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Chapter 11
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๋ฐ์ดํธ:
2025-03-17 01:38:45
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CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 12
(Elena's POV)โRyan, we need to talk.โ I told him.Ryan was sitting on the staircase when I got back.At first I thought he didn't notice me. He looked deep in thoughts. His posture was slouched, elbows resting on his knees, head tilted downward. But the moment I stepped closer, his eyes snapped up to meet mine. I knew then, he saw me when I arrived and he was waiting for me.A part of me felt relieved to see him. The other part? Absolutely scared do what he was about to say. I breathed hard. โRyan..โHe exhaled slowly. โSo it's true.โI hesitated. โIโโโYou're actually getting married.โI opened my mouth, I wanted to say something but no words came out. Ryan let out a bitter chuckle. โWow. I thought maybe I didn't hear correctly. Or maybe Sophie got it wrong. But no. You really did it.โI stepped closer to him. โRyan, I wanted to tell you but Iโ.โโYou didn't tell me.โ He cut in sharply. โYou let me find out on my own. As usual. Do you know how that felt?โI felt a guilty pain in
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-18CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 13
(Alexanderโs POV)A month later, I stood at the altar of a grand catholic church dressed in a sleek black tuxedo with Daniel by my side dressed in a black suit. Waiting for a wedding I didn't want.The air smelled of incense and fresh roses. Soft glow of candles flickered around the church Illuminating the sculptured designs.People whispered as the music played.They weren't whispering about me.They were whispering about her.The bride.The fact that no one truly understood why I was marrying her. A nobody.Elena appeared at the entrance, dressed in a long white gown, lace trailing behind her as she walked slowly down the aisle.She lookedโฆ.Presentable.Not breathtaking. Not the kind of woman people expected by my side.But she knew how to play the part.And that was all that mattered.Her expression was calm, composed, her eyes straight ahead as if she wasn't walking into a room full of people who disliked her or had something to say against her. People who didn't want her there.A
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-19CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 14
Elenaโs POVThe place had gone silent immediately when the uรฑknown man who I later found out was Alexander's father arrived.The air once filled with laughter and clinking of glasses became silent like a graveyard.Everybody watching the drama unfold.All eyes locked on one man.Alexander's father.The father he never spoke about.Cameras flashed, reporters whispering to each other and catching every shocking moment of the reunion.And then, before anyone could react.Alexander moved.Anger burned in his eyes as he stormed towards his father, his grip tightening around his hand.โInside. Now.โReymond, completely unmoved, just smirked. โAh, a private conversation. How thoughtful.โAlexander didn't respond. He just dragged him through the party and inside to his office study at home.A murmur rose from the crowd.Sophie used her eyes to ask me if everything was okay.I replied to her saying I don't know but I was going to find out.Eleanor stood up alert. Her face was pale and full of
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-25CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 15
Alexander's POV The day was finally over. The sterling mansion, once buzzing with noise and activity, had grown quiet all because of Reymond sterling, my so-called father. His name alone made me boil and so angry. I hated him so much. I was married. The weight of the wedding ring on my hand felt so heavy. I stood in the doorway of my room after that whole scene in the study. I needed to refresh and look at that document again. Elena had to watch everything. She saw a side of our family no one had seen and now I knew she had questions but I couldn't answer them. I was exhausted. I turned to see her behind me. She was still in her reception gown. The glow of the corridor lamps softened her features. Making her look so innocent and beautiful. She was tired though. It showed in her face. She glanced up when she noticed me staring at her. โAlexander.โ Her voice was low and quiet. โThe wedding is over.โ I said coldly. โThe deal is sealed. We are legally married.โ She didn'
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-25CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 16
Elena's POVThe morning light shone through the large windows of the Sterling mansion, reflecting on the marble floors.I sat in the corner of the grand sitting room, sipping a cup of tea I really didn't want. The house was quiet and I woke up with a headache so Maria made a hot cup of herbal tea to soothe the headache.She was the only one who actually cared for me since I started staying here.The wedding. The whispers. The coldness in his voice when he told me we would be sleeping in seperate rooms.I hadn't seen Alexander since the night of the wedding. Heโd thrown himself inside work since his father arrived. Leaving me to wander this massive house on my own.I wasnโt angry, not exactly.But there was a growing ache in my chest, a feeling of loneliness I couldnโt shake.Iโd married him for my family, for Ryan and Mom. But now, I was beginning to wonder if i had made the biggest mistake of my life.I knew Alexander was dealing with his father, with the company, with things I could
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-28CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 17
