Chapter Three

11 AM. Cole house living room.

Linda got a call and screamed so loud the whole house shook.

"Robert! Ethan Knight is coming! Now! To our house! He wants to choose a wife!"

Chloe ran downstairs in 3 minutes. Red tight dress, full makeup, perfume too strong.

"Mom! He will choose me right? I am prettier! Ariana is useless! She dresses like a maid! Ethan is handsome and rich! He must choose me!"

"Of course you! You are best!" Linda said, fixing Chloe's hair with shaking hands. "This is our chance to connect to Knight Group!"

Robert shouted upstairs, "Ariana! Come down! Now! Important guest!"

Ariana came downstairs slowly. Jeans, white t-shirt, ponytail, no makeup. Face tired, eyes cold.

"Why?" she said.

Chloe laughed. "Because Ethan Knight is coming to choose a wife! He will choose me! You should go back to your room! You will embarrass us with that clothes!"

Ariana frowned. Ethan Knight? The man from that night? Choosing wife here?

Doorbell rang.

Linda ran to open door, smile so fake it almost fell off.

"Mr. Knight! Welcome! Welcome to our humble house! We waited for you!"

Ethan walked in.

Black suit. Cold face. Tall. No smile. The whole living room went quiet when he entered.

Leo behind him, holding black file.

Robert bowed like servant. "Mr. Knight! Such honor! Please sit!"

Ethan didn't sit. He looked around living room once.

Chloe rushed forward, trying to be sweet, voice shaking.

"Mr. Knight, hi... I'm Chloe... Chloe Cole... I'm 21, I study design, I can cook, I can take care of husband, I..."

Ethan looked at her. One second.

"Not you."

Chloe froze. Smile froze.

"What? What did you say?"

"Too noisy," Ethan said coldly. He turned his eyes to Ariana standing alone in corner.

"You. Come here."

Ariana crossed her arms. She didn't move.

"Why should I?"

Linda gasped. "Ariana! How you talk to Mr. Knight! Apologize!"

Chloe shouted, "See! Mr. Knight! She is rude! She is useless! She has no manners! Choose me! I'm gentle! I'm sweet!"

Ethan didn't look at Chloe. He said one word, cold.

"Quiet."

Chloe shut up instantly, face red, tears starting.

Ethan looked back at Ariana. He walked closer, step by step.

"Name?" he asked.

"Ariana Cole," she said.

"Age?"

"22."

"Do you talk too much?" he asked.

Ariana almost laughed. She was angry about this whole choosing-like-product.

"Do you always insult girls you want to marry? Is this how you buy wife? Like buying tomatoes in market?"

Leo behind Ethan almost choked. No one ever talked to Ethan like that.

Robert shouted, "Ariana! Shut up! Don't be rude to Mr. Knight!"

Linda also shouted, "Mr. Knight, sorry! She is always like this! Rude! No education! Please choose Chloe! Chloe is better!"

Ethan ignored them. He stared at Ariana's face.

Something familiar? Those eyes? That rude mouth? Just like that night, that girl was also rude, also fierce. But last night, her hair covered her face, the bathroom was dark, he was drugged. This girl was just simple, no tattoo seen.

He couldn't be sure. Probably not.

"Do you know what I want?" Ethan asked her, cold.

"No," Ariana said.

"I need a contract wife. One year. You live in my villa. You act as my wife in front of my grandparents Henry and Rose, my mother Victoria, my sister Emma. One year. Then divorce. You get 50 million and freedom. You will not fall in love with me. You will not think this marriage is real. This is business. Understand?"

Ariana stood there. Inside, brain working fast.

One year. 50 million. Leave Cole house legally. No more Linda drugging her. She could run Starlight Corp secretly from Knight Villa, no one bothering. After one year, free. Clean divorce.

Inside she was excited. But face must show she doesn't want.

"I refuse," she said.

Dead silence.

Linda screamed, "Are you crazy! You refuse Ethan Knight! Do you know who he is! No.1 CEO! 50 million!"

Robert shouted, "Ariana! Don't be stupid! Say yes! Say yes now!"

Chloe cried, pulling Linda's arm, "Mom! If she refuses, then he will choose me! Let her refuse!"

Ethan stared at her. First time in his life a girl refused him. Every girl wanted him.

"Why?" he asked, voice colder but curious.

"Because you are arrogant," Ariana said, looking straight into his eyes, not scared. "You walk into my house, you point at girls, you say 'you, not you'. You think you can buy wife with money? I am not product. I am not tomato."

Leo's eyes wide.

Ethan looked at her for 3 seconds. Then a small cold smile. Almost not a smile, but there.

"Good," he said. "I don't want a girl who wants me. I don't want girl who cries and says 'I love you'. I want a girl who knows it's business. Who knows it's contract. You are perfect."

He turned to Leo. "Contract."

Leo handed black file to Ariana, hands shaking.

Ariana opened it, pretending to read slowly, but actually reading fast. One year, rules, no love, no interference, divorce after.

"I have conditions," she said.

Ethan raised eyebrow. "Conditions? You are in no position to give conditions."

"I am," Ariana said. "If you want me to sign, listen."

"Say."

"One: Return my mother's shares. My mother left shares for me, Robert is holding it. Linda wants to steal. You get it back for me before marriage. Two: I don't cook, I don't clean, I don't go to your boring business parties unless I want to. Three: After one year, clean divorce, no trouble, no family dragging me."

Chloe cried loudly now, really crying. "Mom! Why her! Why not me! I want to marry Ethan! He is handsome! He is mine! She stole him!"

Linda hugged Chloe but stared at Ariana with hate.

Ethan looked at Ariana with little surprise. Useless girl? No job? But knows how to negotiate like CEO?

"Accepted," he said. "Shares I will get back for you today. Other two accepted. Sign tomorrow 9 AM. My driver will pick you to Knight Villa."

He walked to door. Then stopped, looked back at Ariana.

"Don't be late. And don't think too much of yourself. This is contract marriage, not real. One year only. Don't fall in love with me."

Ariana put hands in jeans pocket. Inside pocket, his Patek watch from last night still there. She didn't return it yet.

She smiled inside. One year only? Perfect. Freedom.

"Don't worry, Mr. Knight," she said, voice calm but rude. "I won't think of you at all. One year and I will be free from you."

Ethan stared one more second, then left. Cold, no goodbye.

After door closed, Cole house exploded.

Chloe screamed, throwing pillow at Ariana. "You bitch! You stole my man! You stole Ethan! He should be mine! Mine!"

Ariana dodged pillow, looked at her coldly.

"He said you are too noisy," Ariana said. "He chose me. Not my problem."

She turned and walked upstairs.

Linda shouted after her, "Ariana! You think marrying Ethan will save you! Knight family will throw you out! You are useless!"

Ariana didn't answer. She went to her small room, locked door, took out Patek watch from pocket.

She held it.

"So the cold CEO didn't even recognize me from that day," she whispered to herself. "He didn't even know I am the girl with butterfly tattoo."

She smiled small.

"One year contract with a man who doesn't know I already saved him and stole his watch. This will be interesting."

She hid watch under mattress and started packing small bag. Tomorrow 9 AM, she leaves this house forever.