Chapter 6

Elina's pov 

I didn’t sleep.

Not even for a second.

I couldn't even close my eyes. 

The events from last night kept playing over and over in my head.

From the shattering of the windows, the bulldozer coming in to pull down the building, Lily getting injured from the attack, to my trembling hand signing away my life to a man I know nothing about.

The marriage contract. To Ethan Stark

I stared at the ceiling from my bed since I came to my room last night. My eyes were hurting from staring at the ceiling for too long but I couldn't take them away. 

I was afraid that once I closed my eyes or took my eyes off the ceiling, I would fall right back to the attack. It scared me so much.

A sharp knock on the door jolted me upright and I blinked my eyes.

I threw the blanket over me, stood up from my bed, and went to the living room.

Lily was already at the door and had opened the door. Her arm was bandaged now but her posture was stiff. She had stayed over with me through the night.

She turned to look at me when she heard me come out of my room. “He is here.”

I didn’t need to ask who. I knew who he was. It was no other than the man who kept me up all night.

My stomach clenched as she pulled open the door, revealing Ethan Stark standing tall in a dark tailored suit that hugged his powerful frame. 

His presence filled the doorway like a storm. Cold, commanding, and undeniably arrogant.

He stepped in without waiting to be invited, his eyes scanning the room before settling on me.

“I see you are still alive,” he said coolly. “There there are still damages,”

I was too tired to exchange words with me. I know he came here to see things for himself and mock me. He should get it over with and leave. 

“And you are a bastard,” Lily muttered beside me.

“What did you say?” He asked, his eyes narrowing at her. 

“She said nothing,” I said while Lily glared at him. 

His jaw twitched, but he ignored her and walked up to me, stopping just a breath away.

“You signed the contract. I assume you know what that means.”

I swallowed hard. “I know what you said it means.”

“Good.” He pulled out his phone, turned away from me, and made a call. “Bring it in.”

I blinked. “Bring what in?”

He didn't answer me. I watched the door open again and a man wheeled in a suitcase. Then another one walked in holding a file and gave it to him before the two men walked out again.

“Your things,” Ethan said, motioning to the suitcase. “You are coming with me.”

“What?” I backed up a step. “Now?”

“Did you think you had time?” He cocked a brow. “Mrs. Stark, your new life started the moment you signed those papers.”

“Wait” Lily stepped forward. “She can't just go with you over a silly piece of paper. You two haven't gone to the court to get married so anything she signed is invalid,” 

“Since you are a lawyer, you would know that a prenuptial agreement signed before the marriage is still binding, even if the marriage itself hasn't been finalized," Ethan countered, his voice calm and confident.

Lily's eyes narrowed. "That is not the point. The point is that she didn't know what she was signing, and she didn't have proper representation. We can easily contest the validity of this agreement in court."

"I am sure you can try, but I think you will find that Mrs. Stark was more than aware of what she was signing. And as for representation, she had the opportunity to seek counsel, but she chose not to."

The air was thick with tension as the two of them locked eyes, each waiting for the other to back down. 

“Lily, please stop,” I said to her, begging her to drop it, afraid he was going to go after her too.

“Why are you doing this? She hasn’t even packed anything or told anyone. This is insane.” she gave up.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed at her. “She doesn’t need to pack. Everything she needs is in my house. And as for telling people—” he turned to me again, “you won’t need to. You belong to me now.”

Belong to me. Those words sank deep into my skin like ice.

“I haven’t even read the contract,” I whispered.

He smirked. “Exactly why I had to make a copy for you. Your lawyer friend could read through it,” he said, stretching out the file and Lily took it from him.

She opened it and she scanned through. 

“You are evil,” Lily hissed, raising her head from the file.

Ethan turned toward the door. “You have ten minutes,” he said and walked out of the door, leaving the room like he didn't just cause the room to be thick with tension.

Lily rushed to me, holding me by my shoulder. “Elina, you don’t have to go with him. I could look for loopholes in the contract. I could ask a paralegal to look into it. Just don't go with him,” she begged. 

I have thought of asking her for a way but asking her means permitting Ethan to rip the orphanage apart. I can't let that happen.

I shook my head slowly. “I can’t, Lily. Not when the orphanage is safe now. Not when he can still destroy it with just a single word.”

Her eyes glistened with tears. “He is going to eat you alive. It is just a building, Elina. This is your life we are talking about.”

I shook my head, “It isn't just a building. It is my home. This is the only thing I have to myself. I can't let anything happen to it.”

She nodded. “I am sorry for saying that. I know it means a lot to you. James and I can—,” I stopped her before she could continue.

“It is done already, Lily. I will just have to make sure I don’t get eaten and swallowed by him."