Chapter 5 MARRIED TO THE DEVIL

I slammed my apartment door shut, leaning against it with a long sigh. Dropped my bag onto the worn--out couch and peeled off my heels, wincing at the ache in my feet.

My body felt sticky and without thinking, I walked straight to the bathroom, turning on the shower and letting the steam fill the space.

Slowly I pulled off my blouse and skirt, letting them fall on the floor. Unclasping my bra, I freed my full, round breast, feeling the cool air against my skin.

I entered the warm cascade of water, scrubbing my skin with a force that bordered on desperation, trying to erase the memory of Ethan's dark, predatory gaze.

As the water flowed down me, I leaned against the cold tiles...my thoughts were cut short by the sharp ring of my phone. Wrapping a towel around myself, I rushed to pick it up. Ava.

"Hey girl". I said in a tired voice.

"Oh my God, Elena! You were supposed to call me hours ago! What happened? " Maya's concerned voice crackles through the line.

I exhaled walking to my standing mirror to pick up her anti-pespirant."Sorry, Maya. It's been...a day"

"Well? Did You see him? What happened?"

I hesitated, gripping the towel tighter. "I saw him, alright" I said slowly. "And...I walked in on something"

"What do you mean?" Maya demanded.

"Maya you don't believe I caught him making out with a white in his office...they were having a missionary!"

There was a long pause before Maya gasped." Elena! You're kidding me! You saw Ethan Caldwell...doing it?"

"Yeah," I muttered, running a hand through my damp hair. "it was ...intense."

Aha groaned ."God... lena, I told you that man is bad news. I can't believe you actually went there without an appointment! Do you even know who Mr Ethan Caldwell is? You've read about him, right? The guy's a total..."

"I don't need to read about him. I saw enough today," I cut in. "But I had no choice. The lawyer said I have two months to pay off my dad's debt or I'll be jailed. I can't make that money working normal jobs...not even in 2 years."

Aha sighed. "I get it Elena...what's your brother saying about all of these?

"I can't afford to worry about him now, Maya. I just need to survive".

"It's fine but I'm so scared for you, lena. He's ruthless, Women are nothing but a game to him." Maya was quiet for a moment before whispering. "Just...be careful, okay?

"I will," I murmured.

But deep down I wasn't so sure.

I hung up,staring at my reflection. Droplets slid down my skin, disappearing into the towel wrapped around me.

No amount of drubbing could wash away the unease curling inside me.

I sat stiffly in the chair opposite Ethan Caldwell, my hand clenched tightly in my laps. The air in the office was thick and my stomach churned, but I forced myself to keep my gaze steady, meeting his cold, piercing eyes.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable but with an edge of amusement playing at the corners of his mouth. His dark eyes circle around her, noticing every stiff movement she makes.

"So Elena..." he began, his voice low and smooth. "I've been thinking about your little proposal..."He tapped his fingers rhythmically around the edge of his polished desk.

"You're desperate to clear your father's debt and I'm a man who likes mutually beneficial arrangements".

My heart pounded painfully in my chest. The way he looked at me, made my skin crawl. And after all that happened between Liam and I last night, the thought of being lusted by any man again gave me shivers.

But I had no choice, did I? The lawyer's remark echoed into my ears. Jail...humiliation...ruin.

"I'll do whatever it takes Mr Caldwell" I said, my voice above whispers. "I meant work...any position in the bank".

He chuckled darkly, cutting me off. "Oh I'm not talking about the bank...sweetheart I have a better position in mind__the one that suits you perfectly".

My stomach dropped. I knew where this was going. He will be asking me to be one of his faithful play girls...I had seen it in his eyes, the moment I walked in.

"I want you to be my wife," he said suddenly, his tone eerily casual, as if they were discussing the weather.

My eyes snapped up to him in shock.

"Wi...What!??"

Ethan straightened, Looking down me with a smirk. " You heard me. A contract marriage, for a year. You play the role of a dutiful wife, be seen at my side, attend events, smile when you are told to and in return, I will wipe away your father's debt."

My mind reeled. "Marriage?" The word sounded foreign on my tongue."

"Yes sweetheart...my wife, think of it as a business arrangement." He moved away, pouring himself a glass of whisky like the conversation wasn't insane.

"You want me to pretend?" I asked cautiously, my voice trembling.

Ethan's eyes darkened. "Oh pookie...it's more than just pretending. You will be mine in every sense of the world. My name, my rules and my bed...and when next you come, dress in something pretty, I'd hate to have a dull looking wife"

My stomach lured. The ache in between my legs from Liam's forceful touch the night before was a painful reminder of how powerless I was when men like him took whatever they wanted.

And now sitting here in front of Ethan Caldwell...the man whose reputation was darker than sin itself...I could see history repeating itself but on a worse scale.

"I can't..." I whispered, shaking my head and tears threatening to well up.

Ethan's jaw ticked, his patience wearing off. "You can and you will. Unless, of course, you'd rather see yourself behind bars? I heard prison cells aren't nearly as comfortable as my penthouse."

This was insane! Unthinkable...a contract marriage with Ethan Caldwell??

With a shaky breath... I picked up a pen.