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 29: Echoes of Exposure

The morning sun filtered through the heavy drapes of the Sinclair penthouse, casting elongated shadows across the pristine marble floor. Elena stood by the window, arms crossed, staring at the headlines flashing across her phone screen.

Jason Sinclair and His Wife—Passion or Performance?

Her stomach twisted as she scrolled through the article, each word laced with speculation about their public dance, the possessiveness in Jason's grip, and the undeniable chemistry that had been captured in that one stolen moment.

Jason, however, sat at the dining table, his expression unreadable as he sipped his morning coffee, completely unbothered. To him, media speculation was just another tool—a means to solidify their public image and, more importantly, keep Elena tethered to him. But beneath his composed exterior, something unsettled him. The way Elena recoiled, the way she questioned everything—it grated on him more than it should. He glanced up at her, his gaze sharp but amused.

"Let them talk," he said smoothly. "It only benefits us."

Elena turned, eyes flashing. "Benefits us? You think I enjoy being dissected by the media? They're treating me like some lovesick fool caught in your web."

She scoffed, tossing her phone onto the table. "Who leaked this?" Her tone was sharp, demanding.

Jason arched a brow. "You think I did?"

Elena exhaled, shaking her head. "No. If it were you, the headline wouldn't be questioning our relationship—it would be reinforcing it." She crossed her arms. "So who benefits from stirring doubts?"

Jason leaned back, his expression turning thoughtful. "Someone who wants to weaken our image. Someone who enjoys watching cracks form."

Her mind immediately went to Victoria. Or Philip. Both had their own motives. And both were dangerous in different ways.

Jason pushed his chair back, standing with deliberate ease. He took a slow, deliberate step closer, his gaze locking onto hers. His voice dropped lower, almost intimate. "If you weren't constantly running, there'd be nothing to catch." His fingers brushed her wrist briefly, the touch barely there, but the heat of it lingered.

Elena shook her head. "This isn't a game for me. Unlike you, I don't enjoy playing pretend."

Jason closed the distance between them in two steps, his presence overwhelming. "Then stop pretending, Elena." His fingers brushed against her wrist again, a touch so fleeting yet so charged that her breath hitched.

She yanked her hand away. For a brief moment, she hesitated, her throat tightening before she forced herself to speak. "I meant what I said, Jason. This isn't real. And it never will be. You agreed to the contract, to its terms. Feelings were never part of the deal."

Jason's jaw tensed, his fingers twitching at his sides as if restraining himself from reacting. He stepped back, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Believe what you want," he muttered. "But the world already made up its mind."

Elena turned away before he could see the conflict flickering in her eyes. She needed space—time to think, to breathe.

Then, as she picked up her phone again, a new message flashed across her screen.

Unknown Number: Someone is digging into the truth about your marriage. Be careful.

Elena's breath caught. Her fingers tightened around the phone, pulse quickening. Instinctively, she glanced toward Jason, suspicion flickering through her mind. But then, another thought struck her—Victoria. Her last words from the gala whispered through her memory, chilling and precise: You play the role well, Elena. But what happens when you no longer need him?

Her stomach twisted. Was Victoria behind this? Was she setting Elena up for something even worse?