PTE

ena

r from the inside and my mouth tasted like something had died in it, and

sn't my

nausea rolled through me, and I pressed m

re w

cost more than my entire house, and there was sunlight streaming throug

s still wearing yesterday's clothes, wrink

on my le

ting on my ring finger

remember putting on a ring, didn't remember buying a ring, di

e b

e d

ho'd offer

h

g too badly and it wouldn't come over my knuckle, and

carrying coffee and I recognized him

n Blac

n from

," he said. "H

voice came out rou

and what happened is you got married last night.

looked at the ring ag

r from his jacket. "This is our marriage certif

was in black and white: Adrian Blackwell and Elena Hart, married

I didn't get married, I wou

across from the bed. "You signed the contract and

looked at the certificate again.

pulled out his phone and showed me a bank transfer.

the transfer was real and apparently I'd sold myself

." He put his phone away. "You should read

re is

longer than the marriage certificate,

ted a picture I didn't want to see: eighteen months of marriage, living togethe

sand pound

ng other

te disc

got to Section 7 and

?" I looked up at

of pregnancy during the marriage term, any resulting child becom

belongs to you?" I was standing now even

ered. "We're going to be living together,

me at all." I threw the contract at hi

agreed to the terms." He picked up the

nk, that do

id." He stood up. "Which means if you breach this contra

it me like a

ay back double what I've given you plus any damages I incur." Adrian walked toward the door. "So yo

backing away from him. "Yo

He stopped at the door. "I'm not a monster, Elena, I'm just

d you took advantage of that." Tears were runni

it." His voice got harder. "Now you can honor that agreemen

he was blocking, and I realized I had no choice at all because eighty thousa

e you,"

just have to play your part." Adrian's phone r

le posture changed, got

whoever was on the other

d. Then after a

d his hand gripped

oved to me. "Yes, she's her

d something in his expression h

ed my face. "Bigger than you t

s to live." Adrian put his phone back in his pocket. "He wants

Wh

for becomes worthless." Adrian walked back toward me. "He said if he's not c

ther we're actually in love?" I laughed bu

act for eighteen months with nothing to show for it." Adrian stopped in front of me. "So we're goin

if I r

d owe me eighty thousand pounds."

d that I had no real choice, hated everything abou

dinner?

gain. "I'll have appropriate clothes sent

ather is dying and you need to prove

's cor

e don't co

the estate and everything I've spent my life building."

remember getting and a contract that enslaved me for eighteen mont

sand pounds sitting in my account, and I knew I couldn't give it ba

s tra

ly, total

love with a man I'd met twelve hours ag