CHAPTER FIVE

For the first time since leaving Kingsley Holdings, I opened the email Liam's secretary had sent. I wasn't planning to accept the offer, I  just wanted to see how ridiculous it was.

The moment the contract loaded, my eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. I read the first page, then the second… I went back to the first page because I was sure I had misunderstood something.

A fifty-million-dollar deposit upon signing, a five-million-dollar monthly allowance, a luxury estate in Blackthorn, medical coverage, personal security, and five hundred million upon completion of the contract.

My mouth slowly fell open.

"DAMN!"

Surely this had to be a joke. Who pays someone this much to pretend to be a wife? I snapped my laptop shut.

He must be insane or maybe rich people simply live in a different reality. Either way, I wasn't selling myself.

I grabbed my bag and headed out. If the major companies didn't want me, I would try smaller firms. Someone out there needed an employee.

The first company rejected me before I even sat down, and the second barely looked at my résumé.

The third was slightly kinder, but the same excuse,

"No vacancies at the moment."

By the fourth interview, I was exhausted. The woman across the desk adjusted her glasses and sighed.

"Miss Quinn."

Here we go again.

"I'm afraid your reputation is becoming a concern."

"My reputation?" I asked, acting ignorant. 

She nodded awkwardly. "There are articles online."

"They're false." I quickly added.

"I understand, Still, our board is hesitant."

Board again, I forced a smile.

"Thank you for your time."

The fifth company didn't even bother pretending.

The manager glanced at his computer screen weirdly before looking at me.

"We don't hire gold diggers."

For a moment I just sat there, staring as I had misheard him. Then he looked up, his expression remained completely serious.

I quickly stood up, picked up my résumé and walked out. By evening I had submitted applications to ten different organizations.

I entered a restaurant and collapsed into a chair.

The waiter handed me a menu but I barely looked at it.

"Bring me enough food for three people."

He blinked. "Three?"

"Yes."

He walked away, and I buried my face in my hands.

The online rumors weren't slowing down. If anything, they were multiplying. Every day brought a new version of Nora Quinn. Apparently, I was everything evil. Someone even claimed I had been fired from the Hart Foundation for fraud.

I hissed. 

The food arrived and I started eating. Not because I was hungry, but because chewing gave me something else to focus on.

My phone buzzed, and I ignored it. It buzzed again, then I looked at it, Mrs. Sophia. I answered immediately.

"Hello, ma."

"Nora." The concern in her voice was evident. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." The lie slipped out automatically.

She sighed. "No, you're not."

I lost my appetite suddenly. 

"Everything is getting worse." I finally admitted. 

"I know." she said softly, "You can come back, I haven't processed your resignation."

"For a second, hope came alive, then reality hit me.

"I can't — I can't survive another day there.”

Mrs. Sophia was quiet, then she asked, "Do you plan on accepting Liam's offer?"

I nearly choked.

"What?... How do you even know about that?"

"Liam told me."

Of course he did.

"He said you would probably reject him."

"He's right."

"He also said no company would employ you with this scandal attached to your name."

I looked out the restaurant window, as tears threatened to fall. The city moved normally around me, meanwhile, mine was falling apart.

"I'll keep looking," I said. 

"Nora— I don't know who's doing this, but whoever it is... they're powerful."

My stomach twisted.

"I've tried helping behind the scenes, I made calls but nothing.”

Fear slowly crawled into my chest. If Mrs. Sophia couldn't help… Then who could?

"Nora, I'm worried about you."

A tear finally slipped down my cheek, and I  wiped it away quickly.

"I'm okay." But neither of us believed it.

By the time I left the restaurant, the sun was setting. I took a taxi home. I had this sense of uneasiness,  maybe I was simply tired. The taxi stopped outside my apartment building.

The moment I got to my apartment, I froze. My apartment door was slightly open. My pulse jumped. Maybe I forgot to lock it, but I never forgot.

I checked my purse, and my key card was still there.

Cold dread settled in my stomach as I slowly approached the door and pushed it open with trembling hands. The living room looked normal, nothing appeared broken or stolen.

I stepped inside anyway, but my heartbeat thundered in my ears. I hurried into the kitchen, still untouched. I hurriedly grabbed the largest knife I could find then continued searching.

Then I entered my bedroom, it looked exactly as I left it, then my gaze landed on the framed photograph that sat on the shelf, it was face down, I frowned, I always kept it upright.

Slowly, I approached it and picked up the frame, then I turned it over and froze. A piece of paper had been tucked behind the photograph. My hands shook as I unfolded it.

All the blood drained from my face immediately after I read the letter.

“This city has no place for opportunists, leave while you still can.”

The frame slipped from my fingers and the glass shattered across the floor. My breathing became uneven. This wasn't a gossip or social media scandal anymore. Someone was definitely after me.

A wave of nausea hit and I stumbled backward. The room suddenly felt too small. I rushed through the apartment, checking all the locks and windows for signs of anyone. 

I called the police immediately, but the conversation lasted less than ten minutes, nothing was stolen so there was very little they could do.

I slid down beside my bed and pulled my knees to my chest shaking. For the first time in my life, I felt truly unsafe and terrified.

The words on the note replayed endlessly in my head. Who wanted me gone? Why?, and what have I done? My mind drifted to Ethan, Elara, and then Mrs. Whitmore,  maybe all of them are involved.

My gaze drifted toward my laptop, and the email I had tried so hard to ignore. I remembered his words. "You need protection."

Back then, I thought he was arrogant, but now— now I wasn't so sure. Maybe he knew something, which was why he looked so certain.

I couldn't even sit alone in my own home anymore.

I stood slowly toward the desk and opened my laptop. The contract stared back at me and a contact number sat at the bottom of the page. I looked at it for a long time.

Accepting meant giving up my pride, my freedom and the future I wanted and marrying a man I barely knew.

But staying here— that suddenly felt far more frightening. I finally pressed the number and the call connected immediately. Almost too quickly as though someone had been expecting it.

"Miss Quinn."

I froze… I had been expecting his secretary, not him. Silence stretched between us, then Liam spoke again.

"You took longer than I expected."

I swallowed hard. "You answered quickly."

A low chuckle came through the line. "You are about to become my wife." His voice remained calm and controlled. "I don't intend to communicate through assistants."

The last pieces of my pride crumbled. I took a shaky breath and finally—

"Mr. Kingsley…”

Then silence….

"I accept." My voice broke.

"I'll be your wife for one year.”