Chapter 4 A contract signed in fear

Chapter 4

ADELINE

"You should consider yourself lucky. Your family didn't exactly seem sad when they watched me take you away." I am sitting numb on the couch in his living room while he pours himself coffee and takes a seat as well.

I wanted to do a lot of things to him earlier when I found out he was my rapist but all that flew out of the window when I saw a gun in his car earlier.

I had no choice but to follow him because my dad had leaned in and whispered that he would end me himself if I didn't do exactly as I was told.

"Earth to you, Adeline Keaton. I'm talking, and if I'm talking, it is only right for you. I listen, seeing as you're the only human inside of this place." I gulp because all the air hanging around this man is scary and stale, and I don't even want to find out what he would be like if anyone pissed him off.

"I don't have the time, nor do I want to know how you're doing or feeling, so I'll just give you a brief run through the house rules." He pulls out a gun from his belt line and sets it on the table casually and my entire body quivers. Who exactly is this man?

He locks eyes with me for a brief second and all I can see is the cold and icy interiors. It is almost like his eyes are mirroring his soul.

"You're here because of a debt your father owes and-" The sight of the gun isn't helping me do a good job of staying calm.

My palms are sweaty, and my teeth are jittering as I try my best not to show it.

"If he owes you money, you can let me go and I will work hard enough to repay my father's debt." I try offering because something within me keeps tugging at my soul and whispering that I wouldn't like living with this man.

There would be a lot of regrets.

"First rule: Miss Keaton, you don't interrupt me when I'm still speaking. Also, what your father owes us is greater than money. He hasn't been able to repay before he got married and even thought of birthing you so whatever makes you think that you can repay it needs to quieten its voice." I gulp as I wonder what exactly my father has gotten himself into.

Why was I to be the pawn in this game?

"Good girl." He says after a soft pause and I don't say any other word.

"Since your father is still yet to repay his debt, it's best to make you useful so here, go through this and sign the contract." He hands a file over to me that was lying on the top of the table, and I receive it with jittering hands. My entire body is shaking as I skim through it and I wonder exactly what I'm supposed to do.

He is handing me a marriage contract after he had practically taken me away from my father and no one was able to alter him.

He is handing me a marriage contract with a gun in sight telling the unspoken words that I can't even refuse.

There's a lot of threat hanging in the air but my eyes remain fixated at the last part, which is to be my only way out.

*If my father repays his debt completely and I give him an heir*

He chuckles as he stares at my puzzled expression then hands me a pen.

"You already know that you have no say in it so put down your signature. The maids would show you to your room and I must warn you, under no circumstance should you go to the basement or the west wing. I like having my space to myself." He warned and I signed the contract with hands shivering, handing it over to me.

It's been three years already, and I was still his contract wife; nothing had changed. We had sex on scheduled days, yet for 3 years, I had not been able to conceive a child.

There was nothing said about me after repaying his debt or whatnot, yet my hopes were still on a thin thread.

I had gotten used to Mr. Landon Cree's demand for perfection yet for some reason, he couldn't even find me worthy enough to go on occasions with him.

I am his hidden contract wife.

I hoped that today would change things for the better as I pressed the pregnancy report to my chest.

On getting to the house, he is sitting on his favorite sofa, smoking a cigarette and there's a file in front of him.

"Landon, I have-"

"Sit." He orders and my mood falls as I stare at him before doing as he had instructed.

"Your father finally repaid his debt and you can't give me an heir. I am to get married to my fiance in 3 months as she just got back from the States, so I'd need you to sign this." The fear of the unknown fills me as I pick up the file and realize that it's an annulment of the fake marriage.

"You're letting me go?" I whisper and he nods softly.

"Isn't that what you always wanted? You shouldn't be here by the time I return." I try calling out to him but I stop myself as he walks out nonchalantly.

I don't know why, but I am hurting. He hasn't exactly been nice for three years- I almost thought that though we didn't get close on good terms, we would metamorphose into something real.

I say nothing as I strode back to my room with both the annulment file and the pregnancy report in both hands.

I spent the whole afternoon reminiscing as tears fell, but this was a good thing, right? It's supposed to be a good thing that he's finally letting me go.

Perhaps I should be grateful, I didn't want to be caught up in his world. I didn't know much, and he warned me that I shouldn't ask questions, but I knew that his world wasn't one I should meddle with.