Chapter 5 The Contract and the Kiss

The black armored sedan devoured the city in a blur of motion, leaving the crystalline chaos of the Thorne Gala in its wake. Inside the soundproofed vehicle, the silence was suffocating, punctuated only by the rhythmic hum of the engine and the frantic, shallow rhythm of my breathing. The crumpled document-the non-compete clause-lay like a death sentence on the plush leather seat between Duke and me. Jason hadn't just announced a rejection; he had thrown a corporate grenade at the foundations of my future.

I stared at the paper, an acid burn churning in my stomach. The anger was no longer a simmering resentment; it was a cold, pure rage directed at the man who, even in defeat, had to retain absolute control. Jason Thorne was not content merely to reject me emotionally; he had to ensure I couldn't succeed financially, either.

"He can't do that," I whispered, the words shaking with cold fury. My hands were balled into fists in my lap, the charcoal fabric of my dress wrinkling under the pressure. "He has no legal right to control my life or my decisions, not three years after I walked away."

Duke finally looked at me, his dark eyes like chips of granite in the low light of the sedan. He slowly unfurled the paper, smoothing out the egregious clauses with an unnervingly calm hand, as if handling a minor business inconvenience, not a catastrophic betrayal.

"Oh, he can," Duke corrected, his voice a low, melodic rumble that seemed to vibrate through the air, yet remained dangerously soft. "It's a master stroke, Jasmine. A perfect final act of corporate control. When you signed the initial paperwork for your startup three years ago, you were still technically residing under the Thorne umbrella. Your father-Robert-has a clause in the family trust that you failed to locate. It requires any family member starting a venture to agree to a post-separation non-compete within the Thorne sphere of influence for five full years."

My mind raced back to the blur of legal documents I had signed. I remembered the rush, the desperate need to secure funding quickly, the foolish, inherent trust I had placed in my adopted father to protect my interests-a trust Jason clearly did not share. I had treated the paperwork as a formality; Jason had treated it as a battlefield.

"But I'm not working for the Thorne company," I argued, grabbing the document and pointing a trembling finger at the header: Duke International. "I'm in a completely new sphere. You're global. They're primarily luxury hospitality in North America."

Duke leaned closer, his proximity instantly stealing the air from the car. The masculine, woodsy scent of his cologne filled my senses, mixing with the metallic tang of fear. "You misunderstand the nature of a non-compete written by a Thorne, Heir," he countered. He gently plucked the paper from my grasp, his fingers briefly brushing mine, a searing contact that was shockingly intimate. "The Thorne sphere is brilliantly, maliciously defined as any entity that actively or directly competes with their primary sectors-luxury resorts, global asset management, and high-yield real estate acquisition. You sold your venture to me, Jasmine. The man who, as we speak, is trying to outbid Jason on four different resort projects across the Caribbean."

He tapped the document with a precise, measured rhythm. "Jason just served notice. If you remain an employee of Duke International, he has the legal right to dissolve your company, reclaim all initial assets, and sue you personally for violating the terms of the trust. He will bankrupt you and leave you completely dependent on him again. That was his purpose tonight."

My meticulously constructed future had just imploded into a pile of ashes. I had gained emotional freedom from Jason, only to find myself chained by his legal reach. My company, my independence, my pride-all hostage to his possessiveness.

"So you bought a defunct company," I stated flatly, forcing a tone of professional indifference that didn't match the cold dread gripping my chest. "Why are you still claiming me? Why the theatrical spectacle? Why bring in the blue-suited security detail and use words like king in a room full of bankers?"

Duke smiled then, but there was no genuine warmth in the gesture-only the glint of calculation and latent power. "Because that document only limits you as an employee, Jasmine. It says nothing about you as a partner... or a spouse."

The finality of the word hung in the air, a bell tolling for the death of my normal life. He wasn't suggesting an escape; he was proposing a cage, albeit one of my own choosing. A contractual marriage. A strategic alliance that would publicly neuter Jason's final, desperate effort to regain control.

"You want to marry me?" I scoffed, a nervous, almost hysterical laugh escaping my lips. "To spite Jason? You don't even know my favorite color-it's emerald green, by the way."

"I know the color of your ambition, and I know the heat of your temper," Duke countered, his gaze unwavering. He tossed the crumpled document onto the seat between us, his movement definitive. "That is all that matters in a contractual marriage. You will be legally untouchable by Jason, as a spouse's assets are protected under separate legal shields, particularly in the case of a corporate dynasty. And I will have permanent, legitimate access to the intellectual property of your company-which, I assure you, is very valuable to me."

He watched me closely, waiting for the inevitable horror to set in. But all I felt was cold, analytical clarity. Jason's rejection had taught me that love was a weakness. Duke was offering me a fortress.

"What are your terms?" I asked, meeting his gaze with a defiance I barely felt. I braced myself for a laundry list of demands, for the final surrender of my dignity.

Duke's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of genuine respect acknowledging my immediate surrender of emotion for logic. "Generous. You run your venture as an independent subsidiary under the Duke International umbrella. Full financial autonomy, a substantial private salary, and zero emotional obligations from me. This is a business partnership, first and foremost. You gain protection. I gain leverage over Jason, a formidable new asset, and the public validation of a powerful union."

"And the cost?"

"The cost," Duke murmured, lifting a hand to trace the curve of my jaw, his touch shockingly gentle against my skin. The shiver it sent down my spine was foreign and intense. "The cost is that you must convincingly play the part. In public, you are mine. You are passionately, hopelessly in love with the man who claimed you. You wear my rings. You move into my home. You appear at my side at every event. You publicly accept my claim with enthusiasm."

His thumb brushed my bottom lip, sending a tremor through my entire body. "You must give the world-and Jason Thorne-a reason to believe you are permanently, irrevocably lost to him."

My entire being was screaming no to the idea of a transactional marriage, but my mind was screaming yes to the idea of finally being free of Jason's legal and emotional tyranny. I wanted to escape, and Duke was the only open door.

I swallowed hard, the moment stretching into an unbearable silence. "I accept the terms," I breathed out, the words sealing my fate.

The tension in Duke's shoulders immediately eased, and a dark, triumphant look crossed his face. He leaned in, closer than any CEO should lean toward a new business partner. The air was charged with a dangerous, electric energy.

"Good," he said, his voice a low vibration against my ear. "Then let's seal the deal, fiancée."

And before I could react, before I could even draw a breath to protest the possessive endearment, Duke's mouth was on mine. It was a firm, claiming kiss-not soft or tentative, but a deliberate, dominant move designed to mark territory. He was kissing me to validate his choice, to confirm the transaction, to remind me that this was the cost of his protection, and that the stakes were lethal.

His lips were hot, demanding an answer, a concession, a surrender. The kiss was everything Jason's cold, assessing glances had never dared to be: demanding, intense, and utterly, profoundly real. He tasted like power, midnight, and a future I hadn't planned for.

He pulled back, his breath ragged, his eyes searching mine for any last flicker of resistance. He found none. He found only the cold, strategic clarity that Jason had forced me to adopt.

"Now," Duke whispered, his voice dark with victory, "tell me where you'd like to register our marriage. We do it first thing in the morning, before Jason's legal team can move on the non-compete clause."

He pulled away completely, reaching for his phone, his mind already calculating the next move on the corporate chessboard. "Tonight, you are safe. Tomorrow, you are a bride."