THE AGREEMENT

CHAPTER 5

Amara’s POV

The next morning, I stood outside Jude Monroe’s office with the signed contract in my hands.

I had barely slept.

But I wasn’t changing my mind.

I had already made my decision.

I walked inside.

Jude was sitting behind his desk.

His eyes went straight to the folder in my hands.

“You signed it.”

I placed it in front of him.

“Yes.”

He opened it and looked at my signature.

For a few seconds, he said nothing.

Then he closed the folder.

“Thank you.”

I frowned.

“That’s it?”

“What did you expect?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you would say something.”

He leaned back.

“You made your decision. I respect it.”

I nodded.

“Good.”

He looked at me.

“Are you sure?”

I hesitated.

“I’ve already said yes.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

I knew what he meant.

I looked down.

“I’m nervous.”

“That’s normal.”

“I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Neither have I.”

I looked at him.

“You’re a billionaire. I’m sure you’ve done a lot of things I’ve never done.”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“Not this.”

For some reason, that made me feel a little better.

I sat down.

“So what happens now?”

“We prepare.”

“For the wedding?”

“Yes.”

The word made my stomach twist.

“The wedding is really happening.”

“Yes.”

I looked at the contract.

“It still feels strange.”

“It will become normal.”

“I don’t think marrying you will ever feel normal.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Give it time.”

I almost laughed.

Then I remembered something.

“What about your grandmother?”

“She still doesn’t know about the contract.”

“And she thinks this is a real marriage?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

“Then I have to be careful.”

“So do I.”

He picked up another folder.

“There are some things we need to arrange before the wedding.”

He opened it.

“First, your living arrangements.”

I stared at him.

“You mean the part where I move into your house?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Soon.”

“How soon?”

“Within the next few days.”

My eyes widened.

“Days?”

“The family needs to see that we’re serious.”

I sat back.

“This is happening very fast.”

“It has to.”

I understood.

His grandmother was sick.

He didn’t have much time.

Still, the thought of moving into the home of a man I barely knew made me nervous.

Jude noticed my expression.

“You don’t have to worry.”

“I am worried.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ll be living with you.”

He looked at me.

“You’ll have your own room.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“Yes.”

I laughed softly.

“I guess it does.”

He closed the folder.

“There is one more thing.”

“What?”

“My family.”

My smile disappeared.

“What about them?”

“You’ll meet them soon.”

I already knew that would happen.

But hearing him say it made everything feel more real.

“When?”

“There’s a family dinner coming up.”

I looked at him.

“Dinner?”

“Yes.”

“That’s when I’ll meet everyone?”

“Yes.”

I swallowed.

“And your grandmother?”

“Yes.”

I nodded slowly.

That would be the first time I met the woman whose wish had started all of this.

Jude watched me.

“Are you nervous?”

“A little.”

“You don’t need to be.”

“Easy for you to say.”

He almost smiled.

“You’ll be fine.”

I hoped he was right.

After leaving Jude’s office, I met Ethan downstairs.

He was waiting for me.

He looked at my face.

“You signed.”

“Yes.”

“So it’s official?”

I nodded.

“I guess it is.”

He smiled.

“Welcome to the Monroe family.”

I gave him a look.

“Don’t say it like that.”

“Why?”

“Because it sounds terrifying.”

He laughed.

“You’ll be okay.”

“You said that yesterday.”

“And I was right.”

I followed him outside.

As we walked toward his car, I noticed a woman standing near the entrance.

She was speaking on the phone.

She looked at me for a second.

Then she quickly looked away.

I frowned.

“Do you know her?”

Ethan glanced over.

“No.”

I looked back.

The woman had already walked away.

“Strange.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

I got into the car.

Maybe I was just becoming too suspicious.

There had been too many strange things happening lately.

The woman who asked about the restaurant land.

The debt.

Now this marriage.

I wanted to believe everything would become easier.

But something told me it wouldn’t.

When I got home, I found my mother in the kitchen.

She looked up.

“You went to see Jude?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

I smiled.

“I signed it.”

She stopped what she was doing.

For a moment, she looked worried.

Then she nodded.

“Then I hope you’ve thought this through.”

“I have.”

She came closer.

“Did he say when he would pay the debt?”

“He said the arrangements would begin immediately.”

Mum sighed with relief.

“At least the restaurant will be safe.”

I smiled.

“That was the point.”

She touched my face.

“I still don’t like this.”

“I know.”

“But I trust you.”

I hugged her.

“Thank you.”

She pulled away.

“When is the wedding?”

I froze.

“Soon.”

“How soon?”

“I don’t know yet.”

She stared at me.

“This is happening very quickly.”

“I know.”

“And after the wedding?”

“I’ll have to move into Jude’s house.”

She looked at me carefully.

“Are you ready for that?”

I wasn’t.

But I smiled.

“I’ll manage.”

Mum sighed.

“You always say that.”

“Because I usually do.”

She smiled sadly.

“I just want you to be happy.”

“I will be.”

I hoped I was telling the truth.

The next few days passed quickly.

Jude’s team handled most of the wedding arrangements.

I had never seen anything happen so fast.

There were phone calls.

Meetings.

Dress choices.

Documents.

Every time my phone rang, someone wanted to discuss another part of the wedding.

I felt like I was watching someone else’s life.

One afternoon, I sat with Ivy while she looked through the wedding details on my phone.

She stared at me.

“This is actually happening.”

“Yes.”

“You’re really becoming Mrs. Monroe.”

“Don’t remind me.”

She laughed.

“Are you nervous?”

“Very.”

“Excited?”

I thought about it.

“I don’t know.”

“Do you like him?”

I gave her a warning look.

“Don’t start.”

She laughed.

“I’m just asking.”

“I barely know him.”

“But you’re going to live with him.”

“I know.”

“And you’re marrying him.”

“I know.”

“And…”

“Ivy.”

She laughed again.

“Okay. I’ll stop.”

I smiled.

Then my phone buzzed.

A message from Jude.

“Family dinner this weekend. Seven o’clock”

I stared at the message.

Ivy leaned closer.

“What?”

I showed her.

Her eyes widened.

“Oh.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re meeting the family.”

I nodded.

“This is the first time, right?”

“Yes.”

She smiled.

“Then you need to be ready.”

“For what?”

“You’re going to meet rich people.”

I laughed.

“They’re still people.”

“Rich people with opinions.”

“That sounds worse.”

She laughed.

I put my phone down.

But my smile faded when I thought about the dinner.

I would meet Jude’s grandmother.

His family.

The people who believed I was truly going to become part of their family.

And none of them would know the truth.

I looked at Ivy.

“What if they don’t like me?”

“Then that’s their problem.”

“And what if they ask how Jude and I met?”

“Tell them the truth.”

I nodded.

Ethan introduced us.

That part wasn’t a lie.

But everything after that was much more complicated.

That evening, I stood in front of my mirror.

The wedding was getting closer.

The family dinner was only days away.

I looked at myself.

Then at the dress hanging beside me.

Everything was changing so quickly.

My old life was slowly disappearing.

Soon, I would be living in Jude’s house.

Soon ,everyone would call me his wife.

Soon, I would sit at the same table as the people who had known him his whole life.

And I would have to pretend that this marriage was real.

I touched the necklace around my neck.

Then my phone buzzed.

Another message from Jude.

“I’ll pick you up for dinner”

I stared at the screen.

I typed,

“Okay”

Then I put my phone down.

I took a deep breath.

The contract was signed.

The wedding was coming.

And now there was only one thing left.

Meeting the Monroe family.

I had no idea what they would think of me.