Chapter 2 An Agreement

The next morning, Gracie and Ellie set out with neatly wrapped gifts to visit the Stanleys.

The lunch proceeded with flawless harmony-every gesture was polished and every word perfectly measured.

When the dishes were cleared, Valeria Stanley, the mother of Theo and Brayden, offered a gentle smile. "You're both so sweet. No need to stay cooped up with us all afternoon. Since you're all here, why don't you youngsters go out and enjoy yourselves for a while?"

Her suggestion drew easy agreement, and Gracie rose from her seat, smoothing her skirt before following the others out.

Moments later, the dining room stood deserted.

"Gracie." The low timbre of Brayden's voice broke the quiet. He had appeared beside Gracie without warning, his expression unreadable. "Come with me."

Before she got a word out, he had already turned and strode off.

Left with no choice, she hurried after him, her heels clicking softly as they entered the study.

The door clicked shut behind him, the muted sound slicing straight through her composure. In an instant, she was yanked back into the horrors of her past life.

Each time Theo lost patience with her defiance, he would haul her into a room, drop his mask of gentleness, and unleash his cruelty-his belt striking again and again until her skin burned and welted. The phantom sting still haunted her, sharp enough to steal her breath.

A tremor coursed through her body as she instinctively retreated a step, her pulse hammering in her ears.

Brayden caught her startled reaction and halted, keeping a measured distance between them. "Relax," he said evenly. "I'm not going to touch you. Some conversations are simply better held in private."

Gracie drew in a quiet breath and steadied herself, her fingers curling into a tight fist. "I get it," she murmured.

Even now, she hadn't completely escaped the fear Theo had carved into her.

Pulling her thoughts together, she studied Brayden's composed face before her.

In her previous life, their paths had only crossed twice-once during the engagement arranged between the two families, and again after his devastating car accident, when he was left scarred and confined to a wheelchair. She had only glimpsed him from a distance back then.

Unlike the broken, humiliated man he had become in her past life, this version of Brayden still carried the sharp confidence of a man untouched by downfall.

Standing a solid six-foot-three, his slicked-back hair caught the light, and the dark shirt clinging to his frame highlighted his broad shoulders. Rolled-up sleeves revealed lean, powerful forearms that spoke of strength and control.

"What do you want?" Gracie murmured, her eyes dropping instinctively.

A chill prickled her skin as it struck her-if someone like him ever chose violence, she'd have no way to fight back.

Brayden moved toward the desk, his stride steady and unhurried. He pulled out a document, dropped it onto the surface, and said flatly, "Let's set things straight. I may have agreed to this marriage, but there's no affection between us."

Gracie already knew there was someone else in his heart.

"I take it you're agreeing to this marriage only because you have to." Brayden nudged the document toward her with a composed, almost detached air. "Before this marriage is dissolved, I expect you to honor the terms in the agreement. In public, we'll act the part of a devoted couple. Behind closed doors, I won't touch you or meddle in your affairs. The same courtesy should go both ways-you stay out of mine."

Gracie lifted her head, a flicker of urgency in her voice. "Wait-seriously?"

Something about her reaction felt off.

Brayden arched a brow, amusement glinting faintly in his eyes. "You sound almost eager."

"Not at all." Her teeth caught her lower lip as she snatched up the agreement and began to read through it carefully. The clauses were concise and impartial, spelling out the expectations and limits of their arranged marriage in stark, practical terms.

She didn't object. Her hand hovered over the agreement, pen poised to sign, but she hesitated at the last second.

Brayden's brow furrowed. "What's wrong? Something unclear?"

Her gaze lifted to his. "If I continue my research after we're married, you won't interfere, will you?"

A faint, knowing smile touched his lips. "Naturally not. Our lives stay separate."

Before she could respond, his phone buzzed. He answered, his tone shifting instantly-low, gentle, almost tender. "No need to stress. I'll have someone sent over right away. Just wrapping things up here-I'll be on my way shortly."