Elenaโs POVโElena,โ He said, his voice panicked. โItโs mom.โMy heart stopped. โWhat happened?โโShe collapsed.โ He said quickly. โAs she was taking a walk in the hospital but she has been taken back to her room now.โI grabbed my coร t and rushed out the door. I called Henry to take me to the hospital. The drive to the hospital wasnโt long but all through, my mind kept racing with worst-case scenarios.When I arrived, I saw Ryan sitting in front of the room staring at his hands. โRyan.โ I called out to him.He looked up in shock. Then he got up and hugged me.โItโs alright. Mum is going to be okay.โ I said, rubbing his hair.โWhat exactly happened?โโI came to see mum. So she said she wanted to go for a walk.โ He said, his voice shaking. โI took permission and she said it was okay so I took mum, we were just talking and laughing and suddenly, she just collapsed.โ He was barely audible now, the tears in his voice trying to come out fully.โItโs okay, Alright?โ I told him, holding his
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-28CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 18
Alexanderโs POVThe office was suffocating. The air was heavy with the weight of unanswered questions. I stood by the window, staring outside and thinking, my jaw clenched tightly.Reymond was a shadow seeping into every corner of my life.I spent hours going through the document. Trying to piece together his next move with Daniel and Victor, yet it felt like no matter how much I worked, or how much I read through the files, I couldnโt find anything. I was always two steps behind him.That was the thing about my father. He was the man who played the long game.The company was my life. I sacrificed too much to let him get it.โSir,โ Victor called, snapping me out of my thoughts. He stood by the door to my office, a cautious expression on his face.โWhat is it?โ I asked sharply.โWe have received confirmation that Reymond has been meeting with additional shareholders,โ he said, stepping inside and placing a folder on my desk. โHeโs gaining numbers.โI flipped through the folder, checkin
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-04-01CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 19
Elenaโs POVRyan walked beside me as we left the hospital. The silence surrounding us was heavy, a weight I couldn't lift no matter how I tried.The doctorโs words kept echoing in my mind. โHer health is declining. Prepare for the possibility that she may not have much time left.โ I wanted to scream, to blame someone for my motherโs health declining but I had to be strong for Ryan. He had only me and if I broke down, he would too. Mum wouldnโt want that.I placed a hand on Ryanโs arm as we reached the car. โLetโs go home.โ I said softly.He nodded. His face was pale and neutral.Neither of us spoke throughout the drive home. We just sat there staring outside but the silence spoke volumes.By the time we got home. My real home, the apartment I lived in for half of my life before I got married. Ryan collapsed onto the couch. โI donโt know what to do, Elena.โ He finally said, his voice breaking a little. โI donโt want to lose her.โโWe wonโt Ryan. Weโre not giving up.โ I said firmly. โ
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-04-02
์ต์ ์ฑํฐ
CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 27
Elenaโs POVI stood in the shower, motionless as the water hits my skin, each drop a reminder of my thoughts. How did I let this happen?The night keeps replaying in my head like a broken video player. His touch, His lips. The look in his eyes when he took me to the room and entered me. I wasn't in control, He was. We were both in our right state of mind not under alcohol influence but just two people wanting to feel each other. I can still remember the way my heart fluttered under his stare or the way I pleaded with him to feel him inside me.I lean forward, resting my forehead on the arm, water dripping from my chin. At that moment, I thought there was hope for us, for me and just maybe he would finally accept me but then he shut me down as usual. I slept in his arms, he held on to me throughout the night and just like That, he shattered my heart in less than a second.I didn't say anything or try to fight against what he said. I accepted it because he was right, it didn't mean an
CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 26
Alexanderโs POVThe sun filtered in through the curtains, pulling me out of my dream.Then reality came crashing back.I blinked slowly, adjusting to the light. The weight against my chest moved. Her hand. Small, warm. Her leg still tangled with mine under the blanket.Elena.The memories from the night before rushed to me like a wave I hadnโt prepared for. The way she had kissed me. The softness of her lips. The way her body had responded to every touch. Her eyes wide, tear-streaked, and somehow still full of trust.What the hell was I doing?I shouldnโt have touched her.And yet I had. Over and over. With so much desperation than I cared to admit.My hands on her body, feeling and touching every inch of her. It wasnโt supposed to happen. None of it.I was tired. Vulnerable. I let my guard slip. For a moment, just one damn moment, I allowed myself to feel something. And I let her in.Which was Stupid of me.Now I had made a big mistake.I slowly shifted, trying not to wake her. Her
CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 25
Elenaโs POVThe lights, the laughter, the music, It had all gone blurry the moment Victoria poured that drink on me. It hadn't just ruined my dress, it exposed me, made me feel small and vulnerable.I knew she did it on purpose.It wasn't just the embarrassment. It was the humiliation I felt. The fact that no one stepped in. Not even my own husband, Alexnader tried to stand up for me. At least If Sophie was here, She would have stood up for me.I ran without looking back, I didn't know where I was running to but I just had to leave that place and so I ran.my heart was pounding, my face burned with heat as I pushed open the guesthouse door and slammed it behind me. It was the closest door to me.I sank to the floor, the torn fabric if my dress packed around my legs. My arms still clutching it to my body to keep what little dignity I had left. I felt small, so small and ashamed. I was alone in that moment.I buried my face in my hands and let the tears fall freely.This wasn't a life. T
CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 24
