Amelia didn't sleep that night.
Her dorm room was as quiet as it ever got, but her mind refused to rest. The faint hum of traffic outside her window bled into the silence, every honk and rumble reminding her of the city she was trapped in. She lay stiff on her narrow bed, staring at the cracked ceiling that carried stains from years of leaks.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him.
Adrian Kane.
The memory of his face in the car haunted her, the sculpted lines of his jaw, the unshakable calm in his gray eyes, and the way his voice slid like steel across her skin: You belong to me until this is over.
The words echoed again and again, leaving her no room to breathe.
Amelia tossed, hugging her pillow tight as if it could shield her from the reality she had agreed to. Her pride screamed at her to walk away. To delete his number, to block his emails, to prove she wasn't so easily bought.
But then, her heart whispered her mother's name. Over and over. A quiet plea that grew louder until it drowned out everything else.
By morning, she was raw with exhaustion.
Her phone buzzed.
From: Katherine Brooks (Assistant to Mr. Kane)
Subject: Contractual Agreement
Her hands trembled as she opened the email. The document was attached, a forty-page monster filled with words she could barely focus on. Legal jargon blurred in her tired eyes, but the bolded points snapped into place like chains:
•She would pose as Adrian Kane's fiancée for three months.
•She would live in his residence to maintain appearances.
•She would attend social functions, galas, press events as his partner.
•In return, Adrian Kane would pay her mother's medical bills in full.
And at the bottom of the first page, bold enough to sting:
Clause 12.2: Breach of contract by Miss Amelia Hart will result in immediate termination of financial support.
Amelia's chest tightened.
It wasn't just a deal. It was a leash.
Her phone buzzed again. This time, a text message.
Unknown Number: 10 a.m. sharp. 5th Avenue, Kane Global headquarters. Don't be late.
Her stomach dropped. Adrian.
She had two hours. Two hours to decide if she was going to sign away her freedom, or stay behind and watch her mother's treatment vanish.
The city felt different that morning. Louder. Faster. Everyone else seemed to rush past her with a purpose she didn't have. Amelia stood frozen in front of the towering skyscraper of Kane Global, the glass exterior gleaming like it belonged to the heavens. It stretched into the clouds, the sunlight bouncing off its polished walls so bright it stung her eyes.
She clutched her bag tighter. Her flats were scuffed, her blouse thrifted, her jeans faded. She might as well have had the word outsider stamped across her forehead.
Students her age passed on the sidewalk, hoodies and backpacks slung over shoulders. Some of them glanced curiously at her, at the girl standing alone before the kind of building that could eat people alive.
Taking a shaky breath, Amelia stepped inside.
Marble floors gleamed under crystal chandeliers, and walls of glass reflected back a world of elegance she didn't belong to. The receptionists sat in sleek black uniforms, fingers flying across keyboards, their movements sharp and efficient. People in suits strode by with shoes clicking like a drumbeat of power.
Amelia had never felt smaller in her life.
The receptionist looked up as she approached. "Miss Hart?"
Her throat tightened. "Yes."
"Mr. Kane is expecting you. Top floor."
The woman's tone was polite, but her eyes flicked over Amelia's outfit with subtle curiosity. Amelia swallowed hard as the receptionist handed her a visitor's badge.
The elevator doors slid open.
Inside, mirrored walls stared back at her. She saw every insecurity reflected, messy bun, tired eyes, worn clothes. She looked like a child trying to sneak into a palace.
The ride was silent except for the soft hum of machinery, but every second felt like a countdown. By the time the doors slid open at the top floor, her palms were damp with sweat.
The silence here was different. Heavy. Intimidating.
The top floor was designed like a fortress of glass and steel, minimalist but luxurious. The polished floor gleamed so brightly she could see her reflection.
At the end of the hall to his office.
The doors were already open.
Adrian Kane sat behind a massive black desk, the city skyline stretching endlessly behind him through floor-to-ceiling windows. He didn't look up as she walked in, his pen moving steadily across a page. Each stroke felt deliberate, like the world itself hinged on it.
"You're late." His voice was calm, flat.
Amelia's gaze darted to her watch. 9:58.
"I'm not," she said, her voice tighter than she wanted it to be.
"Two minutes early," he corrected without looking at her, "is already late."
Her fists curled at her sides. Arrogant bastard.
Katherine, his assistant, appeared beside the desk and placed the contract neatly in front of him before stepping back like a shadow.
Only then did Adrian lift his gaze to her. His gray eyes landed on her, cold and assessing, as though she were nothing more than a stock he might invest in.
"Have you read it?"
She nodded stiffly.
"And?"
Her throat was dry. "It's… thorough."
A flicker of amusement curved his lips. "Of course it is. Do you agree to the terms?"
Amelia hesitated. "And if I don't?"
Adrian leaned back in his chair, folding his hands like a man with infinite patience. "Then your mother loses her treatment, and we're done here."
The words weren't a threat. They were simply fact. That was what made them so cruel.
Her chest ached as her mother's face flashed in her mind. The smile she wore even through pain. The way she said she was proud of Amelia, even when Amelia felt like she was failing.
Her pride screamed No. Her love whispered Yes.
With trembling fingers, Amelia stepped forward. She picked up the pen Katherine had placed on the desk.
Her reflection shone back at her in the glossy surface of the contract, ordinary, scared, desperate.
Her hand shook. But she signed.
Adrian's eyes lingered on her signature before flicking up to her face. For the briefest second, something unreadable crossed his expression. Triumph? Amusement? Satisfaction?
He plucked the pen from her hand, his movements sharp and confident, and signed his name with bold strokes.
"It's done." His voice was quiet, final.
Katherine gathered the papers and slipped out, leaving them alone.
Amelia stood frozen, her lungs tight, the weight of her decision pressing down until she thought she might collapse. She had just chained herself to Adrian Kane for three months.
Adrian rose from his chair. Slowly. Purposefully. His presence seemed to expand with every step he took until he stood in front of her, close enough that she had to tilt her chin up.
"From this moment forward," he said quietly, "you are Amelia Hart, fiancée of Adrian Kane. Every word you speak, every step you take, will reflect on me. You will live under my roof, follow my schedule, and do as I say. In return, your mother's life is secure."
His gaze darkened, voice dropping lower. "Don't test me, Amelia. I always get what I want."
Her pulse thundered in her ears. Fear clawed at her chest, but anger burned just beneath it. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him he was wrong, that she would never let him break her. But the truth was already written in ink.
Her life was no longer her own.
And as Adrian's phone buzzed and he turned away, dismissing her like she was already a piece of his world, Amelia realized with a shiver.
She had crossed a line she could never uncross.