Chapter Five

Grace's POV

My heart races when I spotted a letter in an envelope resting on my table as I entered my office. With eagerness and anxiety, I rushed over to see what it contained.

My heartbeat quickened as I struggled with the overly glued envelope, my tension making it even harder to open it quickly.

“I hope this isn’t a termination letter,” I silently prayed, the thought alone made my hand shiver terribly. 

When I finally managed to tear open the envelope. I took five deep breaths, closing and opening my eyes, before I mustered the courage to take a look at what was written inside the letter.

Opening the letter revealed a set of rules for the marriage contract.

I thought I had made it clear to my boss that I wouldn’t be going through with this, so why was he sending me these rules without waiting to know if I had a change of mind or not?

Although I had intended to meet him and tell him my interest in the marriage, I never expected him to send the contract rules to my office without waiting to hear from me first. It felt like he was trying to have control over my life. Which was so annoying.

This is what I dislike about him—always trying to impose his decisions on others. Such a selfish being he is.

Gosh! Even when it comes to something as personal as marriage, he still wants to push his agenda, not wanting to give reference to my choice. 

I skimmed through the rules, and they were something I could agree to—no intimacy, which I was totally fine with. I could go out whenever I wanted, but I had to be back by 9 PM and let him know if I wouldn’t be returning that night.

The rules also gave me the option to continue working as his PA, or if I felt uncomfortable, I could quit, and he would provide me with an allowance in addition to the agreed contract money.

After seeing that all the rules were acceptable to me, I folded the letter back up and heaved a deep sigh of relief.

I grabbed my phone to call Vera and let her know the new update. She had pleaded with me about the previous issues, and we had resolved everything.

After a lot of persuasion from Vera and reasoning about why I should accept the marriage, I finally agreed to sign the contract.

Just as Vera's call started to ring, the office phone began to ring as well. I ended Vera's call and quickly answered my boss's call.

“Come over,” he said and hung up immediately. I immediately put down the phone, straightened my dress, and hurried into his office.

After a soft knock on his door, he instructed me to come in, and I entered.

My eyes were drawn to his well-groomed beard. I hadn’t realized how handsome he was until today. All I had ever noticed was Victor Mason's frowning face, not his attractiveness.

“Is it the marriage I'm about to enter that’s making me feel this way?” I thought as I quickly shook the thought from my mind.

“You can sit,” he said gently, a smile playing on his lips.

I wondered why he needed the marriage contract that seemed to soften him towards me.

But I didn’t dare to ask him about the reason for the marriage.

“I assume you’ve seen the rules and regulations. I’m sure you’re on board now,” he said proudly. 

I would have rejected it with pride because of the way he said it, but the thought of my mother being discharged with her critical condition made it impossible for me to turn it down.

I nodded, and he tossed a paper towards me.

“Wasn’t he acting nicely just minutes ago? Why is he reverting to this behavior now?” I wondered, anger rising within me as I picked up the paper that had already fallen to the floor.

I glanced at the paper, it was a marriage certificate with my name already on it. He had signed it, and it was now up to me to sign.

Was he trying to force this on me from the start? What if I didn’t eventually agree to this?

After signing the paper, I handed it back to him, doing my best to avoid his gaze with a mix of anxiety and relief. He took it and I heard him chuckle softly, a sound that sent shivers down my spine.

He opened his drawer and pulled out a large envelope, handing it to me—it contained thirty thousand dollars in cash.

“My mom is going to live after all,” I said aloud, forgetting I was still in my boss's office. I held the envelope close to my chest, tears of joy streaming down my face. It felt like a dream too long to finally come to fulfillment.

“You can go now. I’ll let you know the next steps later,” he said calmly.

I stood up and was about to leave, but just as I reached for the doorknob, he added, “You can go home to pay your mother's bill.”

I couldn't contain my excitement. I found myself saying “Thank you” over and over before hurrying back to my office, filled with joy, my face plastered with a smile.

I quickly grabbed my phone, which I had left behind to chat with Vera, only to see that I had five missed calls from her.

What could be the issue? Vera doesn't usually call me like this. If I don't answer after two tries, she usually sends a message, but this time, there was nothing.

I quickly dialed her number, and she answered right away. A wave of fear washed over me as I heard her sniffle and sob when I put the phone to my ear.

“What’s wrong, Vera? Is it your boyfriend again?” I asked, worried that he had hurt my friend once more, but her reply nearly took my breath away.

“It’s your mother,” she said, breaking down in tears.