Chapter 2 — The Terms and Conditions
The car door closed behind Lina with a soft click.
That sound felt louder than the rain.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The inside of the car smelled expensive. Leather. Power. Control.
Adrian Vale didn't look at her.
He simply handed her a thin black folder.
"Read."
Her fingers trembled as she opened it.
The first line made her stomach tighten.
Marriage Agreement Contract
"This is insane," she muttered.
"Everything in life is a transaction," Adrian replied calmly. "You just haven't been rich enough to see it."
She shot him a look. "And what exactly am I selling?"
He finally turned toward her.
His eyes were sharp. Assessing.
"Three years."
Her breath hitched. "Three?"
"You will live in my house. Attend public events when necessary. Maintain the image of a perfect marriage."
"And in return?"
"Your mother's surgery will be paid tonight. You will receive a monthly allowance. After three years, we divorce. You leave with a settlement."
He said it like he was discussing weather.
Her heart pounded.
"And if I refuse to act like your obedient little wife?"
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
"I don't need obedience. I need cooperation."
She looked back at the contract.
There were rules.
Rule 1: No public scandals.
Rule 2: No interfering in business matters.
Rule 3: No romantic involvement outside the marriage.
Rule 4: No expectations of love.
Her chest tightened at the last line.
"No expectations of love?" she repeated quietly.
Adrian's voice dropped lower.
"This is not a fairy tale."
The car slowed.
Outside, the massive gates of a private estate opened.
Her breath caught.
This was his house?
No.
This was a palace.
"Why me?" she finally asked.
Of all the women in the city, why choose someone drowning in hospital debt?
Adrian's expression didn't change.
"Because you're invisible."
The words stung more than she expected.
"No connections. No scandals. No ambitions that threaten me. You needed money. I needed a wife."
Simple.
Cold.
Cruel.
The car stopped in front of the mansion.
The driver stepped out.
Adrian looked at her one last time.
"You have one chance to walk away."
Her mother's pale face flashed in her mind.
The unpaid bill.
The ticking clock.
She closed the folder slowly.
"If I sign… you promise the money goes to the hospital immediately?"
"Yes."
"And after three years, I'm free?"
"Yes."
Her hands were shaking again.
But this time, it wasn't just fear.
It was the realization that she was stepping into a life she didn't understand.
She picked up the pen.
For a split second, Adrian's gaze softened.
Just slightly.
Or maybe she imagined it.
The pen touched the paper.
Her signature looked small under his bold printed name.
Adrian Vale.
The moment she finished writing, he took the contract back.
"It's done," he said calmly.
Just like that.
Her old life ended.
His phone buzzed.
He glanced at it.
"The hospital has received the payment."
Lina's breath left her lungs in relief.
Tears threatened to fall, but she blinked them back.
She should feel grateful.
Instead, she felt trapped.
Adrian stepped out of the car and extended his hand toward her.
"Welcome home… Mrs. Vale."
The title sounded foreign.
Dangerous.
She placed her hand in his.
His grip was warm.
Firm.
Possessive.
And as the mansion doors opened, Lina couldn't shake one terrifying thought:
What if the real cost of this marriage wasn't money…
But her heart?