FORECED CONTRACT

Her heart skipped a beat, and for a split second, she considered approaching him, demanding to know what he wanted. But the sensible part of her brain warned her against it. She had more important things to deal with, like getting her friends home safely and avoiding any more trouble.

Suppressing the unease gnawing at her, she turned her back on him, pretending not to notice. Her friends were now safely in their bodyguards' care, and she hurried back to her own car, eager to leave the unsettling scene behind. But as she walked away, she could feel his eyes on her, watching her every move.

The drive back to the palace was silent, with only the low hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of trees in the wind. The weight of the night's events pressed down on her, but it wasn't just the noise, the alcohol, or the exhaustion. It was him. The Smirk Guy. He had been there, watching her, just like all those other times.

When they finally arrived at the palace, the grand, silent structure loomed in the darkness like a sentinel of her secrets. They parked in their usual secluded spot, hidden from view of the main entrance, and Raphael threw the rope back up to the secret window—an escape route they had used many times before.

Without a word, she allowed Raphael to lift her onto his back, knowing full well that if her father caught her sneaking in after midnight, there would be hell to pay. They climbed up the side of the palace with practiced ease, her heart pounding not from the exertion, but from the anxiety that had been building up all night.

As they slipped through the window and landed softly on the plush carpet of her room, she finally let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Safe. They were safe.

She turned to thank Raphael, but he was already gone, having slipped out as silently as he had come. Her room was dark, illuminated only by the faint moonlight streaming through the curtains. She crossed the room, her steps light, heading toward her bed, eager to collapse and let sleep take away the tension of the night.

But as she reached the middle of the room, she froze. Her heart skipped a beat, then began to race as she sensed something—a presence. It was subtle at first, just a slight shift in the air, a whisper of something out of place. But then, her eyes caught movement in the corner, where the shadows were thickest.

And then she saw him.

The Smirk Guy was no longer just a distant figure lurking in the shadows. He was standing there, in her room, leaning against the wall with that infuriating smirk still on his face. His icy gray eyes locked onto hers, and in that moment, every ounce of blood drained from her face.

"Hello, princess," he drawled, his voice smooth and dangerous, sending a chill down her spines

Aurora's heart pounded like a drum in her chest, blood rushing to her face as she saw him approach. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, with a build that could only belong to someone forged in battle. His raven-black hair was neatly slicked back, revealing a chiseled face with sharp, aristocratic features. His eyes, a piercing shade of icy blue, seemed to see right through her, stripping away every defense she tried to muster. A faint smirk played on his full lips, a smirk that sent shivers down her spine and made her blood run hot.

As he closed the distance between them, she instinctively stepped back, only to find her retreat cut short as her back hit the cold, unyielding wall. Panic seized her, but before she could react, he was there, mere inches away, his strong arms caging her in. His scent—a mix of leather, sandalwood, and something darker, more dangerous—invaded her senses, making her head spin. He leaned in closer, the heat of his body pressing against hers, the softness of her breasts molding against the hardness of his chest. Her breath hitched as her face reddened, both from the proximity and from how undeniably handsome he was.

"Wh-who... are you?" Aurora stammered, her voice trembling.

His smirk deepened, making him look even more devilishly attractive. "Your worst nightmare," he replied, his voice a deep, husky growl that sent a fresh wave of terror and something else—something she refused to acknowledge—coursing through her veins.

Aurora's heart raced, hammering so hard she was sure he could hear it. She swallowed, trying to steady herself, her mind racing for a way out. In a desperate move, her hand darted to his pocket, fingers closing around the cold metal of the gun she found there. She pulled it out, the weight of it almost comforting as she pointed it at him, her hands shaking.

"Are you really going to shoot me, wife?" he asked, the word "wife" rolling off his tongue like a promise and a threat all at once.

"W-wife?" Her voice wavered, her mind struggling to process what he had just called her.

"Yes," he replied, his tone dripping with confidence.

"I will shoot if you don't get the hell out of my room!" she screamed, trying to muster every ounce of courage she had left. But before she could react, his hand moved faster than her eyes could follow. In an instant, he had the gun back in his grip, his other hand pinning her to the wall, his body pressing her down.

