A Marriage Under Contract

A Marriage Under Contract

Sally Edwards

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Synopsis: Samantha Dawson felt she could leave her errors behind, but one fateful night everything changed. Driven by a great urge to pay off her family's debt, she entered the arms of a stranger-a brief, explosive meeting that left her whirling. That evening, she never anticipated the outcome: a kid she has kept secret from the world and from him. Four years fast forward: Samantha's meticulously repaired life is collapsing once more. She is presented with an unimaginable offer-a contract marriage with Adrian Blackwood, the mysterious millionaire with more influence than anybody should-as her son's safety is at stake and debts are closing in. The only issue is Adrian is unaware she already carries his most secret. But Adrian also depends on her. He has to seem to have a flawless family if he is to land the commercial contract confirming his empire. Samantha is his response; he still doesn't know about the lethal shadows from her past threatening them both. Time is running out because of Adrian's own complex network of family treachery. Should he not get married soon, he runs the danger of losing control of his father's business to a merciless competitor with dark motives-someone already too near Samantha for comfort. Neither of them understands how interwoven their fates have become as they descend further into this perilous dance. Secrets grow, passions blossom, and foes lie around every turn. Samantha has to choose, nevertheless, whether Adrian comes near to learning the truth about her son: should she tell everything or keep quiet while the walls of their precarious arrangement collapse? And then a terrible revelation destroys their world, just as their well planned lives begin to fit. Samantha has been hiding secrets other than the child as well.

Chapter 1 PROLOGUE

Samantha

One evening never seemed like it could have changed my entire life. Here I am, nevertheless, staring at a face in front of the mirror that seems more haunted than it has ever looked. Four years ago, everything was different. I was distinct. I was hopeful. Dreaming was something I did. My future did not involve always on edge waiting for the next catastrophe to occur.

That predates his arrival into my life.

I let out a strong exhale, running a hand over my son's messy hair as he runs his toy truck on the floor next to me. Ethan: Every time I utter his name, my pulse speeds. My one lighthouse in the gloom, he is the one decent thing that emerged from that evening.

I once more check my reflection and see my hands shaking. I cannot focus on anything else since the call I got this morning still haunts me.

Samantha, we know you.

I had hung up right away, panic knotting my stomach. How would they have located me? I had done all in my ability to get off the radar and bury the past sufficiently deep that nobody would ever find it. Until lately, I felt I had succeeded.

I'm pulled from my ideas as the phone rings suddenly. My pulse leaps from my neck. Looking forward to the worst, I grab it from the counter. Rather, but, I can't identify this number. Not the same one from the past but still foreign.

"Hey?," I asked . My speech was wobbly, showing the underlying terror.

"Samantha Dawson??" One asks in a deep, authoritative voice.

I am hesitant. "Who else is asking?"

Adrian Blackwood here is the name.

I think my heart stops for a moment. Adrian Blackwood. Every business journal, every headline, every piece on billionaires who possess more influence than most people could possibly grasp-the name I have seen on every one of them. the man wielding iron fists over New York's corporate scene. The man I never, in a million years, could have ever imagined talking to.

Why is he giving me calls?

Trying to keep my voice calm, I apologize, Mr. Blackwood. "What can I do for you?"

There's a stop, and I practically hear him measuring me over the phone. At last, his tone was quiet and deliberate, "I have a proposition for you." "One that would be good for us both."

I grimace, uncertainty whirling around the residual terror from the previous call. "I do not understand...."

"I need a wife, Ms. Dawson," Adrian says, his sentences short and direct. And you have to be protected.

My pulse freezes in my throat. How is he aware of that? How informed is he about my needs?

My mind racing, I add gently, "I'm not sure what you mean."

"I know about your son," he adds, his voice exact and devoid of feeling. "I understand you run a hazard. For a charge, I can assist you.

My blood is chilly. He refers to Ethan. He is aware of the risk. But really knowledge of him? And from what perspective is he discussing prices?

"I am not sure what you are-"

"Don't play games with me, Samantha," he says, his voice hardening. "I can bring all of this under control. The debt, the dangers, the folks after you... You must, however, agree to my terms.

My heart thumping in my chest, I chew hard. I want nothing to be engaged in whatsoever this is. What decision, though, do I have? On my own, I cannot shield Ethan. I have been trying for years; it is only getting more difficult.

" What are your terms?" I ask softly; the words hardly come out of my mouth.

"I need a wife," he says, his voice as sharp and frigid as steel. "For appearances," Businesswise. It's only a makeshift arrangement; nothing more.

A marriage under contract. I have heard of events like this occurring in his universe-rich people negotiating with relationships like chips. I never imagined, though, I would be involved in one.

And what in turn do I get? Though I already know the response, I ask.

"Your son's personal security. Your own personal safety. Enough money to settle all of your debt as well.

My emotions are flying, my head whirling. I have not trusted him. Not even a second. On the other hand, the alternative is worse. Even terrible.

I say, my voice almost above a whisper, "I need time to think about it".

His final tone, he says, "You don't have time." "I'll forward the contract by the end of the day. You will sign it; we will proceed. Alternatively you can decline and gamble with the folks attending your event.

