The sound of the pen hitting the table echoed in the penthouse, and for a moment, the silence was horrifying. She stood frozen, staring at the contract as if it were a ticking time bomb, and her signature being the final trigger. Alexander watched her with an unsettling calmness, his sharp blue eyes betraying nothing. If he felt any satisfaction from what had just happened, he didn't show it. He stepped closer, his presence as imposing as ever, towering over her with the kind of quiet dominance that sent a shiver down her spine.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Maddox," he said smoothly, his voice a low rumble.
He extended his hand, and for a brief moment, it felt like she was sealing her fate all over again. She hesitated, her heart thudding in her chest, before shaking his hand.His grip was firm, deliberate. He lingered for just a moment too long, his fingers brushing hers as he pulled away. The sensation left her feeling off balance, as if she'd stepped onto a tightrope with no safety net in sight.
"That's it, then?" Sophia asked, trying to keep her voice steady, though her nerves were unraveling by the second.
"I just go home now?"
A flicker of amusement crossed Alexander's face, but it was gone before she could fully register it.
He turned and walked to the bar at the far end of the room, casually pouring himself a glass of something dark and undoubtedly expensive.
"You signed the contract, Sophia," he said without turning around.
"That means you don't just go home anymore. Your life is here now, with me."
He took a sip, his back still to her, as if this was the most normal conversation in the world.Sophia blinked, trying to make sense of his words.
"What do you mean, 'here'? I'm not moving in with you, if that's what you're suggesting."
Alexander turned slowly, his eyes meeting hers over the rim of the glass. He set it down on the bar with a soft clink, taking his time before answering.
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting."
Her stomach dropped. This wasn't part of the deal—was it? Her mind raced back to the contract, replaying the pages in her head. It had been dense, filled with legal jargon, but she hadn't seen anything about living arrangements.
"You never said anything about that," she said, her voice tightening with frustration.Alexander leaned back against the bar, his arms crossed casually over his chest, as if he were discussing the weather. "It's all in the contract. You're my wife now, Sophia. And wives live with their husbands."
Her pulse quickened, her mouth suddenly dry. "I didn't agree to… to actually be your wife," she argued, her voice faltering. "This is just business."
"And it still is," he said coolly. "
But appearances matter. If we're going to make this work—if you're going to get what you want out of this—then you need to play the part."
Sophia took a step back, her mind spinning. This isn't what I signed up for. She had expected some loss of freedom, of course, but living under the same roof as him? The idea was suffocating. She had envisioned their arrangement being more detached, professional even. But now, the walls were closing in faster than she had expected."You expect me to just… move in here? Tonight?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to sound steady. Alexander didn't miss a beat. "Tonight."Sophia stared at him, trying to process what he was asking. No—demanding. She felt trapped, like a bird with clipped wings, unable to fly no matter how much she tried. She thought of her small, cozy apartment, the life she had worked so hard to hold onto, even as it fell apart around her.She'd be leaving all of that behind. For him."For two years," she reminded herself. "Just two years."She exhaled slowly, steeling herself.
"Fine," she said, her voice cold. "I'll move in. But don't think for a second that this changes anything between us. This is still just a business deal. I'll have my own room and don't expect me to cook for you."
Alexander smiled then, a slow, knowing smile that made her feel like he was two steps ahead of her, always seeing something she couldn't. "Of course," he said smoothly. "Just business.My driver will pick you up at six."
Packing up her life in a single night was surreal. Sophia went back to her apartment. She moved through her space like a ghost, pulling clothes from drawers and shelves, stuffing them haphazardly into suitcases.Lily had called twice, and both times, Sophia had let it go to voicemail. She wasn't ready to have that conversation yet. She wasn't ready to explain that she had signed her life away in exchange for saving her father's company. That she was moving into Alexander Maddox 's penthouse, becoming his… whatever she was supposed to be.Wife, she thought bitterly. But the word felt foreign on her tongue, like it didn't belong to her. This wasn't a real marriage, and it never would be.
Her eyes shifted at the dozen suitcases arranged in her tiny bedroom, the life she had spent years building now packed into the trunks that lined the walls. She never owned much—her savings went directly to paying off debts and keeping food on the table—but now, her minimal belongings felt like an anchor. Moving into Alexander Maddox's penthouse meant entering a world where everything she had worked for would become irrelevant. She wouldn't need her cheap, worn-out furniture or the scratched coffee table she had found at a flea market years ago. She wouldn't need anything. Alexander had everything.She glanced at her mother's text message from earlier that afternoon.
Mom: Are you coming home for dinner tonight? Lucas really wants to talk to you about his orientation. And I made your favorite, lasagna.
