Genre Ranking
Get the APP HOT
His Wife By Midnight
img img His Wife By Midnight img Chapter 3 The Price of a Signature
3 Chapters
Chapter 6 The Woman in Red img
Chapter 7 Proof of a Marriage img
Chapter 8 Shadows of Friendship img
Chapter 9 The Price of Public Lies img
Chapter 10 The First Crack img
Chapter 11 The Friend Who Found Me ‎ img
Chapter 12 The Night I Chose Wrong img
Chapter 13 Blood on the Contract ‎ img
Chapter 14 The Price of Silence img
Chapter 15 The Man in the Grey Suit img
Chapter 16 The Facility in the Woods img
Chapter 17 The Traitor in the Room img
Chapter 18 Damon's Breaking Point img
Chapter 19 The Drive Between Us img
Chapter 21 The Vote That Could Kill Him img
Chapter 22 The Price of Truth img
Chapter 23 The Deal with the Devil img
Chapter 24 Ghosts with Familiar Faces img
Chapter 25 The Truth Is a Loaded Gun img
Chapter 26 What My Father Left Behind img
Chapter 27 The Wife They Underestimated img
Chapter 28 Blood on the Contract img
Chapter 29 The Legacy Awakens img
Chapter 30 Blood Ties Don't Break img
Chapter 31 Ghosts That Never Died img
Chapter 32 The Past That Refused to Stay Buried img
Chapter 33 The Key in Her Blood img
Chapter 34 The Shape of Betrayal img
Chapter 35 The Enemy Wearing a Smile img
Chapter 36 The Cost of Silence img
Chapter 37 The Hunter's Wife img
Chapter 38 The Voice That Should Be Dead img
Chapter 39 The Lie Between Heartbeats img
Chapter 40 The Choice That Burns img
Chapter 41 The Price of Mercy img
Chapter 42 Homecoming img
Chapter 43 New Beginnings img
Chapter 44 Finally, Us img
Chapter 45 When Walls Finally Fall img
Chapter 46 No More Pretending img
Chapter 47 Learning Each Other img
Chapter 48 Crossing Lines img
Chapter 49 Among Glass and Light img
Chapter 50 When the World Watches img
Chapter 51 Choosing the Words img
Chapter 52 Between Protocol and Presence img
Chapter 53 Sunlight Between Us img
Chapter 54 The Last Day in Light and Glass img
Chapter 55 In Transit img
Chapter 56 New Circles img
Chapter 57 Separate Rooms, Shared Space img
Chapter 58 Morning, Unguarded img
Chapter 59 Warmth That Lingers img
Chapter 60 Between Bells and Truths img
Chapter 61 Ordinary Days, Extraordinary Hearts img
Chapter 62 Threads That Never Break img
Chapter 63 After the Bell Rings img
Chapter 64 Returning Home, Sharing Secrets img
Chapter 65 Conversations and Caution img
Chapter 66 Shadows Behind Smiles img
Chapter 67 When Silence Screams img
Chapter 68 Behind Locked Doors img
Chapter 69 Where Fear Meets Resolve img
Chapter 70 The Weight of Time img
Chapter 71 A Fragile Miracle img
Chapter 72 What the Heart Holds img
Chapter 73 The Shape of Safe img
Chapter 74 Learning to Breathe Again img
Chapter 75 When Truth Crawls into the Light img
Chapter 76 Numbers Don't Lie img
Chapter 77 Shadows Behind the Ledger img
Chapter 78 Shadows of the Past img
Chapter 79 Fracture Lines img
Chapter 80 Fault Lines Beneath Glass img
Chapter 81 The Weight of Shadows img
Chapter 82 Calculated Moves img
Chapter 83 Cracks in the Mirror img
Chapter 84 The Weight of Silence img
Chapter 85 The Art of Control img
Chapter 86 When Masks Fall img
Chapter 87 After the Storm img
Chapter 88 Quiet Days, Loud Hearts img
Chapter 89 The Calm Before img
Chapter 90 When Silence Starts to Speak img
img
  /  1
img

Chapter 3 The Price of a Signature

‎If silence could scream, the one in Damon Black's office was deafening.

‎My fingers hovered over the contract like they were suspended in air, frozen between life and death. Damon stood inches away, his presence sharp enough to cut through bone. His voice from moments ago clung to the air like smoke:

‎"Finish signing."

‎After Collins' call after those frantic, terrified words, I could barely breathe.

‎Damon wasn't helping you.

‎He's using you.

‎My pulse hammered violently.

‎"Why did the call drop?" I whispered.

‎Damon tilted his head, watching me too closely. "Because you answered when I told you not to."

‎"That doesn't explain..."

‎"It explains everything," he cut in, his voice low, controlled. "Do not let anyone interfere with your decisions."

‎My throat tightened.

‎I swallowed hard. "What is Collins talking about?"

‎"Nothing that concerns you."

‎"It concerns me if he's talking about my mother," I said, my voice shaking.

‎That was when something shifted in his eyes, something dark, unmovable.

‎"Your mother will get the surgery. You will get the money." He leaned closer, his fingers brushing the edge of the contract. "All you need to do is sign. Right now."

‎Every instinct in my body screamed at me.

‎Run.

‎Think.

‎Ask.

‎Stop.

‎But then another voice whispered:

‎Mom.

‎Mom.

‎Mom needs you.

‎I forced myself to breathe.

