The Contract

The paper slid across the desk before Jessica even sat down.

“Sign here,” Christian said. “And here. Initial this page.”

Jessica stared at the stack of documents. It was almost midnight. They had left the gala only an hour ago, and now she was sitting in an office bigger than her entire apartment, staring at a marriage contract like it was a normal Tuesday.

“You could at least offer me a coffee first,” she said.

“This isn’t a date.” Christian didn’t look up from his phone. “Read it. Sign it. Then we can talk.”

Jessica picked up the first page and started reading. Her eyes widened with every line.

“Two million dollars,” she whispered.

“For one year of your time,” Christian said. “House, cars, clothes, and a monthly payment on top of that. When the year ends, you get the full amount and we file for divorce quietly.”

“And in exchange?”

“You act like my wife in public. You attend events. You smile for cameras. You never ask about my private business, and you never fall in love with me.”

Jessica almost laughed. “Trust me, that last part won’t be a problem.”

Something flickered in his eyes, gone as fast as it came. “Good. Keep it that way.”

She kept reading, and then she stopped at a line near the bottom.

“Wait. It says here I have to live with you. In your house.”

“That’s correct.”

“Why? If this is fake, why do we need to actually live together?”

Christian finally looked up. His gray eyes were sharp, calculating. “Because my grandfather is not a stupid man. He will visit. He will ask questions. He will know if we are lying.”

“So we’re lying to a dying old man.”

“We’re giving him peace before he goes,” Christian said, his voice suddenly harder. “Sign the paper, Jessica.”

There was something under his words. Pain, maybe. Or guilt. Jessica studied his face for a second longer, but he had already looked back down at his phone, his expression locked tight again.

She picked up the pen.

“Wait.” She set it back down. “Barry. You said you’d ruin him.”

“I already did. He’s been removed from every project at the company. His name is being pulled from three deals right now.”

“And Faith?”

A cold smile touched his mouth. “Her family’s shares just dropped eight percent tonight. Word travels fast when people watch me humiliate someone in public.”

Jessica felt a strange thrill run through her. Barry and Faith had spent the whole night trying to destroy her. Now their world was falling apart, and she hadn’t even lifted a finger.

She signed the gaddam paper.

“Good,” Christian said, taking it back. “We’ll announce the engagement tomorrow. My assistant will bring a ring in the morning.”

“Tomorrow? That’s fast.”

“My grandfather doesn’t have time for slow.” Christian stood and walked to the window, looking out over the city lights. “He has weeks left. Maybe less.”

For a moment, Jessica saw something real in him. Not the cold businessman who fired people with two words. Just a man who was about to lose someone he loved.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

Christian’s shoulders tensed. “Don’t be. Sympathy wasn’t part of the contract.”

The warmth in her chest turned to ice. Right. This was business. She needed to remember that.

A knock came at the door. A woman walked in without waiting for an answer, her heels clicking sharp against the floor. She looked Jessica up and down like she was checking the price tag on a piece of furniture.

“So this is her,” the woman said. “The replacement.”

“Lira, this is Jessica,” Christian said. “My future wife. Jessica, this is my assistant.”

Lira’s smile was thin and cold. “Wife. Interesting choice of word for something that expires in exactly one year.”

“That’s enough,” Christian said sharply.

Lira raised her hands, still smiling. “Just stating facts. Your grandfather called, by the way. He wants to meet her tomorrow morning. Breakfast. He said he doesn’t want to wait.”

Christian’s jaw tightened. “Tomorrow morning. That’s sooner than I planned.”

“He’s not getting stronger, Christian,” Lira said, her voice softer now. “You know that.”

The room went quiet. Jessica watched Christian’s hands curl into fists at his sides, then slowly release.

“Fine,” he said. “Tomorrow morning. Jessica, you’ll need to look the part.”

“The part of what? A woman who’s actually in love with you?”

“Yes.”

“That’s going to be hard, considering we met three hours ago and you’ve barely said a kind word to me since.”

Christian turned to face her fully now, and the look in his eyes made her breath catch. He crossed the room in three steps, stopping close enough that she could feel the heat coming off his body.

“Then we better fix that,” he said, his voice low.

Before Jessica could respond, his hand came up to her jaw, tilting her face toward his. Her heart slammed against her ribs. She should pull away. She should say something sharp and clever. Instead, she stood frozen, feeling the warmth of his fingers against her skin.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Practicing,” Christian said. “For tomorrow. My grandfather will know if we can’t even stand close to each other.”

His thumb brushed across her cheek, slow and deliberate. Jessica’s whole body felt like it was on fire.

“This isn’t practicing,” she breathed. “This is something else.”

Christian’s eyes darkened. For one second, she thought he might kiss her.

Then his phone rang, shattering the moment.

He stepped back so fast it was like she had burned him. “Get some sleep,” he said, his voice flat again, all business. “Lira will show you to your room.”

He walked out without another word, leaving Jessica standing there, her skin still tingling where his hand had been.

She had one year to survive this man.

She was starting to worry…