Chapter 2 – The Contract
Damien drove for what felt like hours, though it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes. The city noise faded behind us, replaced by silence. No reporters. No flashing cameras. Just a secluded stretch of road surrounded by tall trees and open sky.
Peaceful? Maybe for someone else.
I couldn't say I was at peace when I was with Damien Cross.
He made me nervous too calm, too composed, too unreadable.
"Here."
His voice was deep, steady. He handed me a file the same one he'd dropped on my desk earlier, the one I hadn't dared to open in front of him.
I hesitated but took it. The thick paper felt heavier than it should.
Flipping it open, my stomach dropped.
It was a contract.
The terms were brutally clear. A fake relationship six months until we achieved whatever "plans" he had in mind. There was also a fine print that made me choke on my breath:
If I cheated or tried to go back to my ex, I'd owe him $100,000.
"$100,000?!" I gasped, glaring at him. "And why does it even say 'if I cheat'? Are you implying I have no self-control?!"
I felt a hot wave of anger rising. My fingers tightened on the file. I couldn't believe the audacity.
Damien didn't flinch. He just sat there with his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable—like he couldn't care less.
"If you're not okay with the terms," he said flatly, "you can back out."
"Back out?!" My voice cracked with disbelief. "After you just told every reporter that we're in a relationship? Ugh, you—" I inhaled sharply, the words rushing out in one breath. "Let me make something clear, Damien. Don't think you can use this as an opportunity to take advantage of me. I didn't ask for your help in the first place. If anyone should be grateful here, it's you!"
I didn't know where the courage came from, but I refused to let him see me cower. I hated it when people thought my weakness was a free pass to walk over me.
A low, dark chuckle slipped past Damien's lips. It wasn't warm. It wasn't amused. It was… dangerous.
"I took care of your scandal," he said, his tone cold enough to send a shiver through me. "I swore to take your ex-boyfriend to court using my best connections. If it weren't for me, you'd still be in your office drowning in headlines and figuring out what to do. It's not like I need you. You were just the most convenient option. There are thousands of you out there. So if anyone should be saying thank you, I think it's you."
His voice cut like a blade, each word deliberate and sharp.
"Get down."
I blinked. "What?"
"I said, get down." His tone was flat, absolute.
For a moment, I just stared at him, stunned by his arrogance. God, I hated proud people. I hated them to the core.
But he was right.
As much as I despised admitting it, without him, I didn't know what I'd be doing right now. I didn't know how to survive this scandal alone.
So I got out of the car, my chin high, as if I didn't care what he'd just said.
"You have 24hours to go over the contract".
And just like that, Damien Cross drove off. No glance back. No goodbye.
I stood there for a moment, the file clutched in my hand, the wind tugging at my hair.
That night, I barely made it home before exhaustion hit me like a truck. I tossed Damien's contract onto the coffee table and collapsed onto the couch, staring at it like it might explode any second.
"Zara!!! Why the hell have you been ignoring my calls?!!"
I jolted at the sharpness of my mother's voice. Oh no. My poor mother. She didn't deserve any of this the humiliation, the cruel headlines, the whispers behind her back. I couldn't even imagine what she must be feeling right now.
"Zara, what the bloody hell? I thought you'd committed suicide already!"
Jessica, my best friend, came thundering down the stairs like the house was on fire, her face pale and frantic.
"Ughh… guys, I'm fine," I muttered, though even I could hear how hollow my voice sounded. Was I really fine? Not even close.
My mother didn't buy it. She sat beside me and wrapped me in a hug so tight, it felt like she was trying to hold me together.
"That bastard thought he could ruin you—ruin everything you've worked for but he's a freakin' liar!"
I pulled back just enough to look at her face. Her eyes were red, puffy she'd been crying for hours. Guilt twisted inside me like a blade.
"I'm so sorry, Mum," I whispered, my voice trembling. I hated seeing her like this.
Ever since Dad passed away, my brother and I had been her only source of strength. Seeing her break because of my scandal felt like a wound I couldn't heal.
