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THE CONTRACT

Author: Kwa'ala
last update publish date: 2026-09-02 05:52:42

Vivian groaned as the morning sun hit her face, as she had no curtains to protect her from it.

"Note to self, get curtains someday." She said to herself as she tousled out of her.

She took a cold shower because she had no other choice. Then she dressed up in her white shirt and blue jeans and put on her striped apron as she tied her hair in a bun.

She hummed to the kitchen and met her dad serving pancakes as he rolled the tyres on his wheelchair.

"Good morning Dad." Vivian said as she kissed his balding head.

"Hello, sunshine." He said with a smile. "Made breakfast." He said it as if he didn't do it every morning.

"Yayyy." She said as she sat on the table.

She ate so fast it was as if someone dared her too finish it in 5 seconds.

"Whoa, slow down kid, before you give yourself a heart attack." He laughed.

"I have to finish up fast dad, you know we are owing rent and I have a lot of things I want to change around this house." She smiled as she picked up her plate and dropped in the sink since the dinning table was in the kitchen as well.

"Are you going down to the bakery now?" He said watching her pick up her keys.

"Yeah, starting work early brings luck you know." She said.

"I'll be down in a sec, okay?" He said.

"No dad. Take the day off." She said.

"I can't possibly let you work alone." He sounded concerned.

"I insist." She smiled.

"Okay, if you say so."

And with that Vivian went down the stairs of their apartment and walked across the street where their bakery was; At the lake.

The bakery was the only place Vivian got her income from, it was little, but that was what she had to do to help her dad. She baked in the mornings, sold in the afternoons and went to a little bar to sing for about an hour then serve drinks as well. if there was enough time she would wash dishes.

She spent her morning listening to Sabrina Carpenter, baking, dancing, trying to forget about Adrian Cross and trying to be in a good mood.

In the afternoon she barely made any sales, then closed up in the evening. She got dressed in the bakery and went to the bar to give her performance.

The Owner of the café; Shakes said that If she kept up the good work she might be given a raise. Vivian would have been excited if he didn't say that 9 times ago.

That night when she held the mic it felt like it was the last time as she sang 'Espresso' by Sabrina Carpenter.

"I'm working late....., cos I'm a singer, but he looks so cute, wrapped round my finger....." She sang as she twirled her finger round her hair and bit her lip.

The bar went wilder by the second. As she sang and swayed her hips, she noticed a familiar face; Adrian Cross.

"No..., no, no, no...." She thought. Her smile dropped.

"Yes...., yes, yes, yes...." He thought. His smile Widened.

"Too bad your ex don't do it for Ya....." She said as she stylishly walked down the stage.

Adrian's guards stood up.

"Now he's thinking 'bout me, baby I know...." She sang as she walked to the backdoor.

"Say you can't sleep baby I know, that's that me Espresso." She finished. "That was me everyone goodnight." She said as she ran out through the exit.

"Hey toots...." Shakes called after her. "Maybe if you keep this up...."

"A raise, yeah, yeah." She said as she flagged a cab.

"Please take me there as fast as possible." She said to the cab driver as soon as she told him the address.

When she got to her apartment, she noticed a black Audi Convoy parked around her apartment.

"No." She said as she ran up the stairs.

She met men in black standing on the passage to her apartment.

She met the door open.

She pushed it.

Her dad was sitting at the table looking tensed because he was surrounded by men, about ten men in her small kitchen/dinning room. Her dad noticed her and his face looked less distressed. More entered from behind her.

Then she noticed someone coming from her room. Adrian.

"What are you doing here?" She practically screamed.

"Chill, you are meant to say, 'I miss you, Daddy.' Come give me a hug." He smiled.

"Are you insane???" She said with a look of terror.

"I saw your little performance in that pub, I didn't know you could bust a move like that. If you showed me those moves yesterday I would've just let you off with a warning." He smirked.

"Are you insane? What are you doing here?" She asked calmly this time.

"Can't I just come over to see my father in law?" He said innocently.

"Father in law??" She glanced at her dad to search his face for answers. Her dad looked guilty. "What is he talking about?"

"Oh your dad signed a little contract that's all." Adrian smiled.

"What do you mean 'signed a little contract'??" She was still looking at her dad.

"He said he was going to kill you and take away the bakery if I didn't sign, he said he was going to throw us out." Her dad was at the verge of tears. "He said he had you kidnapped."

"What's in the contract?" She walked up and held her dad as she stared Adrian down.

"Only that your dad agrees to let you marry me and if he does anything funny I take your house and bakery." He smiled.

A man slid the contract down to her.

"Now it's your turn." Adrian smiled.

"What if I say no?" She was still holding her dad's shoulder.

Adrian smiled.

"I love your games Viv." He said.

"Don't." She frowned.

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