— I aborted the child... — she lies, she didn't feel safe revealing about Hannah, who was everything to her.
Dominic watches her for a few moments, thoughtfully, and Nina asks her:
— How can I be sure that this contract is real? How can I know that you're not lying, and you're not going to use me however you want and throw me away later, not fulfilling your promises? I'll be honest, I need the money. Maybe you're offering me much more than I need, but... How can I trust you to do your part?
Dominic watches her for a few moments and then walks, takes the contract and hands it back to her.
— Finish reading and you will have your guarantee.
She read again, and the next clauses said that she authorized Dominic to perform BDSM acts with her, but that if she thought it could harm her physical integrity, she had the right to refuse.
It said that during the validity period of the contract, she was prohibited from selling any gift he gave her.
And the last one was confusing, it was written that the contract was linked to another contract, which, if it were annulled, automatically annulled this one.
She looks at Dominic, confused, and he hands her one last piece of paper, saying:
— This is the other contract, this is the guarantee that you can trust me.
Nina read it and that contract was something totally unexpected. Her jaw dropped with every line she read. She read it again, checking if it was really what she was thinking.
— This is… — she had no words for it, it was completely unexpected — Is this a marriage contract?
Dominic looks out the window, with a lost look. Suddenly, a ray of sunlight manages to pierce the rugged clouds and touches his face. His ice-colored eyes become even clearer, his black hair shines and his face, without any imperfections, becomes even clearer.
Dominic looks at her again, and it makes her heart skip a beat.
— With this contract, our destinies are linked, it won't be just you who loses if there is a breach.
— But why? Have you done this before?
— Samuel was married and deceived you. This is proof that I do not intend to deceive you by accepting the contract, you will not be my mistress, you will be my wife. About if I already did this? Well… no, and maybe I never will again in my life. Your contract was made just for you and a year from now, when it's all over, you'll come out of this better than any girl I've ever had.
Nina sits down, still stunned. It was a marriage contract with a partial property regime. This meant that all earnings of both parties after the marriage had to be divided after the divorce. She was a woman in debt who had nothing but her desire to save her daughter's life, while he...
How much can a billionaire earn in a period of one year, when should this contract end?
— Is this really real? — she asks, still in disbelief.
— Are you going to sign?
— How do I know if it's real?
Dominic rolls her eyes and says:
— Wait for me here for a moment.
He leaves and some time later returns. Patel, Jared and a third person were with him, a man Nina didn't know. The man sat next to Nina and asked:
— Will you sign now?
Nina looks at Dominic, who looks back at her. Everyone looked at her, who looked confused. She never imagined she would be in that situation.
To encourage her, Dominic took his metal pen out of his pocket and signed, then handed it to her.
Nina looks at Jared, who smilingly says:
— Sign Nina, it will be the best for you.
She looks at Patel, who just nods, confirming what Jared says.
Dominic offers her his pen, and she takes it, puts the tip on the paper, but can't move her fingers.
— Okay, I can sign... but you still haven't answered how I can know that this is legal.
— This ceremony is legal, Miss. — the man next to her responds — That's why I'm here, I came to make sure you weren't coerced into signing. I'm the notary and justice of the peace. I am responsible for ensuring the legality of this document.
Nina's eyes widen, everything was really legal. She couldn't help but trust Dominic.
She took a deep breath and reminded herself why she was in that place. If she remembered that she needed money and if she signed Dominic's contract, she would receive a total of two million dollars if she continued with it, until the expiration of one year.
This amount would be released to you little by little, where you would receive less start and this amount would increase.
Not to mention the wedding. With divorce, she had no idea how much she would receive. This was more than enough to pay for all of Hannah's treatment and, who knows, to be able to build a new life away from everyone who harassed her.
With that in mind, she signs the contract. Then, Patel and Jared sign as witnesses and the justice of the peace also signs, validating that from that moment on…
— Congratulations, I pronounce you husband and wife. — the judge says — Now you can kiss the bride.
Nina looks at Dominic, shy, Jared slaps the judge on the shoulder and says:
— You've already done your job. I'll take you away.
The three leave, leaving Dominic and Nina alone again.
Nina looks at him, not knowing what to do. His destinies were officially linked now, but what would be the next step?
Dominic slides her hand across the table and removes it, revealing a bank card underneath.
She looks, confused and he says:
— Jared advised me to advance you this amount. One hundred thousand dollars are already deposited in this account.