I was beyond shocked to see the rules that were mentioned on the document. Even though I was far from accepting any of his contracts, my curiosity wanted me to read them.
I read, silently,
"1. Availability: Elira must answer his calls and messages immediately, regardless of time or place. She must be available to him at any hour of the day or night.
2. Exclusivity Clause: Elira must not entertain any other men, including friends from the past.
3. Living Arrangements: She must live in the residence provided by Keiran Wolfie. He has unrestricted access to her space, and she cannot restrict his entry.
4. Physical Clause: She must not refuse intimacy when he demands it. It is not regarded as love or commitment, and neither of them should force others for the same.
5. Confidentiality: Elira cannot disclose details of their arrangement to anyone."
There were a lot of rules explaining about intimacy in detail and several rules that were nothing but screaming control.
My gaze fell on the last clauses, and I read them.
"Financial Clause: All the financial expenses related to Elira and Mira must be taken care of by Kieren Wolfe. In return, she cannot take any job or financial aid without his approval.
Violation Clause: Violation of any rule leads to punishment or termination of support.
Termination Clause: Elira cannot break the contract before eighteen months. If she does, she must repay thrice of every penny spent on her and her sister."
My jaw clenched as I read them, and furiously, I threw the papers to the couch, shouting, "What kind of sick game are you playing, Mr. Wolfe? Do you think I am an object? I am a human, for god's sake."
"There's no need to react this much, Elira. This is a business deal. If you want money, sign it." He said nonchalantly. "I guess this is the best deal you can ever get."
"You are insane." I shook my head, beyond irritated. "It's my fault for thinking you are better than all those rich maniacs. You are the worst."
I didn't spare any glance but walked away furiously. The humiliation was too much, and I didn't want to spend another minute there. Shedding tears, I reached the staff room and changed into my regular clothes. The manager seemed to understand my situation, so he didn't say anything except look at me with an apologetic face.
"You people are sick." I yelled at the manager.
Then I ran away, not caring about the consequences of my sudden outburst.
****************
(Keiren's POV)
My jaw clenched as I looked at the contract that she threw away. I sat on the couch, taking the contract into my hands. I tapped my fingers on it while my head was consumed with never-ending thoughts.
"Sir!" Hydes' manager entered.
He was so scared he couldn't even look me in the eye. Bending his head down, he spoke, "I am so sorry for the thing that happened earlier…"
I raised my hand, stopping him. I took my whiskey glass into my hand, saying, "She chose me." A small smirk appeared on my lips. "Because of your mistake, she got into a position to choose. And, she chose me."
A wave of happiness surged through me, and I didn't understand the reason behind it. Probably because I thought she'd choose the ugly mathematics teacher always, but when she chose me, my spirits lifted up, as I was at least in her consideration. But, if the choice was between me and him, who would she choose?
Again, the anger started to build inside me. I looked at the manager, saying, "Don't schedule her performance until the next notice. Assign her with regular tasks. You may leave now."
Yes! It had always been me. In her surroundings, life, and mind. The night I met her was when I decided she would be by my side. I didn't know what I felt for her. Love and commitment was not something I was born for, but I wanted her. Possess her.
I had been the one who kept stopping her from getting any jobs other than the one at Hydes. And, even the Hydes' job was my plan.
Not just that, the drama of suing, her dismissal as the server, her position as a dancer, everything was my setup.
Why? Because I wanted to see how desperate she was for money. And only if she were desperate enough would she accept my contract.
I picked up my phone that kept ringing. It was from my personal assistant. "Yes, Alex."
"Sir, she reached her home. There's no new update regarding Matthew. And her sister's condition is the same as usual."
"Okay. Keep an eye on all of them."
I cut the call. The images that Alex sent me in the afternoon flashed in my head. Her kiss made me so furious that I wanted to kill him just like how I killed the two drunk men, who chased her the night she met me. She didn't know about it, as I had my ways of covering up the murder.
However, I controlled myself from unnecessary killing. I had been lying low and couldn't risk getting exposed for crimes, considering the enemies I already had in both my business and mafia circles. So, instead of killing, I suggested for her private dance, only because I wanted to punish her in any form. Be it physical or emotional.
But, I was surprised to hear Quinn also asked for her. When she chose me, my anger faded completely so I didn't bring myself to punish her, and I gave her the contract that I planned to give her some other day.
"How smart of you to choose me, Elira!" I mumbled to myself.
Then I looked at her photo in my cell phone. My eyes started to darken while the moment of her rejection kept replaying in my head.
I thought she'd accept the contract, but she proved me wrong. It made me realize I had to speed up my execution.
"Elira! I guess you are not desperate enough. Well, let's make you one."