4. Bound Indirectly

“I’ve already drafted the contract,” Zayne said suddenly from behind, darting past the dining table. Sunny followed him, looking down, hands clasped nervously. She seemed unsettled.

The coffee Elmy sipped from her cup tasted more bitter than usual. Yesterday, they had agreed to postpone the divorce until Zayne’s goal was achieved. He had told Sunny about the arrangement they made. Elmy had no doubt Sunny would accept the offer. She needed money, and anything tied to money would feel right when you were under that kind of pressure.

Zayne sat across from her, pouring coffee from the pot into his cup. Elmy peeked over the rim of her cup and realized they hadn’t looked at each other since last night. Like strangers sharing a roof, yet living under one.

But this morning, they were gathered at the dining table. Silence. No one initiated conversation. Only the clinking of spoons against mugs, or the sizzle of eggs being fried by the housemaid. Zayne sipped his coffee solemnly. Sunny, sitting beside him, glanced at him with clear awe in her eyes.  

“I didn’t know you could drink coffee, Zayne,” Sunny remarked in surprise, making Elmy raise an eyebrow.

Elmy clenched her jaw slightly, irritation bubbling under her calm exterior. “I make coffee for Zayne every morning.”

“But Zayne has—”

“Go ahead, read the contract,” Zayne interrupted before Sunny could finish. He pushed a folder to the center of the table. Elmy squinted, curious at his response. The maid left the counter without being asked, disappearing from sight.

Shifting her attention, Elmy took the black folder. She saw it filled with contract agreements. From Zayne’s drafted contract, several points made her frown. First, regarding her and Sunny’s status: Zayne made it clear that Elmy remained his wife, while Sunny had no legal, social, or familial status within their household.

She stared at Zayne for a few seconds before looking back at the papers. The second section concerned Sunny’s pregnancy. It stated that Zayne would use IVF and only have physical contact if necessary. No touching—that was the essence of it.

Elmy lifted her cup and took a sip of coffee. “Why IVF?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “Wouldn’t it be simpler just to… touch her?”

“Because I don’t want to touch a woman I haven’t married,” Zayne replied coldly.

“Then what’s the point of having her here?”

“As a solution, right?” Zayne shot back, mocking her words from yesterday.

Elmy bit her inner lip hard, forming a straight line. She exhaled, then read the next article. Under this agreement, she had to stay, sleep with Zayne as husband and wife, and couldn’t file for divorce until an heir was born.

That clause made Elmy read it again. She furrowed her brow. She saw no benefit. What did closeness mean if it didn’t spark even a little life into this marriage to keep it going longer than it should?

“What if Sunny doesn’t get pregnant? Do I have to wait even longer?” she asked weakly.

Zayne nodded firmly.

“Fine, I’ll follow your rules.” Elmy shifted her gaze from the contract to Zayne’s face. She offered a thin, composed smile. “What about you, Sunny?” she asked, looking the woman over carefully.

“I’ll abide by the agreement.” Her fingers interlaced nervously on the table. With a soft voice, she added, “I won’t demand anything.”

Practically, Zayne pulled a pen from his suit pocket and pushed it to the center of the table so Elmy could reach it. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed it, staring at her name on the contract. She paused a moment, waiting for her hand to stop trembling.

“Sign it, and there’s no turning back,” Zayne warned.

Yes, Elmy knew that. This idea. The solution. The agreement. She hoped it wouldn’t become a ticking time bomb that would destroy her even further. Only one thing mattered—protecting herself from the pain she’d held in for too long.

With resolve, she signed. As the ink dried, her hazel eyes met Zayne’s, who leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. A slight curve lifted the corner of his lips—a faint, thin smile.

“Don’t worry, Zayne. I know what I’m doing.”

“Make sure you follow every clause, Elmy.”

“I always play by the rules,” she replied calmly.

“I hope you won’t regret this decision.”

“I won’t. Enough?” she said impatiently. “I have to go.” Elmy tried to flash her usual cheerful smile, as if the contract signing drama or someone coming into their house with a “noble task” hadn’t just happened seconds ago at the dining table.

“Go ahead,” Zayne said calmly.

The calmness he showed only made Elmy uneasy. The contract he drafted clearly carried a different meaning. She clutched at her thread of hope, praying her proposal wouldn’t turn into a double-edged knife backfiring on her.

Elmy turned to leave. Her smile faded. Her eyes followed her own steps as she walked away from the kitchen area. She faintly heard Zayne talking with Sunny. They sounded so familiar, so close, that Elmy realized she had never spoken to Zayne that way.

Uninvited jealousy surged, making her chest ache. She had offered this idea to Zayne, and now she had to accept the consequences. Whatever she felt next, Elmy would try to set aside.

“Mrs. Elmy,” her maid called hastily, handing her a folder. “Mr. Zayne said you need to keep this.”

Elmy took the damn contract, her hands aching all the way to the bone. From Zayne’s contract, she realized one simple truth: the decision she considered freedom now felt like a trap. And Zayne had tied her up in it, without even touching her.