Alexanderโs POVToday is the day of the annual ball which we hold once every year. It was a big event for the sterling empire, a celebration of how far we have come. Reymond started this tradition but after he was gone, it lived on.Eleanor always made sure she decorated everything to her satisfaction. The Sterling mansion had never looked more expensive.That wasn't a compliment. All the chandeliers were polished and sparkling, the staircase was wrapped in golden vines, and roses, white and red lined every inch of the hall like it was a royal coronation. The place was glowing. Eleanor outdid herself. Again.Last time, She was the one that planned it and it was exquisite. After the gala, people talked about how organised and fancy everything was from the decorations to the food. Eleanor lived for all those talks, that was why she made sure she was the one to decorate every year.I stood at the top of the staircase, watching the staff as they rushed to do one thing or the other. S
CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 23
Elenaโs POVMonths have passed and still I feel lonely. I enjoy the luxury of getting anything I want, eating anything I want, being able to afford my brother, mum and Sophie's needs but still it's an endless cycle of loneliness. Alexander doesn't even know I still exist. I haven't seen him for a while now. Only Maria keeps me company.Sophie's birthday was today so I decided to do something special for her and forget all about my worries. It seems the annual gala that happens every year which Eleanor told me about is today also.I planned to see Sophie, take her out, then later I will get ready for the gala. I needed something, anything to take my mind off these lonely thoughts. At least, I would get to see Alexander after months of not seeing him well.I picked up my phone and called Sophie.โHey Soph. Where are you??โ โMy man's place.โ She said, giggling, sounding warm and carefree. โUrgh.. alright, get dressed and meet me in an hour at the location I'II send to you now.โโOuu..
CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 22
Eleanor's POVโSo?โ I inquired from Alexander immediately he arrived. I needed to know the outcome. I had been anxious ever since but by his relaxed body moves, he won. I greeted him with my usual cool smile. โI take it went well?โโI won.โ He said simply.I guessed right.I sighed. โGood, that's settled then.โI watched as Alexander went to the bar side and poured himself a drink. His movement slow and smooth. But I knew him well enough to sense the tension beneath his composed facade.He had won.The board meeting had gone in his favor. But the question lingered; Why did he call for a board meeting when he knew he was going to lose?Reymond never losses or does things like that except it was part of his main plan. Or a distraction.That man. That was one reason I fell for him.But now, i despised him a lot.Reymond thought he could just come back after all these years and take what was ours? He thought he could use Alexander and snatch the company away from him. The same company h
CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 21
Alexanderโs POVThe boardroom was silent. This air was tended and thick, it almost seemed suffocating. I sat at the head of the long polished table, my fingers drumming on the table. I had prepared for this moment but now it was taking long.Across me, the board members sat silently waiting for the meeting to commence. Then the meeting was about to commence, the board members murmured among themselves. Their expressions blank and unreadable, they were all people who knew reymond, had worked alongside him before. Loyalty in a corporate setting was always shaky, never absolute. People changed who they were loyal to depending on the better fit for the position and the person they get the most benefits from. Money and power had a way of turning people's mind.We were waiting for the person that made the complaint and arranged for this board meeting, Reymond. Where was He? My patience was wearing thin.I glanced at Victor, who stood beside me, analysing and watching everyone. Victor had sp
CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 20
Alexanderโs POVโI would rather show you in person,โ He said cautiously and with a sense of urgency. โWhere are you?โ I asked him.โAt the office, Sir.โโOkay, meet me in the conference room.โ I said, then ended the call.Victorโs voice never sounded this urgent so I knew it had to be serious for him to call me like this.I put on my clothes, took my car keys and drove to the office. Normally, I would tell my driver to drive me but I knew it was a private matter so I decided to go alone.When I arrived, Victor was already waiting, a folder in his hands and a grim expression on his face.โWhat did you find?โ I asked him, my patience wearing thin.Victor opened the folder and spread the documents across the table.โThese messages were sent to Reymond from someone inside the company,โ He said. โAt first, we thought it was just an employee, but the level of detail in these encrypted messages suggest something else.โI frowned, looking at the documents.โWhat kind of detail?โโSchedules,
CONTRACT OF FATEย ย ย Chapter 19
Elenaโs POVRyan walked beside me as we left the hospital. The silence surrounding us was heavy, a weight I couldn't lift no matter how I tried.The doctorโs words kept echoing in my mind. โHer health is declining. Prepare for the possibility that she may not have much time left.โ I wanted to scream, to blame someone for my motherโs health declining but I had to be strong for Ryan. He had only me and if I broke down, he would too. Mum wouldnโt want that.I placed a hand on Ryanโs arm as we reached the car. โLetโs go home.โ I said softly.He nodded. His face was pale and neutral.Neither of us spoke throughout the drive home. We just sat there staring outside but the silence spoke volumes.By the time we got home. My real home, the apartment I lived in for half of my life before I got married. Ryan collapsed onto the couch. โI donโt know what to do, Elena.โ He finally said, his voice breaking a little. โI donโt want to lose her.โโWe wonโt Ryan. Weโre not giving up.โ I said firmly. โ