The warmth in his voice was nothing like the distant tone he used with Gracie, revealing just how much the other person meant to him.

Feeling oddly at peace, Gracie picked up the pen and swiftly signed her name.

When Brayden ended the call and turned back, he noticed her signature already in place. A faint nod followed. "Appreciate it."

Two copies of the agreement lay on the desk; she gathered hers and quietly slipped it into her purse.

With everything finalized, Brayden made no move to linger. He gathered the signed agreement, tucked it neatly away, and pushed the door open for her.

Stepping out of the study, Gracie noticed the hallway was quiet-Theo and Ellie were nowhere in sight.

"It looks like they've gone off somewhere," Brayden said, his tone measured. "How are you planning to get back? Should I have a car sent for you?"

He stood a few paces away, his posture courteous yet detached. The polite distance between them felt deliberate-he'd been upfront from the beginning, setting clear lines neither of them were meant to cross.

Oddly, that restraint made Gracie's shoulders relax. For the first time that day, she felt she could breathe a little easier.

Having endured Theo's psychological games and suffocating control in her past life, she yearned for someone steady like Brayden.

With him, she could sever her family's hold on her and focus on her research in peace.

Once their marriage ran its course, she'd finally be free to live as she pleased.

"There's no need." Her tone was calm but distant. "I'll call a cab myself. Thanks anyway."

Brayden inclined his head in acknowledgment, his expression unreadable, and walked away without another word.

Gracie refused the butler's polite offer to send for a car and chose to leave on her own.

Crossing the garden, she slowed when faint voices drifted through the trimmed hedges.

"Relax, Ellie. I'm nothing like Brayden. He might be marrying out of obligation, but my feelings for you are real." Theo's voice sliced through the still air.

Gracie stiffened on instinct, her breath catching in her throat.

A familiar chill crept down her spine-she had never stopped fearing him.

She froze where she stood, afraid even to draw a breath.

Between the shifting leaves, she could see Theo's tender smile as he clasped a delicate necklace around Ellie's neck. "Here, let me help you with this," he murmured softly.

Ellie's cheeks flushed, her voice light and shy. "All right."

But because she faced away, she never noticed the flicker of cruelty that cut through his eyes like a blade.

Alan's obvious favoritism had already marked her as the future of the family business. To Theo, that simply made Ellie the perfect pawn in his own play for power. Gracie, meanwhile, lived quietly in her own world, the kind of introverted scholar who spent most of her days tucked away in a lab.

Ellie traced her fingers along the delicate necklace at her throat, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

In her past life, she had married Brayden with hope, convinced that affection could blossom from duty-that someday, they would be happy together.

Instead, their marriage had been nothing but a cold contract. Each misguided choice had pulled her deeper into ruin, until the end came-alone, in the delivery room, her life fading with the child she never got to hold.

This time, she picked Theo-the man who seemed quite gentle.

When the wedding day came, she vowed to eclipse Gracie in every way.

"The night's getting late. Let me take you home," Theo murmured, his eyes soft as he smiled.

"Alright." Ellie slipped her hand into his without hesitation, her heart swelling with satisfaction.

From the opposite path, the pair departed together.

Concealed beneath the dim canopy of trees, Gracie's legs nearly buckled, and she braced a trembling hand against the rough stone beside her.

When her pulse finally steadied, she straightened and walked toward the entrance.

There, Theo was holding the car door open with his usual polished grace, waiting as Ellie stepped in with a radiant smile.

Through the tinted window, Ellie glanced back-her eyes glinting with smug delight, a sly smirk curling her lips as she savored the sight of Gracie's pale, wounded face.

She assumed Gracie had Brayden's signed agreement by now. Happiness wasn't something meant for her-not in this lifetime.

Watching the car fade into the distance, Gracie felt nothing but a quiet, exhausted relief. This time around, whatever bound her to Theo had finally come to an end.