🌹 The Contract Bride
đź“– Chapter Two: A Deal in Disguise
The jet cut through the night like a silent predator, its interior soaked in soft golden light. Emma sat across from Alexander in the private cabin, the hum of the engine the only thing breaking the silence between them.
He hadn't spoken since they left Wolfe Manor. No explanation. No details. Just a clipped order and a shadowed expression.
She stole a glance at him. Impeccably dressed in charcoal, he looked every bit the untouchable billionaire the media painted him to be. But there was something darker tonight—like his carefully curated walls were cracking.
"What's in Paris?" she asked, trying to sound indifferent.
His eyes didn't move from his tablet. "Business."
"I'm your wife. Doesn't that entitle me to at least pretend to be part of your life?"
Now he looked up. Slowly. "You're a figure. Not a partner."
Emma folded her arms, her voice tight. "And you're still an arrogant bastard."
The corner of his mouth twitched. Almost a smirk. But it vanished before it bloomed.
"We land in two hours. You'll wear what my assistant left for you in the suite. No questions, no mistakes. And when we meet Damien Vale—you smile."
Emma's blood went cold.
So it was true.
Damien Vale—the man whispered about in corporate halls, the one known for ruthless acquisitions and even more ruthless secrets. The man her father once warned her about. The man she'd met once, years ago, under very different circumstances.
Alexander didn't know that part.
And he couldn't. Not yet.
Paris — The Grand Noir Hotel
The chandelier above them sparkled like a thousand secrets. Emma stood by Alexander's side in a crimson gown, her arm hooked through his as cameras flashed like firecrackers.
He looked like he belonged here. Confident. Powerful. Perfect.
She felt like a lamb on display.
"You're drawing attention," he muttered through his smile.
"Maybe that's the point," she murmured back.
Then everything shifted.
Across the ballroom, Damien Vale entered like he owned the air itself.
Tall, devilishly handsome, and dangerous in the way fire is dangerous. His eyes swept the room with a predator's calm—and stopped on Emma.
Something flickered in them.
Recognition.
Emma's pulse spiked.
He walked toward them, drink in hand, smile razor-sharp.
"Alexander Wolfe," he said with mock warmth. "And… this must be your lovely bride. Emma, isn't it?"
Emma's lips parted, but no sound came.
Alexander didn't notice her sudden stillness. "Emma Sinclair. My wife."
Damien held out his hand. "We've met, haven't we, Emma?"
Emma's breath caught. She reached out, her fingers brushing his. "Briefly. A long time ago."
Their eyes locked. And in that moment, the game shifted.
Alexander sensed it. His hand tightened around her waist.
Later That Night — Hotel Suite
Emma paced the room, heels tossed aside, adrenaline still running through her veins. Alexander stood by the window, arms folded, jaw clenched.
"You knew him before," he said.
It wasn't a question.
"Yes," she said simply. "But not like you think."
"I think you're lying."
Emma turned, fury rising. "And I think you're afraid of someone seeing behind your mask."
He stepped toward her, slow and deliberate. "What did he offer you before I came along?"
"What?" she blinked.
Alexander's voice was ice. "You heard me. Was Vale your first sugar daddy before you decided to upgrade?"
Her palm struck his cheek before she even realized it.
Silence.
His head turned back slowly, expression unreadable.
"You don't get to talk to me like that," she whispered. "I may have signed a contract, but I didn't sell my soul."
He stared at her for a long, loaded moment. Then turned and walked out without a word, the door slamming behind him.
The Next Morning
Emma woke to the smell of coffee and a note on the table:
> Meeting with Vale at 11. You're coming. Wear the black dress. No surprises.
Her stomach twisted.
This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
As she changed, her thoughts raced. Why was Alexander suddenly desperate to meet Damien Vale face-to-face? Why now?
And why did Damien still have that look in his eyes when he saw her—the look that said:
"I know your secret."
Cliffhanger Ending (Chapter Two)
At the café across from the Seine, the meeting began like a business negotiation. Cold. Strategic.
Until Damien leaned in and whispered across the table to Emma, "Still wearing red lipstick when you lie, I see."
Alexander's head snapped toward her.
"What is he talking about?" he demanded.
Emma's smile cracked. Her world tilted.
Because the truth wasn't just a memory.
It was the secret that could destroy both men.
And only she knew how deep it went.