Iris stood outside the enormous Blackwood mansion, staring up at the towering structure in front of her.
She took a deep breath.
"Okay," she whispered to herself. "Let's do this."
Anthony and Annie joined her after getting out of the Range Rover.
"Ready?" Anthony asked.
Iris looked at him.
"No," she replied honestly.
Annie sighed softly.
"Just stay calm, sweetheart."
Iris didn't answer. She simply adjusted the strap of her handbag and walked toward the entrance.
The massive double doors opened before they reached them.
A Blackwood staff member stepped aside.
"Welcome to the Blackwood Estate, Mr. and Mrs. Wells."
"Thank you," Annie replied.
Iris stepped inside and immediately looked around.
The interior was even more impressive than the outside. The grand entrance had polished marble floors, towering ceilings, enormous chandeliers, and dark wooden details throughout the room. Elegant paintings covered the walls, while large windows allowed sunlight to spill across the floor.
Iris slowly looked around.
"Wow," she muttered.
Annie glanced at her.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Iris replied. "If you ignore the fact that I'm here to sign my life away."
"Iris," Annie warned softly.
"What?" Iris asked. "I'm just being honest."
Before Annie could respond, footsteps approached from the hallway.
Richard and Eleanor appeared.
"Anthony," Richard said with a smile as he walked toward him. "I'm glad you made it."
Anthony shook his hand.
"Richard. It's good to see you again."
Eleanor greeted Annie warmly.
"Annie, welcome."
"Thank you, Eleanor."
Eleanor then turned toward Iris.
"Iris," she said with a smile. "It's lovely to see you again."
"It's nice to see you too," Iris replied politely.
Richard looked toward Iris.
"I'm glad you came."
Iris gave him a small smile.
"Apparently, I didn't have much of a choice."
Annie gave her a warning look.
Richard simply chuckled.
"I can see you haven't changed."
Iris raised an eyebrow.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It was," Richard replied.
Eleanor laughed softly.
"Why don't we all sit down for a while?"
They moved into the large sitting room, where everyone settled into their seats.
Iris sat beside Annie, while Anthony sat across from Richard.
She glanced around the room.
"Where's Damien?" she asked.
Richard looked toward the hallway.
"He'll be down shortly."
Iris nodded.
A few moments later, footsteps could be heard approaching.
Iris looked up.
Damien walked into the room.
He was dressed in a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled slightly up his forearms and dark trousers. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his expression was as calm and unreadable as ever.
His eyes briefly met Iris's.
"Hello," he said.
Iris nodded.
"Hi."
Damien took a seat across from her.
The silence between them lasted only a few seconds before another voice came from behind Damien.
"Wow. This room is painfully serious."
Everyone turned.
A man walked into the room with a relaxed smile.
Richard looked at him.
"Perfect timing."
Damien glanced at him.
"You're late."
"By two minutes," the man replied. "You'll survive."
Richard smiled.
"Everyone, this is Adrian Smith. He's Damien's best friend and his lawyer."
Adrian smiled and looked toward Iris.
"Nice to finally meet you."
Iris shook his hand.
"You too."
Adrian glanced between her and Damien.
"So you're Iris."
"Yes."
He smiled.
"I've heard quite a bit about you."
Iris looked at Damien.
"Hopefully nothing embarrassing."
Adrian laughed.
"Nothing I can legally disclose."
Iris laughed softly.
Damien gave Adrian a look.
"Are you finished?"
"Not even close," Adrian replied.
Damien shook his head.
Richard cleared his throat.
"Well, I think it's time."
Adrian nodded.
"Agreed."
He turned toward Iris and Damien.
"We need to go over the marriage agreement privately."
Iris immediately straightened.
"Privately?"
"Yes," Adrian said. "Just the three of us."
Damien stood.
"Let's go."
Iris grabbed her handbag and followed them.
They walked down a quiet hallway until Adrian opened the door to a large study.
Iris stepped inside.
The room was much quieter than the sitting room. A large wooden desk stood in the centre, with bookshelves lining the walls and a wide window overlooking the estate.
Adrian closed the door behind them.
Only the three of them remained.
Adrian walked toward the desk and placed a thick folder on it.
"Alright," he said. "Let's go through everything carefully."
Iris sat down.
Damien took the chair opposite her.
Adrian remained standing beside the desk.
"This agreement contains several conditions," he explained.
Iris folded her arms.
"Such as?"
Adrian opened the folder.
"First, while the marriage is active, you are required to inform Damien before leaving the Blackwood estate."
Iris frowned.
"Why?"
"Security," Damien answered.
"I can take care of myself."
"I didn't say you couldn't."
"Then why do I need permission?"
"You're not asking permission," Adrian explained. "You're informing him."
Iris rolled her eyes.
"Still annoying."
Adrian continued.
"Second, you won't be driving yourself around."
Iris immediately looked at him.
"What?"
"You'll have a driver available whenever you need to go somewhere."
"I have my own car."
"I know," Damien said.
"And I like driving."
"That's unfortunate."
Iris stared at him.
"Excuse me?"
Damien remained calm.
"You'll have a driver."
Iris looked at Adrian.
"Does he always sound this irritating?"
Adrian smiled.
"Unfortunately, yes."
Damien gave him a look.
Adrian cleared his throat.
"Moving on."
He turned another page.
"You'll both be expected to maintain the appearance of a genuine marriage in front of your families and anyone else who needs to believe the marriage is real."
