Chapter 3 The Unwanted Bride

Amara stared at the folder long after Adrian left. The black leather cover gleamed against the dull wooden table, mocking her. It wasn't just a contract-it was a cage.

Her fingers itched to tear it apart, to shred the glossy pages into pieces and scatter them into the night. But deep down, she knew destruction wouldn't free her. Adrian Cole was not a man who took no for an answer.

The memory of his voice still lingered in the room, smooth and commanding: "Marry me. For one year. At the end, you'll have everything you've ever wanted."

Her chest tightened. What she wanted wasn't money, security, or power. It was freedom. Peace. The ability to live a quiet life without constantly glancing over her shoulder. But freedom had never been free. Not for her.

Her phone buzzed on the table, snapping her from her thoughts. She snatched it up, relief flooding her when she saw the caller ID.

"Dad?" Her voice cracked as she pressed it to her ear.

"Amara," came the weak, raspy tone of her father. He sounded worse than yesterday. The hospital bills, the treatments, the endless cycle of debt-it was all swallowing him alive.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly, fighting the lump rising in her throat.

"Don't worry about me," he coughed. "You've already done too much. I heard from the doctor... if I don't start the new medication soon..." His voice trailed, heavy with unspoken words.

Amara shut her eyes. She didn't need him to finish. She already knew.

Her gaze flickered back to the folder on the table. Her hands trembled as the weight of reality pressed against her chest. Adrian's words rang louder now, drowning her doubts: "Everyone has a price. I'm simply giving you yours."

She whispered into the phone, her voice breaking, "I'll figure something out, Dad. I promise."

But even as she spoke, she realized she had no other way.

---

The following evening, Amara found herself in the lobby of Cole Enterprises, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst. The marble floors gleamed under the golden lights, the towering glass walls reflecting her anxious face at every angle.

She almost turned back, but the security guard at the desk recognized her. "Miss Amara? Mr. Cole is expecting you."

Her knees nearly buckled. Expecting her. Of course he was. Adrian Cole was always ten steps ahead.

The elevator ride stretched endlessly. Each floor that lit up brought her closer to a fate she didn't want. When the doors finally opened, she stepped out into a world that screamed wealth-polished wood, expensive art, and silence so thick it pressed on her ears.

His office door stood wide open.

Adrian sat behind his massive desk, dark suit sharp against the pale city skyline behind him. He didn't look surprised to see her. If anything, he looked like he had been waiting all his life for this exact moment.

"You came," he said simply.

Amara swallowed hard. "I didn't have a choice."

A faint smile curved his lips. "Good. I don't like wasting time." He gestured toward the chair across from him. "Sit."

Her body moved before her mind could protest. The leather seat sank beneath her, making her feel even smaller under his piercing gaze.

The black folder lay open on the desk. The words "Marriage Agreement" glared at her in bold letters. Adrian slid a sleek pen across the desk toward her.

"All you have to do is sign."

Her fingers twitched, but she didn't reach for it. "Why me?" she asked again, desperate for answers.

Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly, but he leaned back. "Because you're perfect."

The word startled her. "Perfect?"

"Perfect for the role I need," he clarified coldly. "You're not from a powerful family. You don't come with strings attached. And..." his gaze dropped briefly to her trembling hands, "...you're desperate enough to agree."

His bluntness stung, but she couldn't deny it. He had seen right through her.

"What happens after a year?" she asked, her voice barely steady.

"You walk away richer than you've ever dreamed," he replied. "And I walk away with what I need."

"And what is that?"

Adrian's smirk returned, though his eyes held something unreadable. "A wife. In name. In appearance. In public. Nothing more."

Her breath hitched. No love. No promises. No future. Just a contract.

Amara's chest tightened. Every instinct screamed at her to refuse, to run far away. But her father's weary voice echoed in her mind. If I don't start the new medication soon...

She picked up the pen.

The moment she pressed its tip to the paper, Adrian's gaze sharpened, satisfaction flickering across his face. He didn't stop her. He didn't soften. He simply watched as she signed away her freedom.

When the last stroke of ink was complete, she set the pen down with trembling fingers.

Adrian leaned forward, his expression unreadable. "Congratulations, Mrs. Cole."

The title felt like a chain wrapping around her neck.