"That's not a good way to greet your future husband, Aurora," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending an involuntary shiver through her. His voice was smooth, like silk brushing over her skin, but beneath that softness was an edge of steel, of danger.

Aurora's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and fear. *Future husband?* she thought. *Who is he? Why does he keep calling me that?* But more than the fear, there was anger—anger at his arrogance, at how he'd invaded her space, her life, as if he owned it.

"Do you know who I am?" she demanded, her voice shaking with rage. "Or where you are?"

"Yes, I know, princess," he said, his tone patronizing, almost mocking. "I'm very well aware. Now, get your fucking ass downstairs. Let me show you what I'm capable of," he growled, his voice turning menacing as he pressed the gun to her temple.

Aurora's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding as fear clawed at her insides. The cold metal against her skin was a harsh reminder of the power he held over her in that moment. She nodded, her body trembling, and obediently turned to leave the room, her legs feeling like jelly as she walked ahead of him, her thoughts racing. *Who is he?* she kept thinking. *Where are the royal guards? How did they get in? Where is everyone?*

The walk down the grand staircase to the royal floor felt like an eternity. With each step, her fear grew, her thoughts becoming more chaotic. When they finally reached the throne room, her breath hitched at the sight that greeted her. Her father, King Edward, was on the floor, his regal appearance diminished by the sheer terror in his eyes.

The man nudged her forward with the barrel of the gun, making her stumble slightly. "Go join him," he ordered, his voice cold and emotionless.

Aurora's mind was in turmoil as she took shaky steps toward her father. *How did this happen?* she wondered. *Where is everyone?* The throne room, usually filled with royal guards and advisors, was eerily empty. The only people there were this man and a group of men in black, all armed, surrounding them like predators waiting to strike.

"Well, King Edward," the man said, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "Tell your daughter why I'm here today." His words made Edward flinch, his body trembling visibly.

When the king didn't respond, the man's gaze turned back to Aurora, cold and piercing. "If you can't, then I will. Princess, your father overstepped his boundaries. Not the first time, and certainly not the last. So I've decided to kill him." The way he said it, so casually, so bluntly, as if discussing the weather, made Aurora's blood run cold.

"What do you mean, kill?" Aurora's voice trembled, her eyes widening in horror as the weight of his words sunk in.

Her life seemed to pause, everything around her slowing to a crawl as she watched him raise the gun, pointing it directly at her father's head.

"Please, don't!" she screamed, the sound ripping from her throat in desperation.

The man's expression didn't change. He turned to King Edward, his voice dark and dangerous. "Oh, I shouldn't? King Edward, please tell your darling daughter the solution to saving your life."

The king's eyes filled with tears, his body shaking as he looked at his daughter with a mixture of guilt and sorrow. "Marry him," he croaked out, his voice weak, defeated.

Aurora's world spun. *Marry him?* Her mind reeled, her eyes widening in disbelief. *This can't be happening. I've turned down so many suitors, so many men who would have treated me like a queen, just to end up with… him?*

The man—this nightmare—stepped back, lowering the gun but not the threat it represented. He watched her with those cold, calculating eyes, waiting for her response.

"No," Aurora said, her voice shaking but firm. "This isn't the kind of marriage I want. I won't marry you."

For a long moment, there was silence. Then, without a word, the man holstered the gun, turning on his heel and walking away, his men following him like shadows. But before he left, he placed a single piece of paper on the table—a marriage document.

Aurora stood there, frozen, her mind a chaotic swirl of emotions as the reality of what had just happened settled in. The room was silent except for the sound of her father's quiet sobs. She looked at the document on the table, the words blurring as tears filled her eyes.

"Aurora," King Edward's voice was a mere whisper, broken and desperate. "Please… you have to sign it. If you don't, he'll kill me. He'll kill us all."

Aurora turned to her father, her heart shattering at the sight of the man who had always been her rock, now crumbling before her eyes. "Father, I can't," she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. "This isn't right. There has to be another way."

"There is no other way," King Edward said, his voice trembling. "If you refuse, he'll bring someone else—someone distant, someone with no claim to the throne. He'll destroy our family, Aurora. Everything we've built, everything we are… it will all be gone."