Chapter 4

• Dayla, Lucas and Davis stared at Clara, waiting impatiently for her to reveal her terms and conditions but she only kept glancing at the document, smiling all to herself. Dylan was already seething, but he knew the best thing was staying composed to avoid jeopardizing things.
• “Yes,” Clara finally said, raising her head to meet the frustrated expressions of the three friends.
• “According to your terms, I’ll be living in your house for the year to maintain the appearance that we’re married. I agree to that, but I’ll be free to go out whenever I want and come back at any time,” she said, glancing at Dylan to ensure he was paying attention, but he only frowned in response.
• “Are you okay with that?” she asked him, and he nodded reluctantly in agreement.
• “My next term is that all your domestic staff will need to report to me. They should treat me as the madam of the house and show me the same respect they give you,” she said, rolling her eyes as Dylan let out a long hiss of frustration, causing Clara to stand up, irritated by his behavior.
• “You will find someone else,” she said angrily, preparing to leave, but Lucas hurried to her, pleading with her to stay. “He needs to watch his attitude while I’m speaking,” she said again, angrily returning to her seat.
• “I’ll still be working as your secretary, I totally disagree with that term. I know you wouldn’t want to lose the brilliant and hardworking secretary you have here,” Clara said proudly, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, which only fueled the anger rising in Dylan's throat.
• “People might think she’s just a timid lady, not realizing how bold she really is,” Lucas mused.
• “I’ll still be part of your company,” she continued. “But not as a secretary, you need to elevate my position,” she added, flipping through the pages of the document before proceeding.
• “Any breakfast, lunch, or dinner I prepare for you, you have to eat. I’ll be the one making your meals as your wife for the year agreement.” She said this while folding her arms around herself and gazing intently into Dayla's eyes, who appeared visibly angry but reluctantly nodded in agreement.
• “Is that everything?” he asked, his voice firm and Clara nodded with a smile.
• “Can we proceed to the registry for the certificates now?” Dylan asked, glancing around the room as he stood up while Clara and the others followed suit.
• Dylan summoned his bodyguards, instructing one to accompany Clara in a separate vehicle.
• “Was this a sort of reflection of his disdain for women or simply because she was his secretary that they couldn't ride in the same vehicle.” Clara wondered but regardless, she reminded herself that she would be marrying him in just a few hours.
• Upon arriving at the registry, it seemed as though Dylan had either communicated with them in advance or his popularity and influence played a role, as they were quickly ushered in. Everything was completed efficiently, and the marriage certificates were signed and handed to each of them.
• Clara asked to go pack her belongings from her apartment located in a poor neighborhood, and this time Dylan kindly arranged for two maids and a driver to accompany her.
• Upon arriving at the house, she stood in front of the small two-room apartment for several minutes, lost in thought. This place had been her home, the one she had managed to afford after graduating from university and starting her job.
• Clara is the first daughter and sole heir of the M and E Group, a status she never truly achieved. Although she was born into privilege, everything changed drastically for her family when she was around thirteen. Her father's company, M and E Group, collapsed due to a betrayal, and although her father refused to reveal the identity of the traitor, Clara was determined to uncover the truth.
• “Miss Clara,” one of the maids' voices pulled her out of her thoughts.
• “I’m so sorry, please follow me,” she said as she led them to the room to pack her belongings. Clara approached her mirror one last time, sat in front of it, and cried. She remembered how her father had been a well-respected figure in society before the disaster struck. She realized that if she had become the CEO of M and E Group, which everyone seemed to have forgotten, she wouldn’t have found herself working and ultimately agreeing to a contract marriage with the rudest boss ever.
• One of the main reasons she wanted to work at Ethan and Son Company was that she hoped to uncover the traitor who had betrayed her father. She believed that this person would be someone well-known, and working in such a prominent company would help her in her search for the truth.
• As they left the neighborhood, she wept, silently praying that she would be able to afford a better life after the contract marriage.
• …………
• “You got married without my knowledge,” Mother Mia said over the phone to Dylan, who was shocked to hear that his mother found out in less than two hours. He had instructed everyone who knew about it, including the registry staff, to remain silent.
• “The news says it all - Dylan Ethan has finally tied the knot secretly with his lover,” his mother read the headline to him.
• “Son, who is she? Is she the president’s daughter or a senator's? Who is her father? Have you two been dating before?” Mother Mia bombarded Dylan with questions. Dylan let out a deep sigh, contemplating the best response to give his mother.
• “Should he lie or be honest with her?” he wondered.
• “Son,” Mother called out when Dylan fell silent on the phone.
• “Mother, she’s not connected to the high class, but you’ll definitely like her,” Dylan managed to say, forcing a smile to make her believe him.
• “How long have you two been together before secretly getting married?” Mother asked again, concern evident in her voice.
• “Mom, let’s put that aside for now. You can call Barrister James, I’ll be bringing over the marriage certificate so the company can be properly handed over to me,” Dylan replied instead.
• “You’ll definitely like her, Mom,” he added when his mother remained silent on the phone.
• Mother Mia felt relieved that her son was finally getting married to secure the company and prevent her husband’s legacy from passing to an extended family. However, she couldn't shake her worry about the
• nature of their marriage, a union that would likely lack love.