Chapter 4 : Double the price

Hazel's:

"I'll do it" I stated and he smirked. 

 I didn't want to remain like this forever, and i might not get another offer like this one again. Asher and Brianna will definitely pay for putting me in this situation and ivy and her mum will regret every single thing they've done to me. 

"You don't just expect me to marry someone I haven't seen before. I don't even know you, where you came from? your name, I don't know anything about you at all. For all I know , you could be a killer trying to trick me with your offer and then murder me. Did someone send you? What do you want from me? Why did you choose me, why do you think I give you what you want?" I asked all the questions that came to my head at once. 

"He is Aaron Gray–" His assistant suddenly said but he cut him off at once. 

Aaron Gray? Wait, the surname, Gray...that isn't possible right? The owner of Gray's group of companies and hotel was Mancini Gray and he didn't have any children, his only grandson died many years ago too. 

"What did you do with the card I gave to you?" Aaron asked 

"I threw it away, along with the paper" I responded and he sighed. 

" You didn't read or check the content before discarding it?" He looked intently at me and I nodded and he gave me an angry stare. 

"I see. Anyway– that isn't important anymore, I am Aaron Gray, the CEO and owner of Gray's group of companies and hotel, and the only grandson of Mancini gray" 

I scoffed. What nonsense is he talking about now? The grandson of Mancini Gray. Gray's group of companies? That is literally one of the top companies in the country. Infact it's in top two. 

" You're joking right? You cannot fool me. Mancini Gray has no family, his grandson died many years ago in a fatal accident along with his parent" I said not believing everything I just heard and he shrugged.

Few months after Mancini Gray's death, a new successor was announced. I haven't been checking the news since my accident so I don't exactly know who the person is, I only heard when the nurses were talking about it. 

But how did he get into my ward that day without being noticed? 

" Well he's alive now. Tell me, when last did you go on the internet? And you really think an ordinary person would offer you a million dollar just to give him a child?" He asked 

That makes sense. why would an ordinary person wear such expensive clothing and even visit with such an expensive car and he even has an assistant. He's definitely rich but I still found it really hard to believe he's Aaron Gray. 

But there's no way a rich person will choose someone like me for a surrogate.

"12pm tomorrow afternoon, my secretary will pick you up and we'll discuss everything you don't understand in the document , I am going to give you enough time go through it and to think about your decision and I hope to see a signed document tomorrow afternoon" He said and his assistant handed me the document. 

 "See you tomorrow, Hazel" He said and then left with his assistant who held an umbrella over his head. 

The rain had stopped and I could hear footsteps of people trooping out of the house. I looked at the document in my hands and went into the house through the backdoor making sure no one notices me.

I locked myself up the moment I got into my room and I wheeled myself straight to my desk. I put the file on the table and I saw my full name as well as Aaron's full name written boldly at the front.

'Terms and conditions of the marriage contract' 

I opened it and I began to read the content

 'The marriage is an agreement between both parties and it is going to last for a period of one year'

'During the period of one year, Hazel Carter is expected to get pregnant for Aaron Gray and give him an heir in a year. Hazel must also move in immediately after getting married to Aaron' 

Move in? That isn't bad. Plenty of freedom, away from these people. One year is a short time to plan and restart my life all over again. 

The rules were pretty simple and understandable until I turned to the next page. 

'Aaron and Hazel shall maintain the appearance of a genuine marriage in public, including business functions and family events'

Fake smiles, pretence and lies while standing beside a man I barely know in public. That isn't going to be a problem either. 

'Under no circumstance shall both party fall in love'

I scoffed. As if that would ever happen.

' Hazel Carter is allowed to go out and go anywhere but must take inform her husband and is required to take one of his trained bodyguards out, curfew is by 7pm'

This is ridiculous. Does that jerk think I am a child? I picked up my pen and ticked that line. 

 That should be erased entirely from the rules

'Physical intimacy is not required nor expected. If there's going to be intimacy, it should be purely consensual'

I read that again.

This man must me kidding me. How does he expect an heir from me when he doesn't care about physical intimacy. I guess the baby's going to magically appear then. 

'Any breach of contract, including emotional entanglements, shall result in financial and legal consequences and miss Hazel Carter would be required to return two million dollars to Mr Aaron Gray'

What?

