Chapter 14

❤️Sophie❤️

My smile slowly fades. “Other ways?”

Adrian doesn't answer immediately; instead, he reaches for the contract and flips through the pages.

“You stay in my house. Our marriage has to look real.”

“What?” I stare at him. “I thought we were just pretending in public.”

“We are.”

“Then why would I move in with you?”

“Because separate homes raise questions.”

I point at the contract. “Questions from who?”

“My board. My family. The media. My enemies.” He says it so casually I almost miss the last word.

“Enemies?”

“Yes.”

I laugh nervously. “You keep saying stuff that sounds illegal.” Instantly, I turn my attention back to the paper, ignoring the hairs on my neck standing like needles under his burning stare.

This is absolute absurdity.

Live together. Attend social events together. Family dinners. Travel together when necessary.

Slowly, I lower it. “This is not a fake marriage.”

“It is.”

I point wildly at the pages. “Then explain to me why I need to do all this with you. Why can't I just sign the contract and we never meet again until after two years?”

His expression remains unreadable. “It doesn't work like that. We have to convince your father, the public, so we need to behave like an actual couple.”

I hate how logical he is. Like, I'm deeply offended. I flop back onto the chair. “This is crazier than I thought. To be honest, you made it crazy. Fake marriage isn’t supposed to be this difficult.”

“You are so argumentative. I should have added that to the contract too.”

My eyes nearly pop out. “Is this your ridiculous way of punishing me because I called you the father of my baby daddy? Well, you need to try other ways because it’s outdated.”

The corner of his mouth twitches again. Or maybe I'm just imagining things. Either way, I return to the contract and keep flipping through the pages.

Until I reach the last one.

Wife’s signature.

My fingers freeze. This is it. Once I sign this, there’s no going back, no pretending anymore. My father will meet Adrian Blackwood tomorrow. The entire city will believe I'm Mrs. Blackwood.

And worst of all, I will spend two years living with this annoying man in front of me. We will attend galas, dinners, and vacations. We might even sleep in the same room!

My hand tightens on the pen unconsciously until I hear a cracking sound. I immediately let go and offer an apologetic smile that’s not really apologetic. If there’s such a thing.

“You look angry.”

“Actually, I’m weighing my options. Maybe I should just drop all of this and walk out.”

He doesn't react—no smile, no anger, not even a twitch in his muscles. “There’s no more time for that. Your father is expecting me tomorrow. So, it’s your choice.”

“How the hell do you know all that?”

“I know a lot of things, Sophie.”

“So now I'm supposed to just sign this?” The question sounds foolish even to me.

“You can sit here and continue arguing with me, or you can become Mrs. Blackwood. Your choice.”

Mrs. Blackwood.

I wonder what that name entails. Is it just about attending galas? Or is there more—something I'm missing because of my desperation?

I shake my head. No way. This is just a fake marriage. It will end before I know it.

I close my eyes briefly, my father’s words slipping into my mind again.

“If your boyfriend is not sitting by my dining table by eight o'clock, don't bother calling this house your home anymore.”

My hand trembles as I grip the pen tighter. “This has to be the worst decision of my life.”

I sign once—no hesitation, no second thoughts. My name appears on the paper.

Sophie Harrison.

The moment the ink dries, Adrian reaches for the contract and signs beneath my name with a small stroke.

And just like that, I became the wife of the most arrogant billionaire in history.

“Welcome to the Blackwood family…Mrs. Blackwood.”

My body flinches; the name sounds foreign, strange, yet it’s something I will be called from now on.