Rules of the contract

Chapter 7

Elena’s POV

I woke up alone in the elegant guest bedroom. Sunlight streamed through the windows. The luxurious penthouse felt vast and empty around me.

My body still remembered the weight of the wedding dress and the warmth of Damien’s hands from the night before. But the cold reality of the closed door between us hit me the moment I opened my eyes.

I started unpacking my belongings. Boxes and suitcases filled one corner of the large walk in closet. I folded clothes carefully and hung them up.

A soft knock sounded on the door. A middle-aged maid in a crisp uniform entered. She had kind eyes and a warm smile.

“I’m Maria,” she said gently. “Mr. Voss asked me to assist with unpacking. If that’s alright with you?”

I nodded, relieved to have some company. Maria moved efficiently through the room. She helped organize the closet. She was very friendly and chatty from the start.

We talked easily as we worked. Maria shared little stories about the penthouse. Then she grew quieter and more serious.

“I’ve been with Mr. Voss since he was a little boy,” she said softly. “When his mother ran away, I stayed. I raised him as best I could alongside the staff. I know all the secrets in this family. The pain. The pressure. The loneliness. He built these walls for a reason. But you seem different. Kind. Real.”

Her words touched something deep inside me. Maria knew everything. She had seen Damien grow up. She understood the cold world I had married into.

“You can talk to me anytime,” she added with a gentle smile. “I won’t judge. And I won’t repeat anything. We women have to stick together in places like this.”

By the time we finished unpacking, I felt like I had a friend in this lonely penthouse. Maria’s warmth was a small light in the cold arrangement I had agreed to.

Maria’s POV

Elena is a sweet girl. I had watched Damien grow up after his mother abandoned him. I knew the scars he carried. I knew why he kept everyone at a distance. But this young woman with her kind eyes might be exactly what he needed even if he refused to admit it. I would help her where I could. She deserved at least one friendly face in this house.

Elena’s POV

After Maria left, I quickly went to the bathroom. The hot water did little to ease the ache in my chest. I chose a simple but elegant outfit from the stocked closet: a fitted blouse that hugged my full breasts and a skirt that accentuated my wide hips. I looked in the mirror. My chubby cheeks were still slightly flushed. I looked like the wife of a billionaire.

But I felt like a stranger in my own life.

The scent of fresh coffee led me to the main dining area. Damien was already there. He sat at the long table reading something on his tablet. He looked impeccable in a tailored shirt, every inch the powerful man I had married.

Damien’s POV

Elena walked into the dining area. Her curvy figure was highlighted by the fitted blouse and skirt. Her full breasts, soft belly, and wide hips moved with each step. She looked beautiful. But I could see the hurt in her eyes from last night. I had to stay firm.

This marriage was a solution, not a love story. I could not let emotions complicate the plan to secure my empire.

Elena’s POV

Damien looked up as I approached. His gray eyes scanned me briefly before returning to his tablet. “Good morning,” he said. His voice was polite but distant. “Sit down. We need to go over a few things.”

I sat across from him. The breakfast spread was impressive fresh fruit, pastries, eggs, and coffee.

But my appetite was gone. Damien poured me a cup of coffee without asking. He set it in front of me and began speaking in that calm, controlled tone I was starting to dread.

“Public affection is reserved for when we are in front of others,” he said. “Hand holding, occasional kisses, or touches only when eyes are on us. In private, we maintain distance. No interference in my personal life. No questions about where I go or who I see. Complete discretion on both sides.”

Each word felt like another wall being built between us. I sipped the coffee. It tasted bitter. The emotional distance was already hurting more than I expected.

“I understand the rules,” I said quietly. My voice was steady, but my heart was not. “I won’t cross any lines.”

Damien nodded.

He continued eating as if we were discussing a simple contract instead of our marriage. The silence between us stretched. I wanted to ask about the message on his phone last night. I wanted to tell him how the holy ceremony had made me feel. But I stayed silent. Those were emotional discussions. And they were forbidden now.

Damien’s POV

Elena sat across from me. Her chubby cheeks were slightly flushed. Her full breasts rose and fell with each breath. She was trying to be professional. I could see the pain in her eyes, but I pushed it aside. This was necessary. My dad was still a threat. The board was watching. I needed this marriage to look real from the outside while keeping control on the inside.

The rules were clear. No complications. No feelings.

Elena’s POV

We finished breakfast in heavy silence. I cleared my plate mechanically. The vast penthouse felt even lonelier now. I was married to the man I had loved for years, yet we were living like polite strangers on opposite sides of the same home.

Suddenly Damien’s phone rang. He answered immediately.

His expression changed as he listened.

“Yes,” he said. His voice was tight. “We’ll be there.”

He ended the call and looked at me. “My dad is demanding we attend a family dinner tonight. He wants to see proof that this marriage is real. We need to act like a loving couple in front of the family.”

I nodded.

The emotional distance hurts even more now. I watched him walk away. The rules of the game were clear. But my heart was already breaking under them.