CHAPTER 3

Contracted and Collared

"You're late." I was startled when Roman's voice broke the thick silence as I entered the room and said, it wasn't loud, his tone of authority demanded attention.

My breath caught as I halted, gripping my handbag hard. Roman stood beside the massive floor-to-ceiling window with his big shoulders creating a black shadow against the pale light coming in. He didn’t turn to look at me right away, and for a fleeting moment, I thought of walking back out.

"I... I thought I was on time." I stammered, hating how small and unsure I sounded.

“Punctuality isn’t a virtue in my world, Naomi,” he said smoothly, finally turning to face me. His sharp blue eyes pinned me in place like I was prey caught in a trap. “It’s an expectation.”

I found myself staring at the floor because the weight of his eyes was too much to bear. "I didn't mean to—"

“I don’t care what you meant to do,” His voice was chilly as he interrupted. "Sit."

I paused for just a split second too long. He pointed to the leather chair on the other side of the elegant glass table as his jaw twitched in frustration. "Don't make me repeat myself."

Before I could think, my legs moved, and I walked shakily to the chair. My palms were wet against the cool leather as I sunk into it. The room had an overpowering richness that made me feel more uneasy, with a subtle scent of leather and cedar.

The clicking of Roman's polished shoes on the marble floor echoed like a countdown to my demise as he strolled toward the table. He placed the heavy pile of papers he held down with a deliberate l thud.

"This is your new reality," he said, tapping the first page with his index finger.

I looked over the papers, but I could not concentrate on the words. My heart raced at the menacing tone in his voice.

"What does that mean?" I tried to sound steady, but my voice shook as I asked.

A chilly smile curved Roman's lips. It means your life as you knew it is over,” he said, his voice sharp enough to cut glass.

I recoiled as the reality of what he had said hit me like a ton of bricks. "You can't just—"

“I can.” He interrupted me with a gaze that could extinguish a fire. "And I have."

I tried to keep some composure as my fingers grabbed the chair's edge. "What do you want from me?"

Roman put his palms on the table and leaned forward. I recoiled at the intensity in his eyes. "Everything,” he said plainly.

Like a noose around my neck, the word hung in midair. "I don't get it," I whispered

"You will," he answered in a foreboding yet decisive tone.

He straightened and slid the contract's top sheet in my direction. "Read it."

With my hands immobile, I gazed at the paper. "What's in it?"

Roman's expression was unreadable as he cocked his head slightly. "Details," he said in a mysterious tone. "Regulations. Expectations. Consequences.”

"Consequences?" I echoed, my gut churning with fear.

Roman smirked, but there was no humor in it. “Did you think I’d let your father’s mistakes go unpunished? This isn’t charity, Naomi. This is business.”

My throat tightened as his words hammered just how powerless I was. “But why me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Roman's eyes grew gloomy. “Because you’re the perfect collateral. Compliant. Desperate. And weak.”

The last word hit me like a slap, and tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I hated how right he was.

"I'm not weak,” I answered, but my voice betrayed me by quivering.

Then he chuckled, low and without humor. You’re trembling in my presence, Naomi. Do you think I’m blind?”

The taste of embarrassment was harsh, so I bit my lip. "This is unfair," I whispered.

"Fairness doesn't exist in my world," he stated calmly. “And if you’re smart, you’ll stop clinging to such naive notions.”

I reached for the document with trembling hands. The legal jargon was incomprehensible as the letters flashed before my eyes. “What happens if I don’t sign it?”

Roman grinned more broadly, but it was not a friendly grin. "You don't want to find out,” he added In a low, menacing voice.

The threat in his tone sent a shiver down my spine. “You can’t keep me here,” I said, even though as the words left my mouth, I knew how empty they were.

Roman’s eyes gleamed with something predatory. “Watch me.”

I looked away, my pulse pounding in my ears. “This isn’t a marriage,” I said bitterly.

"No," Roman agreed. “It’s a contract. And like any contract, it’s binding.”

I tried to ignore the weight of his presence by closing my eyes. I muttered, "You're a monster."

“And you're a pawn." He replied without missing a beat. "But Naomi, don't worry. You will adjust to it.”

My fingers curled into fists, the urge to scream bubbling in my chest. But I couldn’t afford to lose control, not in front of him.

Roman took a step back, his steps slow and methodical. “You have until tomorrow morning to sign it,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"And if I don't?" My question was hardly audible above a whisper.

Roman's cold, unwavering eyes stared into mine. “Pray you never have to find out.”

His departure was as imposing as his presence as he turned and strode for the door. But just before he reached it, he paused and glanced back at me.

"Oh, and Naomi?"

With my heart in my throat, I looked up.

“Make sure you read the fine print,” he said with a smirk. “It’s where the devil hides his best work.”

With that, he was gone, leaving me alone with the contract and the crushing weight of my future.

I gazed over the document, my thoughts whirling with outcomes and fears. The silence pressed down on me like a vice; the place was too silent.

Roman had left the pen on the table, and I grabbed it up, holding it over the signature line with a shaking hand. The decision before me seemed impossible, and the ink seemed heavier than it should.

And then, a single thought struck me, freezing me in place.

What if Roman wasn’t bluffing?