Sophia had no idea how to respond. She had been dodging her mother's calls for days, avoiding the conversation she knew she couldn't delay much longer. How could she explain to them that she was moving in with a man they had never heard of, signing herself away in a marriage that wasn't built on love or even respect? They wouldn't understand. She wasn't sure she understood it herself.Her heart ached, thinking of her mother's tired eyes and the lines of worry etched deeper with every passing day. Lucas, with his youthful optimism, still believed she could fix everything, like she always had. But this was beyond repair. The only solution was the deal she had made with Alexander.
The knock on the door made her flinch, and she quickly wiped away the tear threatening to fall. She opened it to find the driver, the old man standing patiently."Miss Hart," he said softly, his voice kind, as though sensing her distress. "Mr. Maddox asked me to collect your belongings. Are you ready?"Sophia looked around her apartment one last time. The peeling paint on the walls, the cracked tiles in the kitchen—this place had been her home for 3 years, but it had never really been hers. Not when she was constantly working just to stay afloat, just to keep her family from sinking further into debt."I'm ready," she said, her voice barely a whisper.The driver and a team of movers swiftly began packing up the rest of her things, their efficiency making the whole thing feel even more like a dream. She stood there, watching as the remnants of her life were carefully carried out, like pieces of her identity being erased with every trip to the van. She had no idea what awaited her on the other side of this deal. All she knew was that she wouldn't be the same woman who had lived in this cramped apartment.Once the last suitcase was loaded, the driver opened the back door of the sleek black car and gestured for her to get in."Shall we, Miss Hart?" he asked, offering a small, reassuring smile.Sophia hesitated for a moment, staring at the car, feeling like she was about to step into another universe. Then, taking a deep breath, she climbed in, the door closing behind her with a soft click. The ride to Alexander's penthouse was silent, the hum of the city outside muted behind the thick glass. She pressed her fingers to the cool window, watching as her old neighborhood disappeared behind her, replaced by gleaming skyscrapers and the shimmering lights of the wealthiest part of Manhattan.It wasn't long before they arrived at the towering building that housed Alexander's penthouse. The building was modern, sleek, and impossibly tall, making Sophia feel even smaller than she already did. The driver opened her door, and she stepped out and walked into the building. The doorman greeted her again with the same polite nod, and once more, she found herself in the sleek elevator, heading toward the top floor.The doors opened, revealing the lavish penthouse in all its intimidating glory. But this time, something was different.It was the coldness. The penthouse, while beautiful, felt empty. Impersonal. There were no photographs, no personal touches, nothing that suggested warmth or life. It was like walking into the heart of Alexander Maddox himself—controlled, calculated, and untouchable."Miss Hart."Sophia spun around to find Alexander standing in the doorway of what she assumed was his office. He was dressed in a crisp black suit, the kind of tailored perfection that made him look even more untouchable. His gaze raked over her, assessing, his expression unreadable as always."You're here," he said, as though he had been expecting her for hours. He walked toward her, his footsteps soft against the hardwood floors, and stopped a few feet away. "How was the move?"
"It was… fine," she managed to say, her voice small in the vastness of the space.Alexander's eyes flickered over her bags, which had been neatly placed by the entrance. "I'll have someone put those away for you. You won't need much. Everything you could possibly want is already here." Sophia nodded, unsure of what to say. Her pulse raced, and her mind swirled with questions she didn't dare ask. What now? Was she supposed to pretend that this was normal, that this was what she wanted? How was she supposed to live like this, with a man who saw her as nothing more than a means to an end?Alexander's gaze lingered on her, his sharp eyes seeming to dissect every thought running through her head. "I'm sure you're tired, " he said, his voice softer now. "Take the night to settle in. Tomorrow, we'll begin the process of making this arrangement public.""Public?" The word escaped before she could stop it.He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a hint of a smile, though there was no warmth in it. "Yes, public. We'll need to be seen together. You'll need to get accustomed to the idea of being Mrs. Maddox, and that includes attending events, charity galas, business functions. Everything a wife in my world would do."Sophia swallowed, the weight of his words pressing down on her chest. She had known this was part of the deal, but hearing it out loud made it all the more real. She wasn't just signing her name on a contract—she was signing away her identity, her freedom, her future."Of course," she said quietly. "I understand."Alexander studied her for a moment longer before nodding. "Good. I'll have dinner sent up for you. Take the time you need."Without another word, he turned and walked back into his office, the door closing softly behind him. Sophia stood there for a moment, frozen, unsure of what to do next. This was her life now. This cold, sterile penthouse, the man who barely spoke to her, the weight of a contract that bound her in ways she hadn't fully anticipated.Her phone buzzed again, a new message from her mother.
Mom: Sweetheart, I'm worried. Please call me when you can. I love you.
Sophia's throat tightened as she stared at the screen. How could she tell her mother the truth? How could she explain that she was now part of Alexander Maddox's world, that she had sold herself for their future?She didn't have the answers.