sound that made the hair on my arms stand up. “Are you sure about your decision, Miss Moretti?”

I swallowed hard. Of course I was not sure. I had doubts stacking on top of doubts. I was filled with a paralyzing fear and a deep, gnawing disgust at myself for even considering this. But I forced myself to look back at the iron gates of my father’s estate.

Inside those gates lived a man who had stripped me of my legacy. Inside lived a sister who had stolen my future and was currently laughing in my office. If I said no to Killian, I was walking into the sunset with nothing but a bruised ego and a ruined reputation. I refused to be a victim for one more second.

I avoided his question. “Are you still in the city?”

“Yes.” The answer was instantaneous. “But not for long. My schedule is not a patient thing. If you are having second thoughts, this would be a very good time to say so.”

My throat tightened. Second thoughts were all I had. But I forced the word out anyway. “No.”

My voice was quieter than I intended, but the conviction was there. “I am not changing my mind.”

Silence followed again, but this time it felt different. It felt like an invitation.

“Good. I will send a car for you.”

The words caught me off guard. I looked around at the empty street, the trees swaying in the cold wind. “A car?”

“Yes, a car, Miss Moretti. Will that be a problem?”

“No. I mean, yes. I mean...” I inhaled sharply, trying to regain my composure. “Why are you sending a car? I can call a taxi.”

“We need to discuss the contract properly, and I prefer to do so in a space I control,” he replied.

The cold wind brushed against my face, but it could not touch the chill that was creeping into the pit of my stomach. This man did not just want a wife; he wanted total control of the environment.

“You assume I am free today,” I said. It was a weak attempt at reclaiming some shred of my own agency.

“You are,” he replied.

The absolute confidence in his voice made my chest tighten. “How are you so sure of my schedule?” I asked slowly.

There was a pause. Then he spoke again, his voice as calm as a stagnant pond. “It will please you to know that I am already aware you no longer work at your father’s company. I know you signed the papers, Jade.”

My blood turned to ice. My heart stopped for a full beat before starting again in a frantic rhythm. “How do you know that? I only left that house five minutes ago.”

“I make it a habit to know things that might affect my decisions,” he said. His answer was not meant to comfort me. If anything, it was a reminder that I was walking into something far bigger and more dangerous than I understood.

“And my whole life affects your decisions?” I asked carefully.

“At the moment, yes.”

My grip tightened around the phone until my knuckles were white. He continued before I could find a rebuttal. “I will send the car to your current location.”

I frowned, looking up and down the deserted road. “You do not even know where I am standing.”

“I do.”

My heart skipped. “How?”

“Do not worry,” he said, and I could practically hear the faint, mocking smile in his voice. “I am not having you followed for my own entertainment.”

“That is very reassuring,” I muttered.

“I had my people keep track of you after you left the hotel,” he admitted smoothly. “I wanted to ensure you were not falling off any more staircases. It would be a waste of a good contract if you didn't make it through the morning.”

I stared at the pavement, speechless. He was mocking me, and yet, I was more irritated by the fact that he sounded genuinely amused.

“You are very thorough,” I said.

“I have to be. My situation does not allow for mistakes.”

The reminder of his earlier words came back to me. Stability. A court case. Some shadow in his life that required a wife as a shield.

“What happens now?” I asked.

“We talk,” he replied simply.

“And then?”

“Then you decide if you still want to marry me.”

I pulled my coat tighter around me. “I thought I already agreed.”

“You agreed to consider the contract,” he corrected calmly. “I still expect you to read it. I do not deal with people who do not understand the fine print, Jade. It makes for messy endings.”

That surprised me. Most men in my father’s circle expected nothing from women except silence and obedience. Killian seemed to want an accomplice who knew exactly what she was signing up for.

“When will the car arrive?” I asked.

“Two minutes.”

“Two minutes?” I repeated, shocked.

“I told you, Miss Moretti. I do not like wasting time.”

I let out a small breath of disbelief. “You are very confident for someone proposing a marriage contract to a person you barely know.”

“You are not a stranger to me,” he replied.

My brows pulled together. “What does that mean?”

Another pause. Then Killian Montclair said quietly, “It means I know exactly who you are, Jade. I have known for a very long time.”

The words sent a strange, electric shiver down my spine. My lips parted to ask him what he meant, but no sound came out. At that exact moment, I heard the low, humming growl of a high-end engine.

A sleek, black vehicle with tinted windows turned the corner and slowed as it pulled toward the pavement where I stood. It looked like a predator stalking its prey.

“Your ride just arrived,” Killian said.

I stared at the car as if it were the beginning of my downfall. “You are watching this happen right now, aren't you?”

His voice carried that same hint of dark amusement. “I told you I know exactly where you are.”

The car stopped. The driver, a man in a crisp suit, stepped out and opened the back door with practiced precision. He did not say a word, but the invitation was clear.

“Get in the car, Jade,” Killian said. “I will see you shortly.”

Then the line went dead. The screen of my phone went dark, and for the first time since the rooftop, my hands began to shake. I stared at the open car door, at the plush, leather interior that smelled of expensive cedar and power.

I looked back at the gates of the Vane estate one last time. There was nothing left for me there but the dust of a life I no longer recognized.

I inhaled a deep, steadying breath and climbed inside. I had already lost everything else; I might as well see what I could gain by making a deal with the devil.