Chapter 9: The Contract
Sarah sat in Mason’s study, staring at the big wooden desk. She had been waiting for twenty minutes. Her hands were folded in her lap, and her stomach felt like it was doing flips. The room smelled like leather and expensive cologne. Even when Mason wasn’t here, she could still feel his presence.
She heard footsteps coming down the hall. Derek walked into the room carrying a thick manila folder. He looked at Sarah with kind eyes, which was unusual for him. He was always so serious and professional.
"Miss Sarah," Derek said in his calm voice. He put the folder on the desk in front of her very carefully. "These are the marriage contract documents. Mr. Liu asked that you look them over before you sign anything."
Sarah stared at the folder like it might jump at her. The label on the front said "Liu-Chen Marriage Agreement" in neat handwriting. Her hands shook a little as she reached for it. She wondered if Derek noticed, but he didn’t say anything.
The first page was full of boring legal words - names, dates, and other official stuff. But when she turned to the second page, it hit her hard. This was really happening. This wasn’t some romantic love story. This was business. Pure and simple.
She looked up and saw Mason walking into the study. His face showed nothing, as usual. He moved like he was in complete control of everything around him. He sat down in the chair across from her without saying a word. His dark eyes watched her like she was a puzzle he needed to solve.
"So it’s really happening, huh?" Sarah’s voice sounded smaller than she wanted it to.
Mason answered right away. His voice was flat and cold. "Only if you agree. No pressure. But the sooner this is done, the sooner I can fix your problems."
Sarah looked back down at the contract. Her heart was beating so fast she thought Mason might hear it. She forced herself to read the words even though they made her nervous: