5

Chapter Five

The binding contract

Aria’s POV

"Aria?"

I looked up to see who just called my name. It was Coach Thyl, and he had an expression on his face that made me scared. He must have found out about my trouble with my scholarship sponsors.

"Is everything okay, coach? Am I about to be benched?” I asked, pretending not to know.

"Nothing like that. The principal asked that you come to his office right now.”

I walked to his office with my legs feeling like rubber. As I walked towards the office, the door opened and Matheo Silver stormed out of the door. His face appeared regularly in academy magazines and at sponsor events.

Matheo Silver was one of North Ridge's biggest donors and came from one of the most powerful werewolf families in the country—a family I'd rather have nothing to do with.

His eyes met with mine for a brief second before walking away. I had no idea if he had recognized me or if he was quite irritated by my presence.

I pushed the door open just as Principal Lyne settled on his chair.

"Good day, Principal Lyne.”

"Have a seat.” He said in a sharp tone. I could tell whatever conversation he had with Matheo Silver must have placed him in such a mood.

I sat down, my heart beating fast with every second. He was about throwing me out of the academy.

"Am I in trouble?” I asked in a scared tone.

"Well, not exactly. Your sponsors are pulling out.”

My heart stopped.

"No..." I whispered.

"I'm afraid it's true.”

I didn’t respond, and he took that as a sign that I was aware.

"Your sponsors sent this letter to the board of directors." Principal Lyne raised up a letter. "They're withdrawing. Are you aware of this?!”

I nodded, blinking back the tears threatening to run down my eyes.

"The academy would give you three days to find a way to get sponsors. After that, you will have to leave the academy.” He pushed a paper towards me. "Coach Thyl said you are a potential wrestler, and that’s why I’m giving you a 3-day ultimatum.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

I stepped out of the principal’s office, tears running down my cheeks. As I made to walk away from it, a door in the opposite direction opened, and a tall man in a suit beckoned to me.

I walked into the office. It smelled like leather and old money. I sat in a chair, back straight, hands clasped in my lap, not even bothered about wiping the tears rolling down to my cheeks.

The man sitting across from me looked at me with so much pity in his eyes. He offered me a tissue.

"You lost your scholarship.”

"How did you know that?”

"When students come out of Principal Lynne’s office crying, it’s either two things. They lost their sponsors or have been rusticated for certain actions, and looking at your background, we both know why.”

I wanted to ask how he knew my background just before my eyes caught sight of his name and the silver name on a plaque on the left side of his desk, director of student relations. I felt nauseous immediately just as everything clicked on my mind. My mouth dropped open to ask a question just as he pulled out a file.

"I have an offer," he said, sliding a folder across the mahogany surface.

I laughed. It came out sharp, disbelieving. "I'm not interested," I said, pushing back in my seat, uninterested. I don’t want to have anything to do with the silvers.

He didn't smile. He just opened the folder and turned it toward me. My eyes dropped to the file open in front of me, and my eyes caught sight of Luca smiling straight from the file, and boldly written beside his name was SILVER. I stared down at the picture in horror. How did I not notice this?

So that's why the name had sounded familiar.

Luca Silver.

The arrogant roommate I'd been arguing with since the day I arrived... belonged to the very family I wanted nothing to do with.

My mind drifted back to every single incident that happened. The coffee, the arguments, every single encounter replayed in my head.

It all made sense to me at this point. Was this just a coincidence... or had everything been planned from the beginning? Was none of this an accident?

"Ninety days."

"I'm not interested in whatever this game is. You think you can just come in and dangle the contract like some medal and expect me to conform to whatever this is.” I stood up abruptly. "I should be searching for sponsors and not this.”

"All you have to do is date Luca.”

"Him?" I pushed the file away as if it had burned me. "You're asking me to date a Silver?"

Marcus watched me carefully, remaining perfectly calm.

""Do you know who you're asking me to stand beside? I'd rather lose my scholarship than pretend one of them cares about me," I said furiously.

"Think carefully before you refuse...This may be the only opportunity you'll ever have to save your family, and I will pay you hugely for this.” He persisted.

And I stopped taking this as his sign; he continued.

"Trust me, I have run my own findings on students in need of support, and you were on the top list of Principal Lyne.”

"Your scholarship covers almost everything. Without it, you won't be able to continue here, and your tuition is yet to be paid. Your younger brother's treatment also depends on your family's finances.”

I pictured Mylo lying helplessly in the hospital bed.

“Your mother is already behind on rent. Without financial support, she'll lose the house.”

I remembered Mother crying into the phone, hearing her pain from the other end.

Marcus slides the contract again towards me. I stared at it for a minute, trying to hold back the tears welling in my eyes. My legs shook in fear at what this contract contained. The hatred for the Silvers ran even deeper in my heart. But I knew this was for the best of my family.

I stared at the contract, at the numbers, and at the life the contract could guarantee for Mylo, for Mom, and for me.

My hand trembled as I reached for the pen.

Marcus presses the intercom.

"Send him in."

Before my fingers closed around it, the office door swung open. Luca walked in.

He was wearing the same jacket from the photo, his hair still wet from a shower, his eyes finding mine immediately and then Marcus's. He looked down at the contract on the desk, and something flickered across his face. I could tell he was aware of the contract.

"Before you sign," he said, his voice low and even, "we need to establish some rules."

Marcus leaned back in his chair.

"Good. Now that you've met, I'll leave the details to the two of you.” He stood up and left, closing the door behind him.

I slowly lowered my hand and raised one eyebrow.

"Rules?"

He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. The lock clicked, final and irrevocable.

"Rule one," he said, not looking at the man sitting in front of me. His eyes were fixed on me.

“Rule one. No one finds out this relationship is fake…"

"Excuse me…” I started to say it, but he wasn’t ready to listen to me.

"Rule two." Luca ignored me, moving closer, close enough that I could smell his soap and the tension in his jaw. “Don't bring up questions about my family.”

"Rule three, you're not allowed to leave my side in public.”

“Rule four. No kissing unless absolutely necessary.”

"Five, this is business and nothing more. No matter what anyone says, no matter what it looks like. You are not expected to fall in love.”

I stood up, meeting his gaze. "Fall in love? Trust me, Silver. You’re the last man I’d ever love.”

Luca held my gaze without blinking.

"We'll see."

I wanted to wipe that arrogant confidence off his face.

I had no idea that signing this contract would change everything I thought I knew about the Silver family...

...or about myself.