All Chapters of A CONTRACT SIGNED IN BLOOD AND DESIRE : Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

Off she went, the door swinging shut behind her - Elena hardly knew she’d stepped outside. Outside Laurent Holdings, the city wore its usual face. Down below, cars rolled between buildings. Sidewalks filled with folks moving fast. Nothing paused, everything kept pace. Yet deep within her thoughts, all had changed. Adopted. The word echoed again and again. It was something Daniel kept to himself. She didn’t know it at all. She found out later they kept it quiet. Not a word came from them before. Funny how Adrian Laurent found it first, without her knowing. Anger clamped down inside her ribs at the idea. Outside the building stood the car Adrian had set up. Without a sound, the driver pulled open the door. She paused before climbing in - like crossing into that seat would lock her into a choice unchangeable. Still, she went ahead. Outside the glass, buildings thinned into driveways behind iron fences. Time stretched thin as she rode through parts of town

Elena did not sleep. Out there beyond the glass, the city glowed faintly through a crack in the curtains. Her old apartment could fit inside this single room, maybe twice. Foot dangling, she stared at the floor - his grin kept flashing behind her eyes. Not confusion. Not hesitation. Recognition. You’re the one they picked, without a doubt. Still hearing Adrian’s voice long after he spoke. The sound stuck around, looping without permission. Words parked themselves behind her thoughts. They showed up again when she least expected. Each time louder than before. A quiet tap sounded on the wood moments past dawn. She stiffened. “It’s me,” came Adrian’s voice, steady and quiet. Up she got, careful and quiet, then turned the handle to let the door swing wide. Still calm, he wore a clean white shirt with black pants. Last night's mess left no mark on him at all. “You should have security outside my door,” she said immediately. “There is.” Her stoma

Lina woke up before the alarm.For a few seconds, she stared at the ceiling, trying to remember where she was.Then everything came back.The contract.Fames.His cold warning.And the strange documents she had seen the night before.She sat up slowly.Something about those documents had not felt right.The dates did not match.The story Fames had told her about her family did not match either.Lina reached for her phone and checked the time.6:15 a.m.She had barely slept.She got out of bed, washed her face, and changed into a simple dress. When she stepped out of the room, the house was unusually quiet.She walked downstairs.A woman was already waiting in the dining room.It was the housekeeper.“Good morning, Miss Lina.”“Good morning.”“Mr. Fames is waiting for you.”Lina stopped.“For me?”“Yes. He asked me to tell you to join him in his study.”Lina's heart beat faster.She did not know why.“Did he say why?”The woman shook her head.“No.”Lina thanked her and walked toward t