I paced restlessly, nibbling on my nails. I hadn't been able to get a single wink of sleep or a moment to sit down and pretend I had no concerns.
My eyes occasionally peeked at the portfolio laid out on the coffee table like an offering of mass destruction. Suddenly, my mind wandered back to hours ago, goosebumps rising on my skin.
"Become my wife for one year."
"Why me, Mr. King?" I was forced to ask because this was out of the blue.
"Because we work, Ms. Lane."
That wasn't the explanation I'd hoped for. There must be some reason why he brought this to the table. Ares King wasn't the kind of man to make such random offers.
Any woman would scream at a chance like this, but I have worked with this man for three years, and I would rather hug an electric pole than consider anything with Ares King.
"Take some time to look at the contract. I hope for a response in three days."
Swallowing a lump in my throat, I sat on my knees, and with a sharp sigh, I opened the contract. It wouldn't hurt to look inside.
"Okay…" I traced a finger on the clause. "Purpose."
The purpose of this contract is to establish a temporary marital relationship between the Husband and the Wife for mutual benefit, appearance, and personal objectives.
"Twelve months." I read the duration period.
What followed next were the living arrangements. I was meant to stay at his residence during the duration of the contract. Separate bedrooms and privacy, unless mutually decided otherwise.
"Unless mutually decided otherwise? This is just getting crazy." I leaned away, already growing more aggravated.
Regardless, my curiosity got the better of me, and I drove in again.
The contract also stated I'd maintain public appearances with family, media, and so on.
Which meant the entire Midnight City would be at my neck. The King's name was a brand here, and I'm not sure about being in the public eye.
But the next part offered security, even after the termination of the contract. Ares King was rich enough to pull that off, and by the end of the day, I'd be wiped out from any media after this. I'd be protected.
I released a heavy sigh. I'm shameless enough to admit that it sold me. But I shouldn't just jump the ball just yet.
So what's next... Financial provision. My mouth dropped.
"You've got to be kidding me! Are these numbers right?"
This was more than I make in a year working for him and triple the severance pay.
I threaded my hands through my red hair, completely awestruck.
With this amount of money, I could save the farm, clear off medical bills, and pay off my college loans.
All my troubles would be fixed with a snap of a finger.
I set the papers aside. Maybe the numbers are wrong? No. This is Ares King. He never makes mistakes. This is certainly as real as it gets.
The devil's offer, yet I turned to the next page.
Next was personal boundaries. It mentioned not having any relationships with a third party during the duration of twelve months.
Next was the Termination Clause, and it was agreed that if any occurred, the husband would decide if the payment would be revoked or not.
No room for transgression, that's so like him.
There was also an NDA. I can't tell anyone about this.
The rest listed that my living expenses, wardrobe, and medical bills were covered.
I skimmed through the rest, already stressed. But I paused when my eyes caught a special clause.
"Hey girl, it's me."
I jerked back to reality when I heard Tori coming. I quickly gathered the papers and forced them into the portfolio.
"What are you doing?"
"N-Nothing..." I pose with my elbow holding the leather down.
"What's up? You're here early." I peeked at the clock on the wall. "You should've your shift by now."
"Thought I stayed with you."
"But your work."
"Troy can cover for me. He owes me plenty. So where did you run to?"
"I-I had to check something important."
"Hmm..." She walked to the fridge and opened it for a can of Sprite. "What's so important that you had to drive at noon after having an all-nighter of drinking?"
"T-That's why I said it was important."
"You're doing that thing with your mouth."
"What thing?"
"It's bent. You do that when you lie. What's going on, Cat?"
"Nothing!" I adjusted the portfolio beneath my elbow.
"Huh..."
I sighed in defeat. "Okay, you got me."
"You're really a bad liar; you should work on that."
"I'm only helpless when it comes to you."
"Because I know you too well. The cute munchkin from Midnight College." She clawed her fingers, donned in rings. "I knew I had to protect you no matter what before the city folks ate you alive."
I rolled my eyes. "Look, Tori, I can't exactly tell you what's going on. It's confidential."
"Ooooh, sounds like my kind of buzz."
"I'm being serious."
"Okay." She nodded. "Rephrase it in a way I can understand. I know you need someone to talk to about whatever has your panties in a twist, and my hunch tells me it's not about You-Know-Who."
I furrowed my eyebrow. "You-Know-Who?"
"Gotta go Harry Potter mood, or would you prefer I say Dan—"
"Alright! I got your point. It's perfect."
"Good. Now spill."
I gulped. "What if by chance you get an opportunity that you can't resist and it's the solution you need?"
"Is this opportunity safe?"
"To an extent. It's pressuring and risky because trust me, it's gonna be deeper than any hole I've ever been in. Honestly, I don't know what to do."
"Catherine Lane takes risks for breakfast. Remember that time at college, you were grouped with a team of slackers for a project."
I made a wistful face. "I almost failed that course."
"But you didn't because you finished everything and still had time to narrow it down for all of them."
"This is not a school project."
"My point is, Catherine Lane never backs away from anything. You fall, you stand so many times I have lost count. Besides, nothing else can ever be worse than working with Ares King. You crossed that hell, you can basically do anything."
~☆~
This was a bad idea.
Doing business with Ares King was the same as sticking your hand in fire. I have seen the fate of everyone who had the heart to take him on.
My phone rang, and seeing the caller, my heart skipped a few beats.
I answered. "Granny? Is everything okay?"
"Oh, peanut."
Her sweet voice gave me butterflies, but it didn't kill my worry. "Did something happen?"
"Peanut, calm down. Nothing happened. I only called because I wanna hear your voice. How are you?"
Whatever pressure in my chest was released. "I'm fine."
"You don't sound well."
"I just had a long day at work."
I hated myself for lying, but it was the only thing I could do. The last thing I wanted was to make her worry.
"Are you sure that's all?"
I took a sharp intake of breath. "Yes, it's just that it can be so demanding sometimes, you know."
"Oh, peanut, I understand. What about Daniel?"
My stomach clenched.