ANOTHER CONTRACT

Lost in my thoughts, my feet accompanied my wandering eyes around the deserted hallway but stopped as I looked up from the floor to the gorgeous balcony decorated with fresh flowers. I don't know how I got to this beautiful place in this mansion, but I had no intention of leaving.

I looked at the beautiful sky filled with stars above me. It gave me a calm, relaxed feeling, just what I needed, and for a second, I forgot about my worries until I heard a male voice call out my name from behind.

"Miss Abigail?"

I turned around to see three unfamiliar faces in black suits. Their intimidating faces gave me chills, coupled with their height. The shortest among them should be at least 6.5 feet, and their broad shoulders didn't help with the situation either.

"Y yes," I managed, my eyes taking a turn to look at their faces.

"We're gonna need you to come with us."

At their remark, my heart started racing in fear. "Who are you? And why do I need to go with you?"

I watched how their eyes scanned my body, and I gulped in horror. With the way they looked at me, I hoped that they weren't perverts. I instinctively looked around for any object I could use to protect myself.

"We were told not to disclose any information." He stepped aside, gesturing with his hand for me to follow them, "Please."

On hearing his plea, I lowered my guard and hesitantly followed. If they were asked not to disclose any information, it only meant they were sent by Monica, I hoped. 

I followed them obediently, and we were led to another part of the mansion. It was beautiful just as I had assumed, but the situation I had at hand right now prevented me from admiring the place.

They stopped when we got to a door, and so did I. 

A knock was placed on the door and a voice from within ordered me to come in. One of the men opened the door and ushered me to go in.

I could feel my heartbeat accelerate to the point where I thought it would burst out of my chest, as I anticipated whatever was inside the room ahead of me. Counting my slow steps, I walked into the room, praying to any being that was up there listening not to let me fall into any misfortune. 

As my feet clicked on the floor of the room, I looked up. 

He was there.

The man I'm supposed to seduce.

Why is he here instead of Monica? And why did he demand my presence? 

I looked at his serene face as he sat on a couch in the room, his head resting at the top part with closed eyes. He looked even more handsome than when he was wide awake. My eyes scrolled down from his head to his chest which I could see more clearly now he is sitting than at the party cause instead of two buttons that were left unbuttoned earlier, they were now three.

Fuck! He's hot.

I quickly moved my eyes from his body. I can't afford to start admiring. I wouldn't dare to do anything that may jeopardize my job in the future.

The man closed the door, attracting my attention and I looked back at it, but my attention was pulled back to him when I heard his next order. 

"Sit."

He's awake?!

For weird reasons, I complied without hesitation. I sat opposite him. My eyes fixed on his god-like face. I didn't dare to look at anything else. Even when his eyes weren't on me, he still had that aura that made me self-conscious. 

"Pick up the file from the table."  His voice echoed in the room and in my head.

I looked at the file hesitantly, wondering what it contained. I had once seen a file like this when I signed a contract with Khloe, but right now, the scenario was different. What could it contain?

I pondered on it for some seconds, before finally opening it to quench my curiosity. As my eyes skimmed through it, my brows crinkled.

Another contract?

I looked up to meet his intent gaze on me. When did he start staring? Well, it didn't matter.

"It's a contract." 

His indifferent eyes were directly on my face and it felt like they were peering into my soul.

"There's a pen on the table. Sign it."

What the fuck?

Why am I going to sign a year's contract of marriage with him?

"Mr. Anderson, what is the meaning of this?"

"Abigail, is it? You don't look slow-witted but I guess looks can be deceiving. Well, that's your problem to deal with. Let's state the obvious and say you are, the contract is precise. If we're gonna get married, it has to be on my terms. I don't think your worthless presence will be needed in my life after a year."

I bit my lips, fighting the anger that bubbled in my veins. For a second, I had forgotten why I got provoked earlier on our first encounter, and he just reminded me. He had a sharp tongue, one that could drive you insane.

I took a deep breath. If he thinks those petty words would push me to the wall, then he's mistaken. Since I now know his identity, I would have to act like a perfect lady to woo him and if kissing his ass can, then I would do it just for my job. 

I skimmed through the contract once more, and my brows cringed even more. It wasn't a good one. It had too many disadvantages compared to the advantage.

The duration is aligning with my job which seems okay, but the terms and conditions interfered with my job and that wasn't good.

How am I supposed to seduce this man if I wasn't meant to interfere in his private space? Does this even make any sense?

I looked at his impassive face. "Mr. Anderson-"

"The conditions are clear; don't interfere in my personal space, don't question my actions, wherever your presence is needed, attendance is compulsory. Emergencies must even be forfeited for attendance. And when we get a divorce, you won't get as much as a penny from me. My relevance in your destitute life is more than enough."

My hands balled in fists as his words rumbled in my head and my body, and his apathetic face after saying those words made me angrier.

I laughed hysterically, "you know, I never realized how much of a dick head you are, until this point."

Liam laughed a hearty one, leaving me in bafflement as I stared at his face.

What was so funny in what I said? If I remember correctly I was expressing my annoyance at his last remark.

He stopped after some seconds and his face became rigid once more. "You're a joke," came his next words which made me utterly speechless. "You have less than a minute to put your shabby signature on that document."

"Or what?" I challenged and bit my tongue right after. That was a foolish thing to do, my guts screamed as I looked into his eyes.

A grimaced grin adored his lips and I gulped. "You don't want to make me repeat my words, Abigail," he addressed nonchalantly. "There will be a consequence for that."

I shuddered within as I looked into his eyes. They were different than earlier and my guts warned me once more not to push my luck. 

This time, I may just have to follow it.

Hesitantly, I picked up the pen from the table and imprinted my signature on the part where it is needed.

Without uttering any word to me, he pressed a button on the table and a bodyguard rushed into the room. The man picked up the document before me and followed Liam who was already at the entrance of the room, leaving me behind.