Bound by Secrets.

Lila Anderson occupied the elegant although impersonal office, sitting stiffly and staring at the document in front of her. The elegant pen she was holding felt far heavier than it ought to have.

Beside her, her father, Charles Anderson, towered over her, his presence as uncompromising as the circumstances he had forced upon her.

Charles encouraged her, "Lila, this is our only chance of survival," the look on his face caressing the scream of desperation in his voice.

Lila's chest tightened as she attempted to reconcile her emotions, giving a deep sigh. She was not interested in the contract-she didn't want to give herself to a man she knows nothing about, whose stories have been that of unpleasant mysteries.

Ethan Cross was a name that evoked equal great respect, dread, and curiosity, but to Lila, he was little more than a stranger. The things she'd heard portrayed a picture of a cold, calculating businessman who rarely expressed his actual feelings.

Her family had fallen from grace quickly and brutally. The Andersons were once the envy of their peers, with money and influence spanning multiple cities. However, poor investments, a collapsing economy, and a string of terrible occurrences had reduced them to mere shadows of their former selves. Debts accumulated, and creditors hovered like vultures.

Charles Anderson, a proud man, had attempted to preserve their history, but his efforts only served to hasten their demise. The Andersons were on the verge of disaster, and this marriage was their last, desperate hope.

Ethan Cross made an unexpected offer, and the terms were almost too good to be true. Too good, Lila reasoned, because they were. She saw that whatever was beneath the surface of this deal was considerably more harmful than her father was ready to admit.

Lila's mother died when she was still a kid, leaving her to grow up in her father's harsh, emotionless environment. Charles was a businessman; love was not a currency he dealt in. Lila grew up surrounded by icy elegance, learning at a young age that duty came before desire. But she never dreamed that duty would call for a marriage of convenience with a man like Ethan Cross.

She looked at her father, noting that the hard lines on his face had become deeper with anxiety and time. He was a man who had battled tooth and nail to keep their family's status, and the weight of his failures weighed heavily on him now.

Lila experienced a twinge of guilt. She'd never been able to meet his expectations, never been the daughter he expected. This marriage was his final hope, and she couldn't bring herself to end it, even if it meant giving up her own happiness.

Lila's pulse skipped a beat as the office door creaked open quietly. Ethan Cross entered, immediately controlling the room. Tall and immaculately dressed, he emanated a cool, controlled assurance that sent shivers down Lila's spine. His dark hair was nicely brushed, and his piercing grey eyes scanned through the room before settling down on her.

"Lila," he nodded to her, his voice velvety soft but with a sharp edge that pierced the atmosphere. "Mr. Anderson." With deliberate and calculated movements, Ethan moved like a man who was always three steps ahead. He sat down opposite Lila, his eyes never leaving hers.

She sensed the weight of his scrutiny, as though he was evaluating her and determining her value in ways that were beyond her comprehension.

"It's a simple contract," Ethan stated, passing her a second copy. "But there are certain aspects you should be aware of."

Lila reached for the document, her fingers shaking, then stopped and looked at her father. He nodded slightly to her, his face expression vague. Taking a deep breath, Lila opened the contract and skimmed over the legalese that merged into one in her mind.

Everything, including the terms and conditions, and their respective roles under the contract was simply spelt out in details.

But as she approached the finish line, she felt something else that made her heart race. Ethan made a short step forward and remarked in a hushed, almost mischievous tone.

"This is not just an ordinary marriage, Lila. The papers before you contain in them some secret consequences that you'll come to find out later. You don't understand what they are right now, but you definitely will, sooner or later."

As Lila's mind raced, the room looked to shrink, with walls closing in on her.

She looked up at Ethan to see maybe she could grasp a hint of what he meant from his expression, but his face was a mask. She could only see what he wanted her to see.

"What do you mean?" Lila asked, her voice just above a whisper, filled with curiosity.

But Ethan replied, with a small smirk on his face, "All is fine, he winked. All you just have to do now is sign the papers."

Lila grabbed the pen to sign, her hands shaking heavily. Her instincts whispers to her to reject it and flee. But what could she really do? The sense of duty and devotion to family, and the weight of her father's expectations that had clinged on her for as long as she could remember held her back.

She sighed! A feeling of closure washed over her as the drew out the pen to sign. She felt the door to a life she once knew closed, and another where she didn't know will end opened.

After signing the contract, Ethan leaned over the table to retrieve the papers, her father gave a relief sigh.

"Welcome to the family Mrs. Cross", he nodded, with a small grin on his lips that didn't get to his face.

Lila narrowed her gaze on the man that just became wedded to. She couldn't believe what had just happened to her, unable to shake off the ominous feelings that perplexed her. She gnashed her teeth.

Ethan stood up to go away, but hesitated and gave her a look that hinted at things to come-something she wasn't sure she was prepared to face. With a silky as ever voice, he remarked, "Remember, Lila, this is just the beginning."

He then walked away, leaving Lila to bear the consequences of her own choice. She remained bound in her seat for a long time, confused of what to think or say.

What exactly had she consented to signing the contract? What were the hidden meanings underlying the words she hardly knew?

As she sat there, the ink on the contract was still drying, Lila knew her life would never be the same again. She'd entered into a marriage that was far more than a contract. Every step she made drew her deeper into the dark and twisted center of this labyrinth of secrets.