With Baron, Greyson's trusted man, Alexis walked into a luxurious monochrome-themed apartment, its furniture dominated by shades of white, light brown, and gray. She stopped near the gray sofa, glancing around while gripping the strap of the bag slung over her shoulder.
"So, this will be my cage for the next two years," she said.
"Of course not," Baron replied, taking a document from his black bag and handing it to Alexis. "Read this. Mr. Whitmore is giving you freedom... as long as you don't try to run from him, everything will be fine. You can live like a free girl, even though you're bound by a contract with him," he continued.
In silence, Alexis read through some of the rules in the contract.
"He wants to impress me by giving me freedom? Too late... I already see him as a devil!" she muttered, signing the contract with the pen provided.
Baron remained silent, watching Alexis.
"Keep it safe!" Alexis handed the document to Baron, pressing it against his chest. He took it without a word. "Now leave... I want to be alone!"
"Yes, ma'am..." Baron nodded and immediately left.
Alexis sighed, then walked toward the short staircase leading to another room, assuming it was her bedroom.
Once inside, she lay down and pulled her phone from the pocket of her jeans, noticing several messages from Lucia.
Lucia:
I'm worried about you.
I'll ask my boyfriend to get money so you can pay Mr. Whitmore and be free.
After that, you can pay me back once you've saved enough.
Alexis bit her lower lip before replying.
Me:
Don't do that...
I don't want to be a burden to you.
Besides, I'm fine. At least he hasn't hurt me physically.
"But... I don't know. I can't trust him, and I can't predict what he'll do to me either. His actions have already shocked me... and maybe he'll continue to do so," she whispered, then sighed and placed her phone on her chest. She closed her eyes, recalling the events of the past two days that had drastically changed her life in ways she never expected.
Meanwhile, at the mansion, in the bedroom, Greyson stood with his arms crossed, watching as Clara received a check-up from the doctor.
"Everything is fine. The baby is healthy, with a steady heartbeat," the female doctor in blue scrubs and a white coat said, putting her stethoscope back into her bag before turning to Greyson. "But to prevent any complications, make sure your wife gets enough rest and avoids stress. Don't forget to give her the vitamins and nausea relief I've prescribed," she added.
"Alright..." Greyson nodded. The doctor then left, taking her gray bag with her.
Greyson approached Clara, who looked downcast, not even acknowledging his presence.
"What are you going to do now?" he asked.
"Let me stay here," Clara murmured without looking at him. "Going back to my apartment will only remind me of him... It will break me even more... I'll regret that our child will never get to see him!" she continued, clenching her fists and placing them on her stomach.
She turned to Greyson, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Sometimes I just want to get rid of this baby... I'm sure it won't be a source of comfort but rather a reminder of how hard it is to forget the father! And I can't even imagine how I'll explain to my baby that the father is dead!"
"No..." Greyson shook his head. "Don't do that. The baby deserves to live... It will be strong... It will be your reason to keep going. And you don't have to forget the father. Death doesn't mean someone should be forgotten."
Clara took a deep breath, falling silent again, her head lowered.
"You can stay here as long as you want... And we won't get divorced until the baby is born and turns one year old," Greyson said.
Clara frowned at him. "What?"
"As you said, you don't want people to know this is an affair baby. So let them think it's mine, which means I won't leave you until they're born," Greyson explained, reaching for Clara's hand and holding it. "Besides, I won't let you go through this alone," he added with a small smile.
"Greyson..."
Clara immediately sat up and hugged Greyson, breaking into tears.
"I don't know what I would do without you! This is so hard... It's overwhelming!" she sobbed.
"I understand." Greyson gently rubbed her back.
"But..."
Clara pulled away, looking at Greyson as she recalled Alexis introducing herself as his contract mistress.
"What about that girl?" she asked, furrowing her brows.
Greyson bit his lower lip and averted his gaze.
"You were ready to use her as an excuse for our divorce... Can you tell her that we're not divorcing anytime soon?" she pressed.
He let out a frustrated sigh before meeting her eyes again and smiling. "You don't need to worry about that. She's just a stranger."
"Really?"
"Of course... Do you think I have feelings for her?"
"Yes..." Clara smirked slightly, tilting her head. "I thought when I first arrived here, you two had just slept together..."
Greyson chuckled.
"Am I wrong?" she asked.
"Of course. Nothing happened between us," he replied, standing up. "You don't need to worry about us. Just focus on your health, calm yourself... and call me if you need anything," he said, raising an eyebrow.
She remained silent, watching him leave. She let out a heavy sigh, resting her head back against the pillow before gently stroking her still-flat stomach.
"Baby... If your father hadn't died, maybe I wouldn't need another man's help... Maybe we would've been happy now," she murmured wistfully, thinking about Greyson, who had already planned their divorce, only for it to be put on hold. "He deserves to be free from me and happy with the woman he loves... But I still need him."
Reaching the living room, Greyson quickly loosened his tie and dialed a number.
"Barron, have you taken her to my apartment?" he asked, glancing occasionally toward Clara's bedroom door.
"Yes, sir... She also signed the contract," Barron replied, though his voice carried a hint of unease. "But... she looked really angry. I mean, she wasn't mad, but I could tell she despises you and completely misunderstands you. You should tell her the truth..."
"No!" Greyson cut him off, his blue eyes staring ahead while his thoughts drifted to Alexis. "She already thinks the worst of me... Besides, this is the only way to keep her close. If I told her everything, she might never want to stay with me."
"Okay..."
"Go back and handle the office matters. I'll see her myself," Greyson said before ending the call.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket and strode outside, heading to where his black sports car was parked.