Chapter 1

Moan harder, baby, yeah, yeah, it's coming, yeah, aah…

Ryan let out a loud moan of pleasure as he playfully spanked the lady he was fucking, admiring her big ass. With a sheepish smile on his face. He felt a brief sense of power and control. It was fleeting, but he was used to that. 

As he laid on the bed to take a deep breath from the moment. ‘Care for another round?’ She asked, and he sheepishly smiled and stood up from the bed without a word. He plans to go wash himself up and then ride her hard one more time. 

Just as he was about to step into the bathroom, the sudden beep of his phone halted him.

‘Hmm,’ Ryan sighs, nodding his head, tempted to ignore it. He wasn't ready to be distracted at this point; he had another round to go with this sexy lady. But doubt crept into his thoughts. It could be work you fool, You don't joke with work. 

He hesitantly picked up his phone to find a message from his secretary: "Good afternoon, Mr. Miller. I've been attempting to contact you."”

I heard rumors from the management. Kindly check your email.” 

Curious and concerned, Ryan quickly went through his email and saw a surprised message from the management saying 

Effective immediately, you are relieved of your position as CEO, courtesy of Grand Miller.

A name they usually address is his grandfather.

His initial confusion turned into rage. ‘What! This must be a joke, hahaha.’ He laughed, but his humor quickly turned to rage from the news he just got as he hastily put on his clothes.

“Where are you going baby? I thought we were going for another round,” he grabbed his keys from the table and ignored her. “Hey,” she called out again, but he cut her off. “You don’t get to ask me questions; we are done here.” He threw a bunch of money in her face. “Hope to see you again," she muttered silently. 

“Never”. He shouted, slamming the hotel door behind him. Anger still burned within him. It was a usual routine for him, after all, it was sex for money. He least cared about her or her name.

Ryan barged into his grandfather's office furiously, “You are firing me? Grandpa I really don't get it,” interrupting Grand Miller’s conversation on the phone. “Please don’t tell me it's still because of your idea of me getting married. Why force me to do what I don't always want?” 

Grand Miller smiled, noticing his grandson’s pain from his tone—exactly what he wanted. He would have heard the latest news from the company's board. 

“Yes exactly, until you get married and give me an heir, you cease becoming the CEO of my company, and if you refuse to adhere to this, I would gladly cut you off my will, Ryan.” 

Ryan squeezed his fist, It felt like a punch to the gut. "You can’t be serious. All of this because I won’t play house?” He felt a familiar tightness in his chest—the same pressure he felt when his parents died and his life was forced down a path he hadn’t chosen. “You’d throw away the empire I built over a marriage?"

Grand Miller's voice softened a bit, “You are my only grandchild and the only family I have ever had since we lost your parents and my wife. Look at me; I'm getting very old, and likewise, you’re not getting any younger by the day. All you do is sleep with random women every day. I don't want you to end up like me, focusing on work all through life and not giving room for love and a family.”

Ryan's face was pissed and red. He looked at his father with so much hatred at that moment. “But how do you expect me to achieve all this? I am not like you Grandpa, I have money and power to succeed, not some woke love. But hopefully, with time, I will find love.” 

“Ryan, there's no time; you have really been taking me for a joke, but you see this time, it's either you give me what I want or my decision would be final and attract more consequences.” 

At this point, Ryan knew his grandfather’s mind was made up, as was his reputation for following through on his words. He couldn't risk losing his inheritance of his grandfather's company considering he was currently working on a huge project that could change a lot. He wants every dime for himself. Ryan knew he couldn't challenge his grandfather's wishes.

“Alright, grandpa, I would get married and give you a child, doing everything you had always wanted and forcing me to do as usual.” Ryan walked out of his grandfather's office with a heavy heart, heading straight to his car. As he got into his vehicle, his mind became clouded with thoughts.

‘I can't believe he would do this again; all my life I have always done what he wants, never what I wanted. Even though I changed my career choice from being a medical doctor to business management after my parents passed just to make my grandpa happy, now he’s doing this. Unbelievable.’ He sighed, pondering at his inability to live life the way he wants to.

“Sir, where are we headed to?” His driver snapped him off from his thoughts, “Ooh, just head home. I need a break from today's drama.” 

“On today's program on Heart for Beat, let's talk about how we dive deep into the raw emotions and difficult questions surrounding infidelity.” 

The sound of the radio pissed him off as he shouted at the driver to reduce the volume of the radio. “In fact, turn it off; I want peace at this moment. Alright, sir,” the driver responded. 

Ryan sat in his car in a state of turmoil; the weight of his grandfather’s request was pressing down on him, but he knew he had to comply; if not, he would lose his chance in a project he has been pursuing for years only to get this closed.

The sight of home was like peace in disguise. Ryan stepped out of the vehicle, went inside his house, and went straight to his bedroom. 

He immediately jumped on his bed with a big sigh of relief, delving into the thought of the whole relationship thing. It has never been his thing; the last time he tried to get into a relationship, his heart was broken. 

‘Money! That’s just what all these ladies are after,’ he muttered silently. The memory of his last relationship with Juliet clouded his thoughts, and he hasn’t yet gotten over the emotional pain he experienced; with this, he vowed not to love again,because of the vulnerability it required —every time he tried, the wound reopened. But now, all of a sudden, his grandfather is talking about getting married; where is he supposed to start from?

One name flashed in his mind. ‘Yes! Madam Jane, I need to contact her.’ He took a deep breath as he decided to take the first step in solving this mess, knowing full well he couldn't do it alone. He picks up his phone to dial Madam Jane, his emergency contact, a woman with discreet connection, for an appointment for that evening; one way or another she would have a perfect solution or advice for his situation.

Later that evening, Ryan met with Madam Jane in a restaurant where they usually hang out. She was a woman with few words, very sharp and observant. Ryan explained his current situation to her, his voice filled with frustration and desperation.

“I need your help on how to go about this fast. My grandfather is forcing me to get married and give me a child. How am I supposed to achieve this considering love is not a thing for me recently?”

She listened to his frustration attentively and understood the extent of his problem. When he finished, she nodded slowly, more like she had an idea.

“I would suggest a contract marriage, considering the short duration. I believe it would work if you both played your parts well.” Ryan's eyes widened with joy as he leaned back, feeling relaxed; he would have never thought of such a great idea, it was logical. But it was just the perfect idea to satisfy his grandfather’s demands without compromising his desires.

“A contract marriage,” he repeated with a smile. It sounded easy on the surface. But could he trust anyone enough to pull this off without it blowing up in his face? He’d seen enough marriages crumble—and he was already emotionally bankrupt. But there was no better option. 

“Let's get to it then. 

A gentle smile spreads across Madam Jane's face as she replies “I think I already have someone in mind, but it would cost you $500,000.”

“I don't care. As long as she is smart and pretty.” Money was not the problem for Ryan, as a matter of fact, it was the least of his concerns right now.

Madam Jane smiled. “Trust me she is. Deal then,” Ryan responded as they both exchanged pleasantries with a hand.

Ryan shook it without hesitation, feeling a sense of calm for the first time that day. A contract marriage. No strings attached. No emotions. Just business.