Chapter 3

Elizabeth's Pov 

Sleep never came.

I spent most of the night staring at the thick folder lying on my nightstand.

Marriage contract. 

It looked absurd.

If someone had told me a week ago that I would agree to marry Lucas Hayes, I would have laughed in their face. 

Yet here I was.

I stood up from my bed and picked it up again, flipping through the pages even though I already knew what was there. 

Two years.

That was the minimum duration of the marriage—nothing less than two years.

There were rules there—rules I found funny. 

We were expected to live together under the same roof, attend public events as husband and wife, and maintain the image of a happy marriage.

And in return, my dad would no longer insist on sending me to Italy. 

I traced my fingers over the papers before dropping the file back in the nightstand. 

This is about Dave. Other things didn't matter to me as long as I stayed in New York; I still had a chance of finding whoever had killed him.

I pulled the bathroom robe closer to my body and headed to the bathroom when a knock sounded on the door.

“Miss Lancaster?” 

I opened the door and found one of my dad's drivers waiting outside the door. 

“Your father asked me to bring you to Foster & Briggs.” 

The law firm. 

“I will be out in ten minutes,” I said and closed the door before pressing my back against the door. 

So it was really happening. 

*****

On my way, I messaged Eleanor, my older sister, telling her where I was going.

The ride into Manhattan was filled with silence as I watched the city bustle around me.

People hurried along sidewalks, some with cups of coffee in their hands. The taxi honked impatiently. Businessmen and women rushed into the office building. 

Everything looked so… normal, and I found myself wondering how many of them were living their lives the way they had not chosen. 

The car pulled over in front of the sleek building of Foster & Briggs.

One of New York's most prestigious law firms. 

I stepped out of the car and smoothed invisible wrinkles from my blazer before walking inside. 

The receptionist stood up on seeing me and greeted me with a polite smile. “Miss Lancaster. They are waiting for you upstairs.” 

I nodded and walked into the elevator. The elevator ride felt longer than it should, and that was because of why I was here. 

When the door opened, I immediately saw my dad and Richard standing outside one of the conference rooms, discussing. 

“Princess,” Dad said with a small smile as they both saw me come out of the elevator. “You are here.”

“I didn't have much of a choice,” I said, and I saw a flicker of guilt cross his face before disappearing just as quickly. 

I walked closer to him and hugged him. His hands froze for a minute before I felt them on my back, and I smiled faintly. 

I might be angry at him for setting me up with marriage, but I still love him and his hugs. 

I pulled away, and Richard cleared his throat while checking his watch. 

“We should go back to the conference room,” he said and looked at me. “Lucas arrived a few minutes ago.”

I hadn't seen him physically in years except when he made the news. And it happened quite often.

Something tightened in my stomach, and I had to take slow breaths to steady myself. 

 I would come face-to-face with the man who had made my teenage years miserable…

...the man I was about to marry.

I hated that my heart was racing.

*****

The room suddenly felt too small the moment I saw Lucas. 

He was standing by the window with one of his hands tucked into his pocket and the other hand holding a glass of wine.

At the sound of footsteps in the room, he turned, and our eyes met for a second. 

He had changed. 

He looked nothing like the boy who had made it his life’s mission to torment me. He was much taller than I remembered. His chest was broader, and his dark hair looked tamed and nearly styled. 

But one thing hadn't changed. He still wore his confidence and arrogance like a perfectly tailored suit. If anything, they'd only grown stronger.

His eyes lingered on me for a moment before surprise flickered in his eyes, and just like it came, it disappeared.

“You grew your hair.” 

I blinked.

Out of everything he could have said, he chose that. 

I folded my arms across my chest. “I was expecting something creative for our first meeting.” I tilted my head. “You know, something like names.”

The faint amusement in his face disappeared, and for the first time since I knew Lucas, something like almost regret crossed his expression. 

“I was trying to be polite, but if you insist, I can always go back to my favorite nickname.”

I rolled my eyes. 

As if I knew he would never change. I glared at him, and he glared back until Richard stepped forward. 

“Would you both sit down?”

Lucas pulled out a chair with obvious reluctance before sitting, while I chose the seat farthest from him. 

From the corner of my eye, I saw Richard and Dad exchange glances before the lawyer came in carrying a thick folder. 

He adjusted his glasses before placing identical official copies of the contract in front of us. 

“Mr. Hayes. Miss Lancaster. Before any signatures are made, we are legally required to explain the terms of this agreement.” He opened the file with him. 

“The marriage shall remain legally valid for a minimum period of two years.” 

Lucas scoffed. But the lawyer ignored him. 

“Both parties will reside in the Hayes penthouse throughout the duration of the agreement.”

“Both parties will reside in the same master bedroom suite to maintain the appearance of a genuine marriage.” The lawyer continued. “Public appearances together are mandatory. Family events, corporate dinners, charity galas, and any occasion deemed necessary to preserve the public image of the marriage.”

“You expect me to live with her?” Lucas snapped. 

“My best guess is that you were given the file I was given and everything is written there. Why are you acting like you are seeing it for the first time?” I snapped at him. 

“Unlike you, I assumed my father wouldn’t decide my future without asking me,” he replied. 

I bit the inside of my cheeks hard enough to taste blood, stopping myself from saying what was on my mind. 

“There is also a fidelity clause.”

“You've got to be kidding me,” Lucas laughed, and more than the contract, he was pissing me off. 

“No extramarital relationships,” the lawyer said calmly. “Any verified affair immediately breaches the agreement.”

Lucas leaned back on his chair. “So the man accused of an affair with a married woman is forbidden from cheating.”

“Ironic,” I muttered, and his eyes snapped to me. 

Before he could reply, the lawyer interrupted again. 

“If either party files for divorce before the two-year term expires without mutual consent, there will be financial penalties, public disclosure of the breach, and forfeiture of the benefits outlined in the agreement.”

“Also, if a child is conceived during the duration of the contract, both parties agree to postpone any divorce proceedings until the child's welfare can be appropriately addressed.”

I scoffed this time. 

“Like I would ever want a child with him,” I muttered, but he heard me. 

“Is there anything you would like to change?” The lawyer asked, taking his eyes off the file. 

“Everything,” Lucas said. 

“I am afraid it isn't possible,” Richard said. “That is what you are getting.” 

Lucas turned to me. 

“Living with me is the worst decision you can ever make in your life. You can still back out now.” 

I looked him straight in the eyes. 

“So can you.” 

For a moment, our eyes locked. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled. It wasn't warm or kind.

It was the smile of someone who just accepted they were walking into a battlefield. 

“Looks like we are both out of luck,” I returned the smile before picking up a pen and signing the contract. 

“No.”

I slid the contract back to him and added. “You are the unlucky one.”

Just wait and see, Lucas Hayes.

 I’m about to be your biggest problem yet.