Chapter 80 – The Weight of a Contract

“Wait, Jeslyn. You’re saying you want to continue our agreement after everything that happened? But… why?” Jefran asked, utterly shocked.

“I can’t tell you the reason. I just need you to answer—does our cooperation still stand, or not?” Jeslyn demanded firmly.

“Yes, it still does. But why? What about Leonel? Didn’t you leave with him that night?” Jefran pressed.

Jeslyn’s face stiffened at his question, her eyes flashing before she quickly averted her gaze. Her fingers tightened around the glass in front of her until they turned pale.

“Jefran, I told you—don’t bring up his name again,” Jeslyn whispered, her tone low but heavy with tension.

“How can I not, Jeslyn?” Jefran leaned forward, eyes sharp on her face. “You want me to trust this cooperation, yet I still see his shadow between us. Tell me the truth. What’s your real reason for doing this, Jeslyn?”

“Honestly, I no longer expect anything from this cooperation. You know Leonel has already secured the CEO position. So what benefit do I even gain from this deal?” Jefran asked bitterly. “I’m really curious—what made you change so suddenly? Your heart belongs to him, doesn’t it? Just admit it.”

Jeslyn fell silent, her trembling eyes fixed on the table. Slowly, she lifted her gaze, meeting Jefran’s eyes with a look full of complexity.

“Yes, I can’t help you become CEO. But we can restructure the contract. One year—I only need a one-year contract marriage, with no physical relationship. You understand what I mean, don’t you, Jef? I just need the status of being your wife.”

Jefran’s eyes darkened, his gaze intense on the woman he desired.

“I knew something was off. Even our parents no longer push this marriage arrangement. This must have something to do with Leonel. Jeslyn, are you seeking protection from me?” he asked, trying to piece it together.

Jeslyn froze, her body tensing at his words. She quickly lowered her face, hiding the unease written all over her.

“I don’t need protection from anyone,” she said quickly, though her voice wavered. “I just want a contract marriage. That’s all.”

Jefran narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing every flicker of her expression. “If that’s truly all, then why do you look like you’re carrying the weight of the world?” His voice was soft, but sharp.

Jeslyn bit her lower lip, holding back her emotions. “Don’t force me to be honest, Jef. There are things I simply can’t tell you.”

“So it’s true,” Jefran leaned back with a dry laugh. “You’re avoiding something—or someone.”

Leonel’s name spun in his mind again, fueling his jealousy and suspicion. His chest burned. “Jeslyn, I’m not a fool. If you want me to play along with this, remember one thing: I will never let myself be your escape from him. If you marry me—even under a contract—I will make sure the whole world sees you as mine. No one else’s, not even Leonel’s.”

Jeslyn lifted her face, her eyes filled with pain and confusion. “Why do you always turn everything into ownership? This is just a contract, Jef—not love.”

“But I never saw you as just a contract,” Jefran replied softly, yet firmly. “From the very beginning, I’ve always seen you as the woman I want entirely. The contract I once offered was only to bind you to my side. But that night—the night you chose to leave with Leonel—I realized your love wasn’t for me. It was for him.”

A heavy silence filled the space. Jeslyn felt trapped between necessity and the freedom that kept slipping further away.

Taking a deep breath, Jeslyn steadied herself, though her heart was in turmoil. Jefran’s words pierced deeper than she expected.

“I don’t want to talk about love, Jef. That’s not part of our agreement,” she said hoarsely, as if convincing herself.

Jefran leaned forward again, fingers tapping the table with deliberate weight. “But I can’t separate it, Jeslyn. Do you think all I want is status? No. I want you.”

Jeslyn’s heart raced chaotically, fear and pity mixing inside her at the intensity in his eyes.

“If I agree to this contract,” Jefran continued, his voice low but laced with danger, “then I have only one condition. I won’t touch you if that’s what you want. But I will never let anyone else—especially Leonel—touch you either. You will belong to me in everyone’s eyes, until this contract ends. Do you understand?”

