Contract Terminated

Edward Strickland was back in New York.

As his secret lover, Estelle Holder was driven straight to his penthouse on Park Avenue.

The terms of their agreement were clear. She had to wash herself thoroughly before seeing him; not a trace of perfume or a hint of makeup.

Estelle followed his rules to the letter. After scrubbing herself clean, she slipped into a silk nightgown and went upstairs to the master bedroom.

Edward was sitting at his computer, handling business. When she walked in, he glanced at her without much interest.

"Come here."

His voice was cold and flat. The words landed heavily on Estelle's heart, leaving her tense and uneasy.

Edward was aloof by nature, and his moods were impossible to predict. Afraid of angering him, Estelle didn't waste a second. She hurried over.

Before she could even stop, he pulled her into his arms and gripped her chin with his long, slender fingers.

Then he lowered his head and kissed her red lips.

Edward had never been one for conversation with her. Whenever he saw her, he only wanted one thing from her...

When Estelle woke up, the space beside her was empty.

But she could hear running water from the bathroom.

She followed the sound and saw the outline of a tall, lean figure behind the frosted glass.

Estelle was surprised. Every time, he left the moment they finished. He had never once stayed long enough for her to wake up.

Yet this time, he hadn't left.

Forcing her exhausted body to move, she sat up and waited quietly for him to come out, as obedient and docile as ever.

A few minutes later, the water stopped. Edward stepped out wearing only a towel.

Water dripped from the ends of his hair onto his honey-toned skin, sliding down over his defined abs. His firm, sculpted body carried a dangerous kind of appeal.

His face was strikingly handsome, as if carved by a master sculptor. Every feature was sharp and clean, and his deep, dark eyes held a distant chill.

He was undeniably attractive. But the cold aura around him kept everyone at arm's length.

Noticing she was awake, Edward shot her an icy look.

"From now on, you don't need to come here anymore."

Estelle froze.

What did he mean, she didn't need to come anymore?

Edward looked away, turned, picked up a document, and handed it to her.

"I'm terminating the contract early."

The moment she saw the agreement that had ruled their relationship, Estelle finally understood.

Edward wanted to end things between them.

So that was why he hadn't left right away. It wasn't because he couldn't bear to part with her.

He wanted to break up.

Five years. She had been with him for five years. She had always known this day would come, but she never imagined it would end like this.

No reason for the breakup, or even an explanation. Just a simple notice that it was over.

Swallowing the pain rising in her chest, she slowly lifted her head and looked at Edward, who was getting dressed.

"The contract only has six months left. Can't we wait until then?"

The doctor had told her she had only three months to live.

She wanted to spend a little more time with him. To stay by his side until the very end.

Edward didn't answer right away. He just looked at her with cold eyes, without the slightest reluctance to let her go.

It was like throwing away a toy he was tired of.

His silence told Estelle exactly where she stood in his life.

Five years, and she still hadn't warmed his heart.

It was time to wake up from this dream.

She took the contract and forced the corners of her lips upward, putting on a calm, beautiful smile.

"Don't look so serious. I was only joking."

Then she added, "I stopped wanting to be with you a long time ago. Now that the contract's ending early, I couldn't be happier."

Edward's hands paused as he adjusted his shirt cuffs.

He raised his cool, detached eyes and studied her.

There wasn't a trace of sadness on her face. If anything, she looked a little excited, as if ending things was a relief.

His thick brows drew together slightly.

"You stopped wanting to be with me a long time ago?"

Estelle nodded, pretending not to care.

"Of course. I'm not getting any younger. It's time for me to get married and have kids. I can't keep following you around forever without a real place in your life, can I?"

Marriage and children were impossible for her in this lifetime.

But even so, she wanted to walk away from Edward with her dignity intact.

With that thought, she smiled and asked, "Now that the contract's over, does that mean I'm allowed to date someone else?"

Edward's expression gave nothing away.

He stared at her for a moment, then picked up the Blancpain watch from the nightstand and turned to leave.

"Do whatever you want."

Those were his last words before he walked out.

Estelle watched his back disappear, and the smile on her face slowly faded.

Edward had always hated anyone touching what belonged to him. Yet when she said she wanted to date another man, he hadn't reacted at all.

It seemed...

He really was tired of her.