Bound by a Contract

ande

my computer screen when I pick up my p

eek? three dots appear immediately,

g of heart emojis and I smirk, to

all they want, I

ntire fifty-seventh floor, floor-to-ceiling w

ecisions, my ruthlessness, my refusal t

oria from last night begging for more, Simone from last week asking w

, all of them wanting more than I'm willin

s a business arrang

itance and stabilize the company after some scandal

, gripped my hand with surprising strength and said marry

ose everything I'd worked for or sign some p

dec

rity in exchange for playing the devoted wife at public events, it's a fair trade, she gets a mansion, designer cl

her apparently, but

y're entertainment, stress relief, a reminder tha

the perfect wife all she wants, I'll do what I want

s without a knock a

th me for three years, knows better tha

like it might explode, "

ion," I don't look

social media," James is holding

ere, Poor Elena has over a hundred t

inally gla

mes's voice shakes slightly, "they're concerned about

sent an email

off, my voice flat, "tell the PR team to make a d

us look compassiona

he third major scandal in two months, the board members are saying your beh

member who built this compa

te life is mine, if they have a problem with how I con

ace them by

"Yes sir, I'll re

t out, I have

behind him with a soft click, I pour myself a sc

repare myself for the performance, loving husband A

wall but it's necessary, the board needs to see stability,

rs, hand on Elena's waist just

reminders, smile wider, stand up straighter, stop looking so miser

er, I almost ignore it but something make

r wife k

Or what you re

a shell company, the one where I take women when I don't want to deal with hotels and papara

my security team trace it, probably some tabloid journalist f

me from Victoria, Can I see you bef

hen respond, Busy today but tomorr

I toss my phone aside, pull up the

ure myself, if Elena files for divorce before seven years she forfeits all parental righ

atisfied, everythin

again, this time without any warning, Cassandra storms in, my

ks furious and tri

brother," she says

ment with James,

er onto my desk with a heavy thud, "it's about

attention, I

you talk

Elena trapped? You think your contract is ironclad? You d

dra, I don't have t

," she interrupts,

was another reason, a bigger reason, and when she finds out the truth about why he really

ns cold, "W

r on my desk, "read it yourself, I found i

with it, thought you should know

ssa

for four years, maybe it's time you learned the consequences of following Father's orders without asking

with this file burning a hole in my desk, I stare at it for a long moment, part of me

handwriting, dated one week before he died, Alexander, if you're reading this you need to

hat happen, I made it look like a house fire, electrical malfunction, but the girl survived, she was at a friend's house that night, I needed to keep her close, control her, make s

parents' burned house, all of it proving my father was a murderer, and I married his victim without knowing it, I've sp

I can't answer it, can't even look at it, everything I thought I knew about

he truth, she won't just l