Malachi was tongue-tied for a moment, watching her with an unreadable expression. He didn't expect her to throw that question at him so casually. But it didn't take him long to recover. His tone was calm, steady, and laced with that same quiet dominance that made Athen's stomach twist.
"Well," he said, reaching for the contract again. "If you had actually read this, you'd know that tomorrow, we're going to pick up our marriage certificate."
Athen blinked, confused. "Wait, what?"
He continued as if she hadn't spoken, his voice cold and factual. "And according to clause six, we are to have a child… within a year."
Athen's jaw dropped open. Her heart skipped, and her mind blanked out for a full second before she gasped, "What?"
"Yes," Malachi said simply, his gaze unwavering. "Did you think we were acting in some kind of drama? Pretending to be married?"
Athen's face turned pale, her words stuttering, "I... I didn't think-"
Malachi leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, his eyes fixed on her trembling ones. "Are you regretting it already?" he asked in a low tone that almost sounded teasing, though his face remained serious.
Athen wanted to speak, but her voice failed her. Her heart was racing so fast, she could barely breathe.
Athen didn't answer. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Malachi's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he muttered coldly, "It's useless."
Her eyes snapped up to him, confusion flashing across her face. "How?" she demanded. "We can terminate the contract before it's finalized!" She even shrugged her shoulders, trying to sound confident though her voice wavered slightly.
Malachi leaned back on the couch, his sharp eyes glinting under the dim light. "So stupid," he said flatly, almost amused. "Read the contract properly, the termination fee."
Athen blinked, her breath catching. She glanced down at the document again, flipping the pages frantically, her eyes darting from one paragraph to another. The numbers made her heart sink. "T-this much?" she stammered.
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he sat back, one hand resting lazily on the armrest, the other brushing against his jaw. Never in his life had Malachi spoken this much in a casual conversation. He wasn't one to waste words, but somehow, taunting her felt strangely… entertaining.
Watching the shift in her expressions; the disbelief, the panic, the anger, there was a thrill in it. He found himself quietly intrigued by the woman in front of him, the same one who had stormed into his life by accident.
Athen, meanwhile, felt her stomach twist. _What have I gotten myself into?_
"1 billion dollars!?" Athen shouted, her voice echoing through the quiet study. She stared at the contract in disbelief, her hands trembling as she reread the number again and again. It didn't change. It was still there, one billion, clear as day.
Her heart pounded so hard it almost hurt. "Is this some kind of joke?" she mumbled under her breath. That amount of money looked too cartoonish like he wrote there for the sake. Who could even afford 1 billion dollars? Well he was a multi-billionaire so it wasn't an issue to him, but to Athen the deal was good as done, even if at one point she thought of terminating it, it would obviously be impossible.
The room suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier. She was just a broke girl who didn't even have money for fare, and yet, with her own hand, she had signed a contract that could ruin her for life.
Her mind buzzed with panic. She tried to remember if there was a hidden camera somewhere, if maybe this was all a nightmare. But the calm look on Malachi's face told her it wasn't. He was serious. Dead serious.
Athen pressed a hand to her forehead, her thoughts spinning. "I'm done for," she whispered. Now it was Do or Die.
Malachi said nothing, only leaned back slightly, watching her reaction with quiet amusement.
That moment burned itself into Athen's mind. If there was ever a lesson to be learned, this was it. She made a firm, mental note right there and then: 'Never sign anything again without reading every single word.'
Athen's eyes scanned the contract with painstaking care, refusing to leave a single line unread. Every word, every comma, every full stop was scrutinized as if her life depended on it, which, in some ways, it did. Her name was printed in bold on the first page, accompanied by Malachi's, as though the contract had been custom-made just for her.
The clauses were strange yet unsettlingly normal. They covered all the basics, living together, sleeping in the same bed, sharing meals, attending events as a married couple, but there were details that made Athen blink in disbelief.
One clause demanded that she accompany him on all business trips unless explicitly excused in writing. Another stated she must always present herself in public in a polished, formal manner, no casual or sloppy appearances allowed. Obviously that was to be expected.
There were odd stipulations too.
She was not allowed to leave the house without permission after 11 pm and to have arrived before 10 pm, except in emergencies. She had to always respond to his calls or messages within fifteen minutes unless she was incapacitated. Another section dictated that she could not dye her hair any certain color without his consent, apparently, he had specific aesthetic preferences.
The most absurd part? A clause about meals. She had to eat at least two meals every day with him, or she would face penalties. Another section forbade her from wearing red shoes in his presence, claiming it was a "distraction from marital focus."
And, of course, the infamous termination fee. One billion dollars. The number still made her knees weak.
Odd, almost comical, and yet terrifyingly strict. Some parts read like marital instructions, others like rules for living under a gilded cage. Athen swallowed hard, realizing she wasn't just signing a marriage contract, she was entering a world where her life, her habits, even her very choices, were now under someone else's control.
Her fingers trembled as she reached the last page. A handwritten line caught her eye: "The wife must always be truthful, even when it inconveniences the husband."
Athen blinked. She had never seen a contract so invasive, so… precise. And yet, strangely, it all made sense in the context of Malachi Reign. Everything in this document was him, exact, cold, controlling, and unyielding. She exhaled shakily. There was no going back now.