Chapter 1: Sign it

It was a few minutes past midnight when the door of the enormous living room opened. Simona, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room dressed in a flimsy black nightgown, stood up on hearing her husband's familiar voice speaking, seemingly on the phone, and judging by the gentleness of his voice, it was obvious who he was speaking to.

Acting like the fact that her husband, even though it was a contract marriage, was conversing with his first love at that hour didn't hurt, she tried to push those thoughts aside. Taking a deep breath, she approached him, her heart beating nervously as she reached for his bag, a small attempt to improve the growing distance between them.

“You’re late again. Busy at work?” Simona asked, her voice calm yet laced with an underlying tension. She knew that without her interruption, Adrian wouldn’t abandon the conversation that had completely absorbed his attention.

Adrian glanced at Simona for the first time since he got home. His gaze traced the curves of her body, letting it linger briefly on her nightgown which left nothing to the imagination, before settling into her piercing blue eyes. A hint of distraction lingered in his expression, but he quickly masked it and said. “My love, let me get back to you. I just got home.” His tone was prompt yet affectionate.

“Okay, honey, is that Simona? Please say hi to her for me,” came Helena's soft and fragile voice from the phone. Since it was midnight and all the staff were asleep, the house was completely silent. So, Simona, hearing Helena's words, couldn't help but roll her eyes.

However, Adrian, who was still looking at Simona's face, nodded absentmindedly, his fingers moving deftly as he hung up and slipped the phone into his pocket, finally tuning in to the woman standing before him.

Then, unexpectedly, he leaned in slightly, his rich brown eyes glistening as he asked Simona a question that caught her off guard, sending a jolt of surprise through her.

“Do you love me?” he asked, the sincerity in his voice momentarily shattering the tension that hung in the air between them.

Simona's eyes searched Adrian's face, a mix of uncertainty and hope shining in them. She stood there, still; her breath was caught in her throat, and her heart was beating rapidly. ‘Was it a trick? Or was he really interested in knowing her feelings because he finally started to love her too?’ Simona contemplated.

Her answer was as bright as day; she loves Adrian Adams with all her heart, and it has been so since high school. ‘But what if telling him her feelings changes everything? He himself had told her not to fall in love with him? But what if taking the risk now might turn out better than expected?’

“Yes, Adrian, I love you; I really do; I never stopped. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you; you know that." Simona confessed, and it felt like a burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She did it; she finally told Adrian she loves him. “What about you? Do you love me too?” Simona asked, holding Adrian's gaze.

However, he smirked and passed a hand through his messy hair and said. “Let's get a divorce.”

“What…?” Simona said, reaching for his hand, but he pulled away from her touch and took his briefcase from her. He opened and pulled out an envelope, which he slammed on the table harshly and said, “Sign it.”

“No, no, Adrian, you tricked me! You asked if I loved you, and I answered. You can't divorce me,” Simona said, her hands clutching her head in frustration as adrenaline rushed through her.

“I can, and I'm doing it. You’ve become so clingy; it’s suffocating!” Adrian growled.

“But I'm your wife,” Simona implored, her voice trembling with a mix of anxiety and desperation. “I can’t help but worry about you. But if it’s what you truly want, I can step back and stop interfering in your affairs. I won’t even wait for you to come home, but please don’t ask me for a divorce! I can’t bear the thought of you divorcing me! I love you."

She took a careful step back, maintaining a cautious distance between them, feeling the weight of her emotions. The last thing she wanted was to suffocate him again by being too close. The fear of losing him was larger than ever; it loomed over her like a dark cloud, and she bit her lip, attempting to hold back her tears. She couldn't imagine her life without him. She couldn’t lose him—not now.

They still haven't had sex; she was planning to trap him with pregnancy. She harbored a secret hope of winning Adrian's heart through the promise of a child. So she was happy when he added in the agreement they would have sex, but with no strings attached. However, after their marriage, the disheartening reality set in—he never reached for her, leaving her longing and confused in the silence of their bedroom.

She knows her expectations were too high for a contract marriage. But he remained a distant figure, never once taking her in his arms or initiating a touch. So she began to seduce him; at times she hid in the bathroom naked and waited for him to return home and walked out naked, making it look as if it was a coincidence, but he never even spared her a glance.

Simona had noticed the changes in Adrian's attitude a month ago, which prompted her to hasten her efforts to seduce him. She thought that if she succeeded in seducing him to have sex with her, if he were to ask for a divorce, she would be pregnant or could claim to be pregnant. However, now that he was actually asking for a divorce and she was not pregnant—and couldn’t pretend to be since they hadn’t been intimate—she felt completely lost about how to salvage their marriage. Simona’s heart ached with unspoken frustration; a wave of sadness washed over her as she stood there, grappling, caught between her love for him and the harsh reality.

“I want it signed by morning,” Adrian said, walking away, but stopped and said, “I didn't trick you; my rule was simple: don't fall in love with me, and you broke it. You of all people should know I hate people who break the rules; you were my secretary for 3 years." With that, he walks away, leaving Simona alone in the room.

Simona dropped onto the sofa; she wanted to cry but couldn't even get the emotions to come out; it seemed her tears were too sad to flow.

~~~

After an hour of sitting silently by herself, she looked at the envelope lying on the center table.

She reached for it and pulled out the papers and began going through them. There was an alimony of 50 million; she reached for the pen inside the envelope and wrote, plus 50 million, and signed the papers.

She stood up after putting the papers back inside the envelope and went to their room.

On reaching the bedroom, she saw Adrian wearing a black shirt, gray sweatpants, and wet hair seated behind his desk working on his monitor. She approached him and put the document on the desk and turned to leave, but Adrian spoke, stopping her in her tracks. “I told you to sign it, not return it intact without signing it; you have till morning to get it signed.” Simona stood there looking at Adrian's handsome face as he spoke, her heart doing somersault in her chest. She loves him so much it hurts.

And her damn tears were now threatening to fall. She looked up, biting her lips. She didn't want to cry in front of Adrian; she didn't want him to see her weak, no.

“I've already signed it,” Simona said with a straight face.

“What?” Adrian asked, almost choking on his saliva. ‘Was Simona playing with him? He knows how scheming she is; was she playing hard to get?’ at the thought he pulled out the papers, just as Simona said.

"I, um, added 50 million to the alimony, making it 100; I think 50 is less.” Adrian went through the papers and laughed and said,

“You are finally showing your true colors. I knew you were after my money all along. How come you didn't even cry when I asked you for a divorce, but you demanded more money?”

"Maybe it's because I promise my dad at my mom's grave I won't cry again,” Simona said with an air of nonchalance.

“Your mom is dead?” Adrian said sarcastically with a smile, but seeing Simona's expression, he realized she wasn't lying, but before he could speak, his phone on the desk rang, interrupting him.

“What is it?”

“Sir, we have an emergency with the merchandise at the port.”

“Okay,” Adrian said, standing up and hung up the call. He walked into the closet and came out a few minutes later, dressed professionally. His gaze lingered on Simona for a few seconds. He found himself wanting to tell her to wait for him, but he mentally smacked himself at his unusual emotion and walked out, leaving Simona alone in their huge bedroom.

Simona walked into the closet and started packing her belongings, her mind racing back to the day Adrian asked her to become his contract wife.