Chapter Two: Twenty-Four Hours.

*The Billionaire's Contract Bride*

Chapter Two:

Twenty-Four Hours.

Claire didn't remember how she left Blackwood Tower.

The drive back to the Jacobs mansion was a blur. The city lights streaked past the car window like scattered stars, but her mind remained trapped inside Martin Blackwood's office.

Marry me for one year.

The words echoed in her ears over and over again.

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

"What kind of man proposes marriage like a business merger?" she muttered.

Every instinct told her to reject him.

She had dreamed of falling in love one day. Not necessarily with a prince or a billionaire, but with a man who would choose her because of who she was—not because he needed a wife to fulfill a business arrangement.

A contract marriage...

It felt wrong.

Yet so did watching her family lose everything.

By the time she reached the mansion, darkness had settled over the estate.

She stepped out of the car and immediately noticed something unusual.

Several expensive vehicles were parked outside.

Her heart skipped.

"No..."

She rushed inside.

The living room was filled with men in dark suits.

The bank's legal team.

At the center of the room stood a middle-aged man holding a folder.

"Miss Jacobs."

Claire stopped.

"What are you doing here?"

The man adjusted his glasses.

"We're here to deliver the final foreclosure notice."

Silence.

Her mother, Evelyn Jacobs, sat on the sofa, quietly wiping away tears.

Jonathan Jacobs looked ten years older than he had that morning.

Claire slowly walked forward.

"How long do we have?"

The lawyer looked down at the papers.

"Seventy-two hours."

Her breathing became uneven.

"If the outstanding debt isn't settled within seventy-two hours, this property will legally become the bank's possession."

The words hit harder than any slap.

This house wasn't just bricks and marble.

It held birthdays.

Christmas dinners.

Her parents' anniversary celebrations.

Every corner carried memories.

Claire looked at her father.

"I'm sorry," Jonathan whispered.

She immediately knelt beside him.

"No, Father."

Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"We're going to find a way."

The lawyer closed his briefcase.

"I truly hope you do, Miss Jacobs."

Within minutes, the visitors left.

The mansion became painfully quiet.

That night, Claire couldn't sleep.

She sat on the balcony outside her room, wrapped in a blanket while the cool night breeze brushed against her face.

On the table beside her lay Martin Blackwood's business card.

She stared at it for what felt like hours.

Could she really marry a man she barely knew?

Could she spend an entire year living beside someone who believed love was nothing more than a transaction?

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

Her mother stepped onto the balcony.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Claire forced a smile.

"I couldn't sleep."

Evelyn sat beside her.

"You met Martin Blackwood today."

Claire's eyes widened.

"How did you know?"

"The expression on your face."

Claire laughed bitterly.

"Is it that obvious?"

Her mother nodded gently.

"What did he want?"

Claire hesitated.

She had promised Martin absolute confidentiality.

But this was her mother.

"He..."

She swallowed hard.

"He asked me to marry him."

Evelyn stared at her.

"...What?"

"For one year."

The silence that followed seemed endless.

Finally, Evelyn reached for Claire's hand.

"My dear..."

"You think I'm crazy for even considering it."

"I think you're desperate."

Claire looked away.

"I don't know what to do."

Her mother's voice became soft.

"If your father knew, he would never allow you to sacrifice your happiness."

Claire smiled sadly.

"What happiness, Mom?"

She looked toward the dark city skyline.

"In three days we'll lose everything."

Evelyn couldn't answer.

Because Claire was right.

...

Across the city...

The top floor of Blackwood Tower remained brightly lit.

Martin Blackwood stood alone in his office, looking down at Los Angeles.

Behind him, his longtime assistant, Ethan Cole, entered quietly.

"Sir."

Martin didn't turn.

"Speak."

"Miss Jacobs has left the building."

"I know."

Ethan hesitated.

"I've been working for you for eight years."

Martin remained silent.

"This is the first personal proposal you've ever made."

Still no response.

Ethan finally asked the question that had been bothering him all day.

"Why Claire Jacobs?"

Martin slowly turned around.

His green eyes revealed nothing.

"Have you finished investigating her?"

"Yes."

"What did you find?"

"She's clean."

"No hidden scandals."

"No gambling."

"No secret relationships."

"No criminal record."

"No extravagant lifestyle."

Ethan placed a file on the desk.

"Even after her family's bankruptcy, she sold most of her jewelry to pay her employees before paying herself."

Martin looked down at the file.

A faint emotion crossed his face before disappearing.

"And?"

"Every former employee we interviewed described her the same way."

Ethan smiled slightly.

"They called her honest."

Martin closed the file.

"Exactly."

Ethan frowned.

"You've met daughters of billionaires."

"Princesses."

"Actresses."

"Models."

"Why choose a woman who has already lost everything?"

Martin walked back toward the window.

"Because a person who has lost everything has nothing left to pretend about."

Ethan remained speechless.

Martin continued.

"I don't need a wife who knows how to smile for cameras."

"I need someone who understands loyalty."

Outside, lightning flashed across the night sky.

Then Martin spoke again.

"Prepare the contract."

"You think she'll accept?"

Martin looked out at the city.

"No."

Ethan blinked.

"No?"

"I think she'll reject me."

"Then why make the offer?"

For the first time, a small smile appeared on Martin's face.

"Because Claire Jacobs doesn't know the full truth."

Ethan's curiosity grew.

"What truth?"

Martin's expression hardened once more.

"The reason her family fell."

His voice became cold.

"And the person responsible is much closer to her than she could ever imagine."

Ethan's eyes widened.

"You mean—"

Martin raised a hand.

"Not yet."

The room fell silent.

Some secrets had the power to destroy families.

Others had the power to create enemies.

Martin intended to uncover both.

Miles away, Claire finally picked up the business card she had been staring at all night.

Her thumb hovered over Martin's private number.

She closed her eyes.

Then, with trembling fingers...

...she dialed.