Till Death Do Us Apart...

Tristan D'Leon POV

"There are already three maids in the mansion?" I thought, glancing around in confusion, trying to spot the maids Jade had mentioned.

"Albert will be in charge of cleaning. Alexander will handle the cooking. And Tristan will act as my errand boy. He'll accompany me wherever I go and assist me with whatever I need," Jade revealed, her voice calm yet commanding. The weight of her words sent waves of shock rippling through me, as well as the others present in the living room.

Kira blinked, her lips parting as though to protest, but no sound emerged. The room was shrouded in a tense silence, everyone seemingly struggling to process what they had just heard.

"What?" Kira finally managed, her voice laced with disbelief as her brows furrowed. She stepped closer to Jade, her expression demanding answers. Leaning in, she whispered harshly, though her words were clear to me, a natural perk of being a vampire. "Are you marrying husbands, or are you just hiring maids?"

Jade's lips curved into an amused smirk, and she replied, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear. "Both."

Her nonchalant response left Albert and Alexander visibly perplexed. The two men exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unsettled by her words but unsure whether to address them.

Albert was the first to break the silence. Despite the nervous quaver in his voice, his curiosity and discontent shone through. "What do you mean I'm in charge of cleaning, Miss Sinclair?" He hesitated, his gaze darting toward Kira as if searching for validation.

"Miss Kira said this arrangement was a contract marriage. I only agreed because I was told there would be substantial benefits. I didn't expect there to be two other men involved, but I kept quiet, trusting that you knew what you were doing." He paused, his voice gaining strength. "But now you're saying my role is to clean? Did I misread the contract? Was the word 'maid' written there, and I mistook it for 'husband'?"

His words were met with tense silence, broken only by Alexander's sharp, derisive laugh. "Exactly, Jade," he said, his piercing gaze settling on her. "What do you mean by putting me in charge of cooking? I don't care what you do with the other two, but me?" He jabbed a finger at himself, his tone heavy with indignation. "I am the heir of the Blackwood family. My name alone holds weight! Do you understand how ridiculous it would look for me to be seen in such a position?" His voice rose as he gestured around the room. "I agreed to this contract marriage because I love you, Jade. I defied my family's wishes for me to be with you."

Jade listened in silence, her expression calm and unreadable. Without offering a response, she rose from her chair with deliberate slowness, her every move radiating control. Reaching into her bag, she retrieved a small, ornate box.

"You are a witness to my marriage, Kira," Jade finally said, her voice as sharp as a blade. Her gaze shifted briefly to her friend, whose confused expression only deepened. Then, with deliberate precision, Jade turned her attention back to the three men before her, her eyes gleaming with authority.

"You're all complaining because I assigned you tasks," she began, her voice low but commanding. "Have you forgotten that you agreed to this marriage of your own free will? It's no different from other couples. They vow to spend their lives together, only for the wife to endure an abusive relationship until death while some well...enjoy a happy marriage. In the case of an abusive marriage, the choice to leave lies solely with the woman."

Her lips curled into a smirk as she began pacing the room, her heels clicking against the polished floor. "But your situation is different. You cannot leave. You signed the contract, and you know what it means if you break it."

Albert and Alexander exchanged uneasy glances, their earlier bravado faltering under her words.

"This is what the contract states," Jade continued, her voice carrying the authority of a judge. "Whoever stays until the end of the agreement may claim all of the Sinclair properties. However, if you break the contract, you forfeit everything you own, every last penny. And if that still doesn't satisfy the terms, you'll spend the rest of your life behind bars."

The room fell into a heavy silence as the weight of her words settled over them.

Alexander swallowed hard, his shoulders stiffening. Backing out of this marriage would cost him his family fortune, something even his name couldn't repair. For Albert, who was already struggling financially, the consequences of leaving were unthinkable.

Jade stopped pacing, her gaze sweeping across the room like a queen addressing her subjects. "I have only three years left to live," she said, her tone softer but no less commanding. "I don't trust anyone. But by marrying the three of you, I believe I can at least trust you as my husbands. One of you will inherit the Sinclair fortune after my death but only if you prove yourselves worthy by serving me well during my remaining time."

Her eyes narrowed, the smirk returning to her lips. "You all agreed to this marriage because you knew I wouldn't live long. So instead of complaining about your tasks, perhaps you should focus on how to please me. After all, this is a competition, isn't it?"

The room remained tense as her words lingered in the air.

"I agree," I said suddenly, rising from my chair. All eyes turned to me, their gazes heavy with shock.

"What?" Albert muttered, his confusion evident.

"I said I agree to the marriage," I repeated firmly, my voice unwavering.

The others stared at me as though I had lost my mind. Perhaps they thought I was insane to give in so easily. But I had my reasons, just as they did. Their protests were nothing more than a façade, they wanted the Sinclair fortune while I wanted my jade pendant as well as the Sinclair heirloom.

I walked toward Jade, stopping before her as I let a small smile cross my lips. Without a word, I took the box from her hands and opened it. As I had expected, the box contains three rings.

The rings inside weren't made of gold, diamond or silver. Instead, they were crude and rusted, forged from iron that looked as though it had been salvaged from a scrapyard.

Jade is crazy, I thought with a smirk. But I love crazy.

I picked one of the rings and slid it onto my finger, my gaze never leaving hers. "I, Tristan D'Leon, take thee, Jade Sinclair, to be my wedded wife," I said, my voice low and steady. "To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

"Till death do us part," I mused inwardly, the words almost laughable. But it wouldn't come to that. My jade pendant, now hidden within Jade's body, would ensure she lived longer than the three years she claimed to have left but I wouldn't allow that. All I needed was one night, one moment of intimacy to reclaim it. Then, my real plan would begin.

Jade's lips curled into a small smile, her voice barely above a whisper as she responded. "I, Jade Sinclair, take thee, Tristan D'Leon, to be my wedded husband."

The room was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Alexander cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking the moment. "Uh, congratulations… I suppose," he said, though his voice was far from sincere.

Reluctantly, he rose and walked toward us. With a look of disdain, he grabbed one of the rings, clearly displeased with the rusted piece of metal. Still, he slid it onto his finger and recited the vows through gritted teeth.

Albert followed shortly after, his hesitation obvious. But with no other choice, he took the final ring and repeated the same vows.

"It is done," Jade said with a satisfied smirk, her voice filled with finality. She returned to her chair, sinking into it with regal poise.

Kira, who had watched the entire exchange with a mix of confusion and concern, stepped closer to Jade and whispered into her ear, "Jade, are you sure about this? You're not thinking clearly."

Jade's smile only widened. "I've never been clearer, Kira. Now, show my grooms to their rooms."