KayElle

Elena Vasquez never imagined that saving her late mother’s boutique would come at the cost of her own freedom. But when Jason Sinclair—the ruthless billionaire responsible for her father’s downfall—offers her a contract marriage in exchange for financial security, she has no choice but to accept.

To the world, they are the perfect power couple—graceful, untouchable, enviable. Behind closed doors, their marriage is a battlefield of icy glares, sharp words, and a tension neither of them can fully control. Jason needs her to seal a high-stakes merger, and Elena needs him to keep her mother’s legacy alive. But as much as she resents him, she can’t ignore the way his presence consumes the air around her.

Jason Sinclair has always played to win. Business, power, control—he’s mastered them all. Marriage, however, was never part of the equation. Until now. Elena was supposed to be a means to an end, a pawn in his carefully orchestrated plan. But the fire in her eyes, the way she challenges him at every turn, makes him crave something far more dangerous than victory.

As their worlds collide, desire turns into a slow-burning inferno neither of them saw coming. But secrets from the past threaten to shatter their fragile truce—Jason isn’t the only one with a hidden agenda, and Elena is about to uncover truths that could destroy them both.

When business and emotions intertwine, the line between hate and something deeper blurs. Will Elena and Jason continue their war of wills, or will the contract that binds them become the very thing that sets them free?

The Contract Bride's Dilemma

Chapter 3: A Deal with the Devil

Elena paced the length of her tiny apartment, Jason's absurd proposition replaying in her mind like a cruel joke.

A year's worth of torment, wrapped neatly in a marriage contract. With him.

She had stormed out of the gala, furious, humiliated. Yet now, staring at the overdue bills on her kitchen counter, his offer loomed like a shadow over her future. Her mother's boutique was drowning in debt. Her father, once a respected businessman, was now a shell of himself. The weight of their struggles pressed against her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:

Think it over, Miss Vasquez. You have until tomorrow. – Jason Sinclair

She scowled, resisting the urge to throw her phone across the room. He was toying with her. Again.

A sharp knock at the door made her jump.

Elena hesitated before unlocking it. The moment she swung the door open, she nearly slammed it shut again.

Jason stood there, completely at ease, as if this were a scheduled business meeting rather than an ambush. He was dressed in his usual tailored perfection, a sleek black suit that made him look every bit the ruthless CEO that he was. In one hand, he held a folder—the contract, no doubt.

"I see you're considering it," he mused, stepping inside uninvited.

Elena folded her arms, glaring at him. "I don't recall asking for a house call."

Jason smirked, closing the door behind him. "And yet, here I am." He held up the folder. "I thought I'd save you the trouble of hunting me down when you inevitably realize this is your best option."

She snatched the folder from him and flipped through the pages. Cold, legal terms laid out in black and white.

Her stomach twisted as she skimmed over the conditions. Everything was clinical, devoid of any human sentiment. A business arrangement, nothing more.

One clause caught her eye. No physical intimacy required.

She scoffed. "Well, at least you had the decency to put this in writing."

Jason's smirk deepened. "I wouldn't want you to think I expect anything beyond the role of a devoted wife—for appearances, of course."

Elena let out a bitter laugh. "Right. Because this is all about appearances."

Jason stepped closer, voice low, calculated. "Unless, of course, you'd prefer a more traditional arrangement?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Sinclair."

He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "I do find you entertaining."

Elena swallowed hard as she thought of her mother. Her mother, who had spent the past year tirelessly trying to keep their boutique afloat, who had aged a decade in months from the stress of scraping by. Would she forgive Elena for signing a contract with the devil if it meant saving everything?

Her fingers hovered over the pen, and for a moment, she hesitated.

Jason, watching her closely, leaned in. His voice was deceptively soft. "Tick-tock, Elena. You don't have all night."

A sharp pang of fury snapped through her hesitation. He thought he had won. That she would crumble under pressure.

She lifted her chin. If she was going to do this, she would do it on her terms.

With a deep breath, she gripped the pen and scrawled her name across the contract.

Jason's smirk widened. "Good girl."

Elena slammed the pen down. "Don't patronize me."

Jason only chuckled as he picked up the contract. "This is going to be fun."

Elena exhaled, her stomach twisting into knots. She had just made a deal with the devil.

And there was no turning back now.