Chapter 6 - Contract signed

RHEA

Gosh! I think this particular man would be the reason I will keep having dirty thoughts.

I opened my eyes when I heard the creaking sound of the door, followed by footsteps. I saw him walking toward me with his hands in his pockets—face carved from stone and abs refined. He was the perfect example of a perfect gentleman, except that he didn’t look gentle but vicious.

“What’s your decision? Do you want us to do it peacefully, or do you prefer the hard way?” he asked, indifferent. His eyes towered over me, unreadable and dark. My throat burned with uneasiness. I could die under that gaze.

Squeezing my grip on the document, I swallowed the trepidation in my throat and lifted my head. “I’ve read the contract, and it’s better in a way,” I muttered. “But I have my own conditions to add.”

Something flickered in his eyes at my statement, but it vanished before I could name it. Was it pride? Danger? Admiration? Shock?

He folded his arms. “Hmmm… bargaining with me?” he asked, resting his back against the wall. I just stared. He didn’t expect me to answer that, right?

“Bring it on. Let’s see if it’s something interesting,” he beckoned.

“I will have a room to myself. You cannot stay in the same room with me no matter what. I just happened to mistakenly carry your baby. I’m not a wife. And—”

He erupted into laughter, interrupting me. A frown shadowed my face. What was so funny about what I said? I hoped he wasn’t trying to wave this off. I scoffed. He didn’t think we would sleep in the same room like a married couple, did he?

“Those are baseless worries, kitten. Even if you wish, I will not sleep in the same room with you,” he mumbled, still laughing softly.

Anger coursed through my veins like fire on dried leaves. What did he mean? That I was unattractive, ugly, and wasn’t worth him? Was that the reason he wouldn’t be able to share a room with me even if I asked?

“You don’t have to worry about physical touch. I hate other people’s skin,” he said. “Sign the contract.”

He simply said it. No emotions. No expression.

I scoffed in disbelief, my eyes hovering over him. He wasn’t just vicious… arrogance was also part of his attributes. My stomach churned with irritation. If only I could fling the papers and leave here to abort the child. But I couldn’t. Although he wasn’t worth it, his wealth was worth it, and I would endure everything for that.

I put the papers on the bed, picked up the pen that came with them, and scribbled my signature on it. Stretching the papers to him, my brows raised. “Is that all?”

He took them from me and skimmed his eyes through them, probably trying to make sure I didn’t sign in the wrong places.

“You might see some strange things here. Keep quiet and ignore them. Do not ask questions,” he mumbled.

My gaze deepened. What did he mean by that? I would see weird things, but I shouldn’t ask questions about them? Fear gripped me. Was he about to harm me? Instinctively, I covered my chest with my hands and shifted backward. With eyes widened, I stammered, “Wh… what do you mean?”

His lips curled, and he started walking toward me. My breath hitched. I studied his steps as he moved closer. When he pushed his hands forward, I shut my eyes and clasped my lips, anticipating the pain that would come from whatever he planned to do. None came. Instead, he ran his fingers through my hair.

“It pays to be in the dark sometimes, kitten. I don’t want you to live with me in fear,” he whispered.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. He shifted backward and started walking toward the door. When his hand reached the knob, he turned his head and said, “We will visit the hospital tomorrow to make sure you are fine.” He stepped out and shut the door afterward.

A loud breath escaped my mouth the moment the door closed. It was suffocating staying in the same room with him. At this point, I knew my stay in this house would be more difficult than I assumed.

•

“You are a scoundrel!” Selene shouted, raising her hand and smacking the man’s face.

He stumbled onto the floor, his body tightening as he glared with fear-filled eyes.

Selene didn’t give him a chance to breathe. She stooped to his level and hit him hard on the face one more time. “Just a simple job, and you couldn’t even do it correctly. I didn’t give you so much money just so you could mess things up for me,” she shouted.

“I… I am…” He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Gamma. I didn’t know how that happened. I kept it in the laboratory to wait for your arrival. I didn’t know somebody else would take it,” he explained, his body shuddering under her dark and fierce gaze.

“Save your excuses. It’s not going to save you from my wrath. Every day, you will suffer for your incompetence,” she grunted, yanked him backward, and stood up.

She ran her hands over her hair and stomped her feet. She’d connived with one of the pack members who was a doctor in the general hospital to inseminate her with Travis’s sperm. She wanted to be the surrogate mother. She needed to carry the pup. That was the only way she could penetrate Travis’s life the way she’d always dreamt about it. Who would have thought that a nonentity from the human world would be the surrogate mother? All her hard work and plans were flung to the side as though they were nothing.

What else now? It didn’t seem like Travis minded having a human carry his child. All he was after was having a baby and shutting the mouths of the elders threatening his Alpha position.

Anger swirled within her as she thought about the whole thing. She veered around, dashed toward the man, and kicked him in the stomach. “You are just a dummy. You were given a small assignment, and you failed to accomplish it. Shame on you, bastard!” She kept kicking him, ignoring the blood gushing out of his nose.

She stopped and rushed back to where she was standing, both hands on her waist. What now? Would she accept defeat and watch another woman take her place? Hell no.

“Will Travis try another surrogacy if this stupid human wakes up one day and has a miscarriage?” She put a finger on her chin and folded her other arm. “Hell yes.” Her lips curled into a sinister smile.