Iris sighed.
"So we have to pretend."
"Essentially," Adrian said.
Damien leaned back in his chair.
"That shouldn't be difficult."
Iris looked at him.
"Speak for yourself."
Adrian continued reading.
"You'll attend important family events together, avoid publicly embarrassing one another, and neither of you is permitted to pursue another romantic relationship while the agreement is active."
Iris's eyebrows lifted.
"Seriously?"
Adrian nodded.
"Yes."
She looked at Damien.
"That's convenient."
"For both of us," Damien replied.
Iris looked away.
Adrian turned another page.
"You'll also have separate bedrooms."
Iris's expression relaxed slightly.
"Finally, something reasonable."
Damien said nothing.
Adrian closed the folder for a moment.
"There is one more important part."
Iris looked at him.
"What?"
Adrian glanced at Damien.
Damien gave him a small nod.
Adrian opened the folder again.
"The marriage will last for two years."
Iris frowned.
"Two years?"
"Yes."
"And then?"
"After two years, you and Damien will file for divorce."
Iris stared at him.
For a moment, she didn't speak.
"You're serious?"
"Completely," Adrian said.
Iris looked at Damien.
"And our parents know?"
"No," Damien replied.
Iris blinked.
"They don't?"
"They believe this marriage is permanent," Damien said.
Iris slowly leaned back in her chair.
"So we're secretly getting married with an expiration date?"
Adrian nodded.
"That would be an accurate description."
Iris stared at the documents.
She had expected the marriage to change her life.
She just hadn't expected it to come with a deadline.
She looked at Damien.
"And you're okay with this?"
Damien's expression remained calm.
"It's the arrangement."
Iris shook her head.
"This is insane."
Adrian gave her a sympathetic look.
"I understand why you feel that way."
Iris looked down at the agreement.
"So after two years, it's over?"
"Yes," Adrian said.
Iris took a slow breath.
"Fine."
Adrian slid the documents toward her.
"Take your time reading everything before you sign."
Iris picked up the first document.
For the first time since she had entered the Blackwood estate, the reality of what she was about to do truly sank in.
She wasn't just signing a piece of paper.
She was agreeing to become Damien Blackwood's wife.
For two years.
Iris picked up the first document and began reading through it carefully.
She scanned every line, refusing to rush.
Adrian watched her patiently.
"You can ask me anything you don't understand," he said.
Iris nodded without looking up.
A few moments passed before she stopped.
"This part," she said, pointing at the page. "What does this mean?"
Adrian leaned forward and read the section.
"It means that neither of you can make major decisions involving the other's personal affairs without discussing it first," he explained.
Iris nodded slowly.
"Okay."
She continued reading.
Damien sat quietly across from her, watching her go through the documents.
"You're actually reading everything," he said.
Iris looked up.
"Obviously."
"Most people wouldn't."
"I'm not most people."
A faint smile appeared on Damien's face.
"I noticed."
Iris looked back down at the documents.
After several minutes, she reached another page.
"There are a lot of rules," she said.
Adrian smiled.
"That's what happens when lawyers get involved."
Iris glanced at him.
"Did you write all of this?"
"Most of it," Adrian replied.
She raised an eyebrow.
"You seem way too calm about this."
Adrian shrugged.
"It's my job."
Iris looked toward Damien.
"And you?"
Damien met her eyes.
"I'm used to dealing with contracts."
Iris sighed.
"Of course you are."
She continued reading until she reached the final page.
Adrian placed a pen beside the documents.
"Once you're satisfied, you can sign."
Iris stared at the pen.
Her fingers hovered above it.
For a moment, she thought about her parents.
The Wells company.
Her home.
Everything her family could lose.
Then she looked across the desk at Damien.
He was watching her quietly.
"You really want this?" she asked.
Damien shook his head.
"I want my company."
Iris frowned.
"That wasn't my question."
Damien was silent for a moment.
"No," he finally said. "I don't want the marriage."
Iris's expression softened slightly.
"Then why are you doing it?"
"My grandfather made the condition clear," Damien replied. "If I want to take over the company, I have to be married."
Iris nodded slowly.
"So we're both being forced into this."
"Looks that way."
Adrian cleared his throat.
"I hate to interrupt the emotional breakthrough, but we still have paperwork."
Iris looked at him.
"You really know how to ruin a moment."
Adrian smiled.
"It's one of my many talents."
Iris shook her head, but a small smile appeared on her face.
She picked up the pen.
"Two years," she whispered.
"Two years," Damien confirmed.
Iris looked down at the document one last time.
Then she signed her name.
Adrian took the document and checked the signature.
Damien reached for the next copy and signed his name as well.
Adrian collected the papers and placed them neatly back inside the folder.
"That's it," he said.
Iris slowly leaned back in her chair.
"So we're married?"
"Legally, once the required filing is completed," Adrian explained. "Yes."
Iris let out a breath.
She couldn't believe she had actually done it.
Damien stood from his chair.
"We should go back downstairs."
Iris remained seated for another moment.
Then she stood and picked up her handbag.
As they walked toward the door, Iris stopped before opening it.
She looked at Damien.
"One thing."
Damien turned toward her.
"What?"
"You don't get to control my entire life just because we're married."
Damien looked at her for a moment.
"I never said I wanted to."
"Good."
She opened the door.
Adrian watched the two of them walk out of the study together.
He shook his head with a quiet laugh.
"This is going to be interesting."