 My heart sank. If I broke any of the rules, I’d owe him two million. That is twice the amount I was promised. 

Two. Million. Dollars.

I pressed my lips together and forced myself to keep reading.

Nonsense. All of this just doesn't make any sense at all. How selfish is he to draft out rules that would be of great benefits to him alone 

' At the end of the contractual period, both parties shall file for divorce with no further obligations to one another.

A clean break. No attachments. Just a transaction.'

I opened the next page and saw the space where I was supposed to sign on. 

I leaned back, exhaling slowly. This wasn’t a marriage. It was a business deal. A cold, calculated arrangement.

I am not ready to do this, not without him getting rid of some of the ridiculous rules. 

I closed the file in annoyance and I immediately went to bed. 

The next day...

Aaron's driver arrived exactly by 12pm and he took permission from my dad before he could take me. He came with a nurse and his assistant and they assisted me with everything. Ivy and her mum were didn't believe it, they asked so many questions and even gave dad reasons not to let me go. 

 Although my dad was a bit hesitant as he thought I was being kidnapped until he received a call from Aaron himself and he finally let me go not without insisting that he followed me. 

I honestly don't know why he should care about me now,he never did yesterday when I was inside the rain, all drenched. He tried starting up a conversation, and he asked so many questions on the way to Aaron's company but I didn't say respond to any of them. I also didn't say anything about the contract to him. 

We got to Aaron's company and I helped into his office. I gave him the document and he looked through them but he frowned upon seeing that I had not signed it. 

"What is this Hazel? I expected a signed document. Do you have a problem with the contract?' He asked staring intently at me. 

"Yes I do. There are a lot mistakes. You can look over the places I ticked" I said and he checked again

" There are no mistakes here. Everything here is written perfectly well for your brain to comprehend " He said looking irritated. 

" Not only are you rude, You're arrogant too, I can make do with that, at least it's for a year. Anyway, you cannot dictate when I go out and when I return, or where I go to and I am certainly not going to move around with a bodyguard. Also, if you want an heir, you have to put in effort too, I cannot marry you and magically get pregnant in three months if we don't have sex, and I am not going to force you to do that–" 

I paused to look at him but he only stared at me like he was watching an actress perform. 

"and–and, why do I have to pay you such big amount if there's a breach if contract? And also,what happens to our child after the divorce?"

" Hazel Carter, you shouldn't complain about these rules. I am helping you here. Your life is basically ruined and I am giving you a new life . There's no 'our child ' after the divorce, you didn't read up to that part? After the divorce, the child belongs to me alone and you must not in anyway try to claim ownership or come close to me and my child. 

You are never going to get an offer like this again, even in another lifetime...if you refuse to sign the contract–"

 "I refuse, get someone else to do it" I scoffed and interrupted him suddenly "well of course you look at it properly and adjust the rules to suit both of us " 

He rubbed his thumb in his forehead and sighed frustratedly. Even if I am in dire need of his help, I still wouldn't sign a contract like that, that would be a very stupid thing to do. I am going to give him my life for a year, so I should have some benefits too. 

"Fine. I'll take back some of the rules. There would be no need of a bodyguard until you get pregnant with my heir, agreed?" 

I thought about it for a few seconds and then I nodded. The child is his, he has every right to protect his unborn baby, anyway and anyhow he wants to. 

"Curfew will also be extended till 8pm"

"There would be no curfew" I argued

" If there's no curfew then there would be a bodyguard" 

" 8:30pm? And what about the child?"

" Fine. 8:30 pm it is then. For the child, you'll be allowed to see the child once in a while but never should you mention that you're the child's mother and you are permitted to stay until the child is three, if you wish." 

That isn't what I want but if I refuse this deal then my life would be over. It's not like I have any choice at all. 

" Fine then. It's a deal"

Aaron Gray smiled, more like an evil grin as he folded his fingers and placed it on the big table. 

"Any more issues? "

"I'll have my secretary draft out a new document. Congratulations, miss Hazel Carter but" He said and stood up, then he move to where I was sitting, he bent slowly that his face was now some inches away from mine

" Wh–what are you doing?" I asked, my heart was pounding heavily. 

"Don't worry future wife, I'll wait" He said and left the office almost immediately.