The Warning Signs

Chapter 3: The Warning Signs

Maya’s POV

“Miss Maya, right?”

My throat felt as dry as sand. I gulped hard, my pulse pounding in my ears.

And for the first time since agreeing to this contract, I began to wonder if I’d just signed my way into hell.

“Miss Maya, right?” His voice came deeper and sharper this time. My eyes lingered on his intimidating demeanor before I managed to force out a reply.

“Yes, sir,” the words slipped past my lips faster than I expected.

He chuckled, revealing light dimples. I didn’t expect that from such, such a casual chuckle, but instead of easing my tension, it did the opposite. The chuckle ended with a stern stare that sent a fresh wave of shivers down my spine.

“Have a seat,” he said, gesturing with one hand. I nodded and took the chair opposite his.

I watched as he settled into his seat and looked up at me. When his cold, piercing eyes met mine, I felt the weight of the danger I was walking into.

Everything about this didn’t sit well with me. There was something deeply wrong here. But what surprised me more was my sudden silence. I wasn’t the quiet type, normally, I was bold and outspoken, so why was I suddenly so subdued?

“What took you so long to take the offer?” His words struck like a slap.

I looked up, cleared my throat, and tried to respond confidently. “I was…”

He cut me off without hesitation. My jaw dropped in surprise and soon a flicker of anger boiled in my chest, but I swallowed it down. This wasn’t the moment to show my temper.

“I don’t think I’ll be needing those details again,” he said, his brown eyes boring into mine.

“I just want to confirm something from you, Maya.” He said my name so casually, like he’d known me for years. For a brief moment, it reminded me of someone else, someone from my past. The resemblance was also visible.

“Oh please, get a grip,” I scolded myself, shaking the thought away. “He might just be a lookalike.”

“You listen to me when I speak. Do you understand?” His voice stung like a bee, carrying so much command and authority that I found myself nodding before I even realized it.

“Good.” He tapped the table with his index finger, as if trying to suppress some hidden emotion. “Do you really know what you’re getting into?”

That question made my breath catch.

“Do you?” he added, this time with a casual tone that felt far more dangerous than the first.

“I don’t seal deals with serpents,” he muttered, then stood and took slow, deliberate steps toward a golden bar in the corner of the office.

He pulled out a glass and a bottle of wine before returning to his seat. “You need money, and I need a child. We’re doing each other a favor.”

He poured himself a drink, swirled it in the glass, and took a slow sip. The movement was so smooth it was almost theatrical. Then he looked at me and gave me a deadly smirk, one that almost made me want to back away.

“The last surrogate didn’t do so well, and she was severely punished.” His words slammed into me. Severely punished?

“I hope you won’t disappoint, Maya.” He chuckled again, but his eyes didn’t soften, rather they spoke something else.

“Are you sure you won’t disappoint? I want things to be clear between us, Maya.” His eyes stared on my lips and I struggled to force a reply, "I… won’t,” I stammered, swallowing the fear rising inside me.

“Good girl. I know you wouldn’t want to end up like the last surrogate.” His tone was calm, but the repetition made my heart race faster.

“What… happened to the last surrogate?” The words slipped out before I could stop them. It was obvious, at this rate my fears were playing faster than me.

He chuckled, taking his time before responding. “You’ll understand if you ever violate the rules.”

I gulped hard and forced myself to speak. “I won’t violate the rules.” Everything in me was already asking me to back down, but the money is too huge to let go off because of some stupid fear.

“Good.” He smirked faintly. “I’ll call the lawyer to bring in the contract document so you can sign.” For the first time, he gave me a smile that didn’t feel entirely forced.

He picked up his phone and dialed. “Come to my office immediately,” he said, then ended the call abruptly.

Before I could blink, the door swung open. An elderly man in a black suit entered, bowing slightly before walking toward him. But what caught my attention wasn’t the suit or how nearly dressed the man was, but it was the fear in his eyes, the way his legs trembled, and how his hands shook even as he held the file tightly, as though afraid it might fall.

“This man is terrified,” I realized. His fear was so obvious that even a child could sense it.

“Here is the contract, Mr. Arnold,” he said, voice tight.

Arnold? So that’s his name.

“Hand it over to her. She will sign and return it immediately,” Arnold instructed.

The man bowed and passed the envelope to me. My own hands were trembling now.

“Get lost. I’ll continue from here,” Arnold said calmly, though the command in his tone was unmistakable.

The lawyer let out a sigh of relief, his entire posture relaxing before he hurried out of the room.

“Go through the contract and get back to me,” Arnold said, pulling me back into the moment.

I looked at him, unsure of what kind of man sat before me… and why everyone around him seemed to fear him so deeply.

“Before you open that envelope, let me make something clear to you.”

I looked up at him, my chest hardening.

For some reason, I already knew he had nothing peaceful to say. Still, I forced my chin up, trying to hold on to a thread of confidence even though I was breaking apart inside.

“Think about this clearly…” He paused, just when my ears were itching for his next words.

His eyes locked onto mine in a stare so long and so cold that goosebumps hugged my skin.

“Once you open this document, you cannot go back on your decision.” A shiver ran straight down my spine as his words hit me.

“I can’t go back…”

Before I could finish the thought, he cut in.

“You have the right to say yes or no now. The ball is in your court. Will you proceed with this contract or not?”

My heartbeat tripled. Suddenly, the thought of giving up didn’t seem so bad.

The risk wasn’t just a fear anymore, rather it was standing right in front of me, staring me in the face. Every warning sign was screaming at me to back down, to get the hell out while I still could.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore. I think… I’ll back down.” My fear spoke this time around.

I pushed myself up from the chair so fast it scraped the floor. My phone, which had been resting carelessly in my lap, slipped slightly, and I caught it, shoving it into my pocket.

“This is where I call it a day,” I muttered, already turning toward the door, desperate to leave.

But his voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Would you rather go back to your miserable past than change your life right now?”

The words slammed into my chest like a punch, and I froze.

He wasn’t wrong. He was making a point. But was freedom from poverty worth this kind of risk? My gut screamed no. Every instinct I had was warning me this would not end well.

“Think about it, Maya,” he said, his voice low.

I turned back toward him, drowning in confusion. Should I do this or not?

That was when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, my breath catching when I saw the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“I haven’t heard anything from you. Have you signed the contract?” It was my mother’s voice, trembling with panic. “Your sister’s life is on the line. She just fainted.”

My chest beat tremendously.

“Or do you want to kill her too? Just like you killed your father?” Her voice cracked, venom and grief lacing every word. “I promise you, Maya, if anything happens to her, I will never forgive your miserable….”

“I’ll sign it.” The words tumbled out of me before I could think. I turned to face him fully. “I’ll sign the damn contract.”

A sly smile curled his lips.

At that moment, I wasn’t thinking about myself anymore. I wasn’t thinking about the danger, or the rules, or the way every part of my body screamed to run.

I was thinking about my sister.

I couldn’t let her die when I had a way to save her.