‎"Why me?" I asked again, my voice barely audible. "Why choose me for this marriage? You don't even know me."

‎His stare didn't flinch.

‎Didn't soften.

‎"I don't choose at random."

‎"But.."

‎"This is not a negotiation, Mia."

‎My chest tightened painfully. "It feels like you're hiding something."

‎His jaw ticked. "Everyone hides something."

‎Those words sent a chill through me.

‎Still, I tried again. "If this is harmless and if there's nothing to worry about then why did Collins sound scared?"

‎A shadow passed over Damon's expression, there for only a heartbeat before disappearing.

‎"Put down the phone," he said quietly, "and sign."

‎My hand trembled. "I-I just need a minute."

‎Damon stepped closer.

‎Too close.

‎I could feel the warmth of him, powerful, controlled, unshakable like standing next to something dangerous pretending to sleep.

‎"You don't have a minute."

‎His voice wasn't loud.

‎It was soft.

‎Too soft.

‎"Damon..." I whispered, fear curling inside me. "Why do I feel like I'm walking into something I don't understand?"

‎His eyes locked with mine.

‎"Because you are."

‎My breath caught.

‎He wasn't even denying it.

‎He wasn't pretending.

‎He was telling me plainly:

‎Yes.

‎This is dangerous.

‎Yes.

‎You don't understand.

‎And no...

‎he did not intend to explain.

‎My fingers went numb around the pen.

‎Before I could say anything else, he took the contract and turned the pages to the last one.

‎"Once you sign here, the money transfers immediately." He tapped the line with one finger, his touch precise. "Your mother will be prepped for surgery at dawn."

‎Dawn.

‎That was all I needed to hear.

‎I reached for the pen again, squeezing my eyes shut.

‎"Please," I whispered, "don't hurt me."

‎The air went still.

‎Completely still.

‎When I opened my eyes, Damon wasn't smirking. He wasn't angry.

‎He looked... unreadable.

‎"I don't hurt without reason," he said. "And I don't break what belongs to me."

‎My breath caught.

‎Belongs to me.

‎The warning in those words was impossible to ignore.

‎He didn't rush me.

‎He didn't touch me.

‎He simply watched.

‎I forced myself to inhale, exhale, steady the shaking inside me.

‎For Mom.

‎For her surgery.

‎For her life.

‎Slowly... painfully... I pressed the pen to the paper.

‎My signature scratched across the page like it was carving the decision into my skin.

‎The moment the pen left the paper, something inside me snapped.

‎It was done.

‎It couldn't be undone.

‎Damon took the contract gently from my hand, closed the folder, and said:

‎"Good."

‎He picked up his phone, pressing one button.

‎No greeting.

‎No hesitation.

‎"Transfer it."

‎Just two words.

‎But they echoed like thunder.

‎He turned toward the windows, speaking quietly into the phone. "Her mother's surgery begins at first light. Ensure she gets a private ward and the best team."

‎He paused, listening.

‎"No mistakes."

‎Then he hung up.

‎I stared at him, my heart still pounding painfully.

‎"What happens now?" I asked.

‎Damon turned slowly, his eyes locking onto mine with a force that stole my breath.

‎"Now," he said, "you move in with me."

‎My stomach dropped. "T-tonight?"

‎"Yes."

‎"I-I can't," I stammered. "My clothes, my.."

‎"I will handle your belongings."

‎"But my job-"

‎"You won't be returning to that mall."

‎It felt like the floor vanished beneath me.

‎"I need that job.."

‎"You have a husband now," he said, calm but firm. "And my wife does not work at Sunrise Mall."

‎My heart thudded painfully. "You're controlling everything."

‎"That is the point of a contract marriage," he replied. "You gave up control when you signed."

‎Tears stung my eyes.

‎I blinked them back.

‎Damon wasn't moved.

‎Not even a little.

‎He walked toward the door. "Let's go."

‎But my feet refused to move.

‎Every part of me was shaking.

‎"Mia."

‎His voice slid through the air soft, dangerous.

‎"Come."

‎I took one step.

‎Then another.

‎But as I reached the doorway, my phone buzzed in my hand.

‎A new message. ‎From Collins.

‎I froze.

‎Collins: ‎I wasn't supposed to see this.

‎Something is wrong with your mother's file.

‎Mia, the test results were CHANGED.

‎Her real diagnosis is hidden.

‎Someone covered it up.

‎My blood ran cold.

‎Another message came instantly almost frantic: Don't trust Damon Black.

‎Your mother's illness...

‎it's connected to him.

‎My breath caught so sharply I almost choked.

‎Damon turned back when he noticed I wasn't walking. "Is something wrong?"

‎I hid the phone behind me instinctively, my hand trembling.

‎"No," I whispered. "It's nothing."

‎His eyes narrowed not suspicious, but sharp, assessing, as if he could see lies forming in my throat.

‎For a long, terrifying second...

‎he just stared.

‎Then he tilted his head.

‎"Mia," he said quietly, "from this moment on, you don't keep secrets from me."

‎I forced a nod, my heart pounding so loudly it hurt.

‎"Good," he murmured. "Let's go."

‎But as I followed him toward the elevator, one thought screamed louder than fear: If Collins was telling the truth...

‎then I just married the one man connected to my mother's sickness.

‎And he didn't even know

‎that I knew.

Previous
            
Next
            
Download Book

COPYRIGHT(©) 2022