The paper that changed my life

Elena’s pov

I glanced at the contracted document before me like it was a silent demon. Nice typefaces, Legal jargon. A simple signature spot at the bottom, ready to rip five years from my life.

"Marry him," my father replied, his voice filled with shame. "It's the only way to save the company."

I blinked hard, attempting not to crumble in front of the two men who sat opposite me. My father— Mattew Stone— sat at one end of the mahogany table.

He was once a proud tough businessman, but now drowning in debt and sorrow.

The other man sitting adjacent to me, held the fate of my family legacy in his hands like a glass of wine.

“David Knight” is one of the top business enthusiasts in Los Angeles. Clothed in a black suit, he looked impeccable. His dark hair was slicked back, showing a strong jawline and piercing steel-blue eyes that did not flinch at my father's request.

He hadn't said much since he arrived, but the strength of his silence carried weight. The type that squeezed into my skin.

"I won't force you," my father whispered, but the desperation in his eyes suggested otherwise.

I stood, sluggish and weary. "I want to speak with him. Alone." I pointed at David. He lifted his brow, amused but nodded.

Matthew abruptly exited the room, as if he couldn't bear to see what happened next to the daughter he was giving out in exchange for resources. The door clicked closed, and then a thud of silence.

I turned to face David.

"Why? "Why marriage?"

He shifted back in his chair, fingers curled, eyes lazily roving over me as if calculating my value.

"Because I dislike mess. I do not desire flings. I desire control, structure, and most importantly my peace, and a marriage on paper provides me with that."

I crossed my arms. "Control over me?"

"No! Control over drama." He stood and walked, approaching me slowly, calmly, like a predator weighing its prey.

“You can refuse if you want to, your father begged me to marry you anyway.” He scoffed.

He stood and took a glance at me, seeing that I gave no reply he continued;

"You will reside in my penthouse. You will be presented to the world as my wife. But behind closed doors, we'll stay strangers. Unless,” he smirked faintly, "you'd rather not."

I disliked the way my breath stuck in my throat. I despised the fact that he was attractive in such a deadly, sharp way—like a dagger with a smile.

"And after five years?" I asked.

"You walk away and your family becomes debt-free. "With an additional three million dollars wired into your account if you remain a good wife."

I blinked. "Wait, are you serious?"

"Deadly! I don’t do petty jokes.”

I have heard of this man on business newsletters; The magnate and business Tycoon David Knight. He does not joke when it comes to business. He uses power, transactions, and deliberate maneuvers to attain greater heights. Marrying me is simply another beneficial deal for him. Perhaps not directly, but in some kind of way I guess.

I stepped back, my hands trembled slightly, as I concealed them behind my back.

"Fine," I said.

Even though my voice was calm, my heart raced.

"But I have conditions too." I chipped in

His brow crinkled. "I'm listening."

"You don’t touch, no expectations. There is no control over how I dress or who I speak to. And I preserve my freedom in that penthouse."

He stared, observing me. Then after a while, his smile vanished. Then something sinister sparked behind his eyes.

"You're braver than I thought."

“Maybe,” I said. “I don’t just like to be owned like some pet”

He chuckled, but something was unsettling about it.

"Elena Stone," he began, bringing out a pen from his jacket, "Nobody gives me conditions. Don’t forget I’m buying you, and you’ll be mine for five years. And you know what I think? I think this will be… entertaining."

I snatched the pen and with pain in my eyes I signed away the next five years of my life to a man I barely knew, to a life I never planned for.

–—–

The wedding happened two weeks later. There were no guests, no press. Only a courthouse, a judge, and a silver ring that seemed colder than the rain that fell that afternoon.

We didn’t speak to each other, David didn't even look at me as we walked out to the waiting vehicle; A pitch black 2024 Lamborghini.

I wore a plain white outfit, didn’t bother about extra styling because I didn't think I needed to, besides this marriage wasn’t initiated by me, so there wasn't any reason to look my best. I gazed at him, he seemed unbothered, exuding the same assurance as if it were knitted into his bones.

We got to his penthouse and it far exceeded my expectations, it was beautiful, elegant, and perched high above the metropolitan skyline. However, it was also cold. Like him.

He showed me the second bedroom where I would sleep.

"Everything you need is right here. I will not bother you."

"And I won't disturb you either," I added hurriedly.

He hesitated, his gaze lingering on my lips for a moment too long.

"Noted!" He smirked and walked away.

That night, I stood beside my room's floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the whirl of headlights and the massive estate at which the penthouse resided.

Immediately my phone vibrated, startling me. A message was sent from an unknown number.

"Congratulations, Mrs Knight on your marriage to my twin, welcome home trophy wife!"

My breath stopped. I glanced at the message again and again, and it sent goosebumps down my spine.

Twin? I dashed to my laptop, pulling up whatever I could find.

David Knight is a billionaire, CEO, and private individual. However, the stories and old photos from his high school days featured two images of him. I looked up at the second image and scouting further I realized that it wasn’t David but his replica “Drego Knight.”

Drego is his identical twin. Six years ago, he disappeared from the media. There’s no explanation, there was no trace, and nobody ever mentioned him again.

Unlike David who’s always making headlines for acquiring properties, closing in business deals, and standing out, Drego has no story to his name, just old photos of him and David.

Who was this mysterious twin of his, why was his current identity unknown and how did he get my phone digits to reach me? Lots of unanswered questions swirled through my mind…