Jeslyn swallowed hard, clutching her skirt beneath the table. A bitter lump rose in her throat. Am I really trading my freedom for protection?

But Jefran’s unwavering gaze made her realize—any other choice might be even more dangerous.

“I understand,” she whispered finally, her voice betraying herself.

A thin smile curved Jefran’s lips. Not relief, but the satisfaction of a man who had just tightened his grip.

“Good. Deal. So, when do we sign the contract?” he asked.

“I’ll prepare it soon,” Jeslyn replied softly.

Jeslyn returned to the office alone, unwilling to have lunch with Jefran. What mattered was that their discussion had reached a conclusion.

Ting!

The elevator doors opened in the basement. Jeslyn stepped inside, pressing the button for her floor. Just as the doors were about to close, a strong hand stopped them, forcing them open again.

Jeslyn’s breath caught when she saw who it was.

Thump.

Her eyes locked with Leonel’s. But what struck her like a dagger was the woman at his side.

Both stepped in. Jeslyn shifted away, averting her face, her chest tightening painfully at the sight. The woman clung sweetly to Leonel’s arm, far too close. Jeslyn recognized her—it was the same woman she had seen in the lobby before, the one who had embraced Leonel without being pushed away.

Jeslyn gripped her bag tightly, struggling to conceal her reaction. But her heart pounded wildly. The woman’s soft laugh beside Leonel sliced through her like a blade, every note an insult.

Leonel stood tall beside her, though his eyes flicked briefly toward Jeslyn—cold, unreadable. Her chest constricted further. Why now? Why must I see this?

“I told you, we still have to visit that boutique later this afternoon,” the woman cooed, resting her head on Leonel’s shoulder.

He only nodded. “Hmm.”

Jeslyn closed her eyes briefly, swallowing the burn of heartbreak. Her fingers trembled, aching to press the emergency button just to escape. But her pride kept her rooted.

The elevator climbed slowly, each number changing like torture. The confined space grew unbearably suffocating.

Suddenly, the woman turned to Jeslyn, as if just noticing her. A smile tugged her lips, laced with meaning. “Oh, hello. Do you work here?”

Jeslyn bowed her head slightly in polite acknowledgment.

“This employee of yours doesn’t seem to respect you, Leo. She didn’t even greet you when we entered,” the woman said slyly, her words sharp with suspicion.

Jeslyn’s chest tightened. She knew nothing about Clarissa, but this woman was perceptive. Too perceptive.

Leonel’s jaw clenched, his eyes darting briefly to Jeslyn. He said nothing. His silence only made the air heavier.

Jeslyn drew a deep breath, forcing her tone steady. “I’m sorry. I didn’t notice earlier,” she replied softly, her voice stiff but polite.

Clarissa studied her intently, her smile narrowing with a hint of mockery. “I see,” she murmured.

Ding.

The elevator neared Jeslyn’s floor. Seconds stretched into eternity.

Jeslyn fixed her eyes on the doors, desperate for them to open. But before they did, Clarissa spoke again, this time glancing at Leonel.

“You never told me there was such a beautiful woman in your office, Leo.”

Her grip on his arm tightened possessively.

Jeslyn felt Leonel’s cold gaze fall on her again, heavy and suffocating, but still he said nothing—no denial, no explanation.

Ding!

The doors slid open. Jeslyn hurried out, her heels clicking rapidly across the floor as Clarissa’s perfume clung unpleasantly in the air.

Just before the doors closed, Clarissa’s voice rang out once more, loud enough to sting.

“I don’t think she’s just an ordinary employee, Leo.”

Clink. The doors sealed shut.

Jeslyn froze outside her office door, those words echoing mercilessly in her head. Her heart pounded faster than ever—caught between pain, anger, and fear of discovery.

Be strong, Jeslyn. You can survive this, she told herself, taking a shaky breath.

***