Amira sat alone in the vast study, the contract in front of her like a silent question. Jordan's footsteps had long faded down the hall, giving her the space to decide.
The pen trembled between her fingers.
Was she really free to choose? Or was this just another illusion of control?
Her mind drifted to the memories of the last few weeks—his icy demeanor, his fleeting warmth, his rare smile, the way he shielded her from the media storm, from suspicious board members, from something darker.
But what terrified her the most was the truth: part of her didn't want to leave.
She dropped the pen and stood, pacing the room.
She wasn't the same girl her father had sold. She wasn't afraid to demand answers now. If she was going to stay, it would be on her terms.
---
Facing Him Again
That evening, she walked into Jordan's private lounge. He looked up from his drink, surprise flickering in his eyes.
"You signed?" he asked.
"No."
He stood, expression guarded. "Then this is goodbye?"
"Not yet," she said calmly. "But before I make any decision, I want full transparency. I want to know everything. What you're hiding. Who's after you. What this 'Project X' really is. No lies."
Jordan stared at her, then slowly nodded.
"Alright," he said. "You want the truth? You'll get it. But once you hear it, there's no turning back. It's not just about you and me anymore."
Amira met his eyes without flinching. "I want to know. All of it."
---
A Glimpse into the Underworld
Jordan led her to a room beneath the mansion—one she never knew existed. Behind a biometric lock and reinforced steel doors was a command center filled with monitors, secure files, and weapons she didn't dare touch.
"This is the core of my real world," Jordan said quietly. "The Kingsley fortune isn't built on boardrooms alone. My grandfather was tied to covert operations—espionage, asset shielding, black-market diplomacy. Project X is the last of those legacies. I've kept it hidden for years."
"Why?" she whispered.
"Because if the wrong people get to it, they'll not only destroy me—they'll unravel global ties that were never meant to exist. And now, they know about you."
Amira swallowed hard. "Who are they?"
"Someone close betrayed me. That text you got… wasn't random. They're watching you. Waiting to use you to get to me."
"Then why offer me a way out?"
"Because," he said, voice low, "I'd rather die protecting you than watch you stay out of fear."
---
A New Beginning—or the End?
That night, Amira sat alone again—this time, with the weight of truth pressing on her chest. She had wanted answers, and she got them.
Jordan wasn't just a CEO. He was the keeper of a dangerous legacy. And she was no longer just a contract wife—she was a potential target in a shadow war.
The revised contract still sat on the table. Unsigned.
She finally reached for the pen. And wrote three words.
"On my terms."
Then she stood and walked back into the fire.