"Excuse me?" I said, baffled. "What do you mean, move in?"
He raised a brow. "Once the contract is signed, you're going to be my wife. Isn't it normal to move in?"
I staggered back, grateful for the wall behind me. Without it, I would have collapsed. "You could have at least given me a moment to think this through."
Anthony's lips curved into a small, sharp smile. "Very well. Go ahead and think it through."
He folded his hands and waited patiently. I blinked, caught off guard by his calmness. "No, I don't mean now. I mean, give me days."
His voice sharpened, an edge cutting through the quiet room. "So you'd rather go back to your father? The man who won't stop at beating you?"
"He was in debt and was constantly drunk," I swallowed, looking away. "But now that he's no longer in debt, he won't harm me."
Oh, will he not?
"You have nothing to worry about. Like I said, no sex except you initiate it."
I frowned, wondering how much my life had changed...
A woman in a crisp black blazer and skirt, paired with white heels, walked in carrying a stack of documents.
She must be his secretary — the one he called earlier — but she looked so polished. Her skin was flawless, and her dark hair pulled back into a neat ponytail.
How could I possibly fit into this world? Me, a dropout.
Without glancing my way, the secretary's eyes stayed fixed on her boss. "The contract you requested, sir."
Huh, so soon?
When did he even prepare this?
Just when I thought I might escape this.
Anthony nodded at her, then turned to me. "Come review the contract, Miss. Adams."
I gulped and stepped forward, suddenly hyper-aware of my body, my skin, and my clothes. My skin wasn't flawless — acne dotted my face. My hair wasn't sleek and black; it was dull, bleached blonde. Maybe the only good thing about my appearance were my light blue eyes, but what good was that?
My dress was just an ordinary blue one, paired with worn-out black boots.
I couldn't even afford decent clothes because of my father's debts, because I had to help pay most of his debts, and yet he sold me out?
His secretary stood to the side, face impassive. I glanced at her and felt intimidated. Worse, Anthony's eyes never left me. I forced myself to the table and took the contract.
I read through the rules—some he had already told me—but then I saw one he hadn't mentioned: "You will never fall for me."
Huh?
I looked up at him. Not that I wanted to fall in love with him, but him stating it so plainly...
"I must not fall in love with you?"
He nodded, now sitting on the desk, eyes locked on me. Too close.
"Yes, Miss Adams. If you do, you will likely not survive it."
I nodded slowly and returned my gaze to the contract, reading on until my eyes landed on the amount.
Six!
Six whopping figures!
My eyes widened, almost popping out. "Five million on completion of contract?"
Wow.
That was enough money to fly away, to find a place of my own. Maybe, if I looked at this from a brighter side, it was for my own good—no sex, no love. That meant no pregnancy to trap me with him.
The money would be mine. Freedom might finally come at last.
One year. One year of a being his fake fiancee wouldn't bite.
But still, it was one year—and my life, my name, my body would belong to him. Although he said sex would only happen if I initiated it, it was still his… and?
No regrets. I should do this. But my hands shook as I held the pen, and even the paper trembled beneath it.
I glanced at Anthony. He was on his phone, typing fast—bored, detached.
I gulped. I should give in. No one would ever offer me this much money.
"This is insane," I whispered.
Without looking up, he said, "This is business. You can always walk away. No one's stopping you."
Huh. Nice, huh?
But no matter how foolish this all seemed, I knew it was the only way. My father was a beast at home—I could barely survive there. My mother had long left us. I had no one. No place. No money. Nothing to my name.
I bit my lips and scribbled my signature. From the corner of my eye, I saw Anthony watching me.
When I was done, I gently placed the contract down. Anthony nodded at his stoic secretary.
She walked over, took the paper without a word, and left.
I blinked, my gaze still fixed on the table. I needed to get away from here. I needed to breathe—some air that was truly mine. But how? When I'm now breathing someone else's.
Well, you will be free—after this fake marriage is over.
"My driver will be here shortly," Anthony said, finally putting his phone down. "Then you can go to your new place."
"I didn't bring my clothes. I need to go back home."
That's because I never thought this would happen.
"You don't need them," Anthony said, eyes on his phone again. "You'll have new clothes."
I shook my head and turned to the glass office win
dow. My eyes roamed over the tall buildings and busy streets below. So this… this was going to be my life now.
"Ahh, you're here already?" Anthony said into his phone after it rang.
"Very well. She's coming now."
He ended the call and walked toward me, then extended his hand. "Walk with me. Let's go home."