My gut starts to tighten itself. He is giving me no option. Like I was four years ago, I am caught. This time only, not just me. Ethan as well. And I cannot afford to choose poorly.

"I will... I say, my voice quivering as the weight of the choice slams down on me.

"Good," he responds just as if he expected nothing less. "We'll meet tomorrow to finish everything."

And he hangs up, leaving me standing there staring at the phone in my palm while my heart thumps in my chest. What exactly did I agree to?

Adrian

My mind immediately turns to the next chore at hand as I toss my phone on the desk. Sam Dawson. I can feel her going to be a trouble. But I'm not free to deal with issues. I need this deal right now and will need it going forward. If I fail to confirm my stance, all my father created would be removed from me. His company is barely hanging.

Still, she has something about her. Something I find difficult to exactly identify. She agreed rather rapidly, which surprised me. Desperate people, then again, act in ways they never would have considered.

Still, her story goes beyond what first greets the eye. I can tell. Whichever it is, I'll find out. Nobody confides in me for very long.

Samantha

I got up the following morning with a stomach ache. Already here, mocking me on the kitchen table, the contract has arrived. As of yet, I haven opened it. The tiny print and the stipulations tying me to Adrian Blackwood for God knows how long bothers me.

I do not have any option, though.

Pulling the contract toward me, my hands shaking as I turn the pages, I sit down. And that's when I find it hidden in the legal jargon-a clause rendering my blood useless.

No secrets. None of them are lying. Ignoring any pertinent information may cause the contract to be immediately terminated under heavy financial penalties.

My heart is hammering, I fix my gaze on the words. He has no knowledge about Ethan. Not now. But should he learn...

That cannot be allowed to happen. I will mark the contract signed. I am going to wed Adrian Blackwood. I never let him discover the truth though.

Because if he does, everything I have worked so hard to defend will come toppled around me.

I knock at the door as I sign my name on the dotted line. My pulse sharpens and a sensation of gloom blankets me. I fix my gaze on the time. For Adrian, it is far too early. One could wonder who it could be.

My heart almost stops when I open the door.

One person I never would have dreamed I would see again is standing there grinning sinisterly.

"Hello, Samantha," he says with a poisoned tone.

And at that point I understand-my past is about to catch up with me in ways I never could have predicted.

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Chapters
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A Marriage Under Contract
1

Chapter 1 PROLOGUE

22/09/2024

2

Chapter 2 THE DEAL

22/09/2024

3

Chapter 3 SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS

22/09/2024

4

Chapter 4 THE WEB TIGHTENS

22/09/2024

5

Chapter 5 UNRAVELING SECRETS

22/09/2024

6

Chapter 6 WEIGHT OF SECRETS

22/09/2024

7

Chapter 7 AN INSIDE CONFLICT

22/09/2024

8

Chapter 8 WEIGHT OF SECRETS

22/09/2024

9

Chapter 9 SECRETS IN THE DARK

22/09/2024

10

Chapter 10 SECRETS IN SHADOW

22/09/2024

11

Chapter 11 SHADOW OF BETRAYAL

22/09/2024

12

Chapter 12 EDGE OF TRUST

26/09/2024

13

Chapter 13 POINT OF BREAK

26/09/2024

14

Chapter 14 INTO THE FUTURE

26/09/2024

15

Chapter 15 INTO THE DEN OF THE LION

26/09/2024

16

Chapter 16 UNDER COVER AGENTS

26/09/2024

17

Chapter 17 SECRETS DECIPHERED

27/09/2024

18

Chapter 18 LINE CROSSING

27/09/2024

19

Chapter 19 BETRAYAL SHADOWS

27/09/2024

20

Chapter 20 THE TRAP TURNS TIGHT

27/09/2024

21

Chapter 21 LINE OF THINNESS

27/09/2024

22

Chapter 22 LIMITED LOYALTIES

30/09/2024

23

Chapter 23 SHATTERED TRUST

30/09/2024

24

Chapter 24 SPEAKING AGAINST STILLNESS

30/09/2024

25

Chapter 25 REEVALUATION

30/09/2024

26

Chapter 26 SHADOWS OF BETRAYAL

30/09/2024

27

Chapter 27 THE COST OF RELIANCE

30/09/2024

28

Chapter 28 THE UNSPOKEN TRUTH

30/09/2024

29

Chapter 29 UNSEEN SHADOWS

30/09/2024

30

Chapter 30 SAND LINES IN THE GROUNDS

30/09/2024

31

Chapter 31 THE DECIET WEB

30/09/2024

32

Chapter 32 AN UNRAVELED WEB

02/10/2024

33

Chapter 33 UN MASKING BETRAYAL

02/10/2024

34

Chapter 34 THE LIONS DEN

02/10/2024

35

Chapter 35 BROKEN TRUST

02/10/2024

36

Chapter 36 UNSEEN POWER

02/10/2024

37

Chapter 37 CHANGING ATTITUDES OF LOYALTY

02/10/2024

38

Chapter 38 BENEATH THE SURFACE

02/10/2024

39

Chapter 39 THREADS OF DECEPTION

02/10/2024

40

Chapter 40 BENEVOLENT UNDERNEATH

02/10/2024