"Uhmm… Zara, is it true? Your relationship with Damien Cross? We heard it on the news," Jessica said cautiously.
Ugh. I wasn't mentally prepared for this. I hadn't even signed the damn contract yet. My mother turned to me, confusion flickering in her gaze.
I cleared my throat, forcing a calmness I didn't feel.
"Uhmm, it's true. Damien and I… we have something going on. We've been seeing each other for a while now, and we… really like each other."
Sometimes, I scare myself with how effortlessly I lie. It's almost… impressive.
My mother's brow furrowed. "Why Damien? I mean, he's known to be cold and arrogant. And I know you hate men like that, so why him?"
I knew that question was coming.
"Don't worry, Mum. He's very sweet when he's around me. He's… a gentleman, for real."
Jessica chuckled, shaking her head.
"Wow, my bestie is in love. Damien Cross was the last guy I pictured you with. Sure, he's freakin' hot and ridiculously handsome, but I never thought you two would be a thing. But hey, as long as you're happy and as long as he treats you right I'll be with you every step of the way."
I smiled at Jessica. She was more than a best friend; she was the sister I never had. Her family owned Promise Hospital one of the biggest hospitals in the U.S.but she'd never let wealth make her cold. She was always there. Always real.
My mother sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. I could tell she was exhausted.
"Well, as Jessy said, as long as you're happy, who am I to object?"
A part of me was relieved. I'd braced myself for a dramatic argument my mother was capable of epic scenes but she let it go.
Still, the relief didn't last long.
Ughhh. What the hell did I get myself into?
Damien's face flashed in my mind, cold and unreadable. And then his voice—sharp, commanding echoed in my head:
"You have 24 hours to sign the contract."
After the emotional conversation with my mum and Jessica, I retreated to my room, desperate to cool my head.
I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts spiraling. Everything that happened today felt so unreal like I was stuck in a nightmare, just waiting for someone to wake me up.
My eyes had just started to close when my phone buzzed loudly, slicing through the silence.
I reached for it lazily, but the moment I saw the caller ID, my entire body stiffened.
David.
The audacity.
The nerve of this man to call me after everything he'd done.
For a moment, I deliberated. Should I pick up and curse him out until my throat went dry? Or should I decline and block him for good?
The phone rang again and again. And then against every bit of my better judgment I answered.
"Zara!!! My love, how are you doing?" His voice was frantic, almost desperate. "I'm so sorry for what happened. I didn't know what I was thinking I was just upset that you broke up with me. It was… my emotions running high, that's all. I'm so sorry, Zara. I tried to delete the video, but it's already gone viral. I swear, I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry, baby."
My fingers tightened around the phone. I didn't know whether to laugh or scream. My love? Baby? This bastard was still trying to play games with me?
"Zara, why aren't you saying anything?"
"Go to hell, you fucking piece of shit."
My voice was low, firm, and unshakable. I wasn't crying anymore. I wasn't pleading. I was standing on business this time.
A dark chuckle echoed from his end of the line.
"Listen, bitch. You think I care about your damn feelings? You got what you deserve. No one ever breaks up with me. And you think you can get back at me by hooking up with my boss?" His tone turned venomous. "Ugh, you pathetic, cheap little bitch. I was fired because of you. But trust me if you and your new psychotic boyfriend try to act funny, I'll make sure you both regret it."
I sat there, silent, listening to every vile word that dripped from his mouth.
I wasn't shocked. No, I was far beyond that.
I was disappointed.
David had cheated on me. He'd ghosted me more times than I could count. But this? Hearing the venom in his voice, the pure disrespect? This was the final nail in the coffin.
I didn't even respond.
I hung up, my hand trembling not from fear, but from rage.
Then my eyes landed on Damien's contract lying beside me on the nightstand.
I picked it up, my fingers brushing over the bold print of his name.
Maybe it was time to stop playing victim.
Maybe it was time to play the game.