Contract marriage with the ruthless billionaire ceo boss

ly'

I won to be another pawn in John's hands; they want to trap me. Forget you; if you ever looked a

my notebook, felt the brink of the envelope, looked at my name sc

of the chair, a lump in my throat got tighter. I looked about the room, at the walls formerly filled wi

cannot be

nly cause

lope dropped free and floated toward the carpet like a dead leaf. I took it up, flipped

ed ne

d and blackened, ashes floating like small ghosts. I watched the

turning ba

g garments, tucking in the little cash I had saved, a picture of my parents, a pair of glov

th certificate. Under another n

dy. Looking at myself in the mirror, same face, same eyes, but something st

y. I started to breathe faster now. I passed the old fountain; its marble angels, the

oward the c

ted to hurt. In darkness, every sound seemed more powerful. I presse

ed the threshold and

ment s

y la

across my ribs. The light created lengthy shadows on the

ey see

waiting

yway. My body followed instinct, head down, arms close, heart j

undaries of the estate, the city breath

er until the light behind me clicked off once more. My lu

opped for

n smi

ve made it

still under

y night, I straightened, tightened the scarf around

s not merel

ed to s

for my

did not y

hey w

y the sound the

metallic

ffle of night visitors. My eyes flew across the terminal board, depar

nto, 11

, tonight

welve twenty i

d to vanish, not be spotted drinking tea in a downtown

nd the desk had languid rhythm with

voice low, "one-way

, distant, her eyes flicke

ed cash unde

g about her did. Every second stretched too

urned out wi

orm F

leaves in fifteen,

rs stroking the edge like it

something ha

area. He turned away from the board. He was not perusing the

leather. Dark cap pulled low o

ware of tha

. Not too

rist either. He

er weeping infant. A man in overalls peicked at hi

them turned

ooking at t

eline, I proceeded carefu

t ru

enerates

you belo

k to themselves. My breathing brought itself under control. M

or, headlights cutting the

away from

lking till I came to the side of the bus

led, nodding at the lin

ticket then sta

ouched low, slid into a seat close to the

he man has

felt like

oor creak

at station, the mansion, the threats, Jac

ldn't get it

observed

ld they

ter like ghosts. Faces came and went in those reflections, my mother's elegant eyes, my father's friendly smile,

yed the same when I blinked, I placed my forehead agai

wed corners of my consciousness, gent

nyone, Molly. Including t

noia then. It now hung abo

familiar whispers. Ignorant of the weight held by others around her, a youngster slept snuggled next t

awake unable

fingers around nothing. Though my body was stil

ere already looking, how long before

y. I sat up somewhat, straighter. I lacked th

y phone was

Though weak, the vibration slid

, the screen flickering with

ID. Simply a set of dig

ung over t

Another. Sile

digits, heart rising sl

r message blazed

em exh

erhead speaker. Ten-minute halt for rest. Tak

elt rigid and tingly. I changed my coat and got off the bu

a twisted sign that, should the wind blow exactly right, would likely fall. A few vending machi

t toward the toilets. Most days I avoided thinking; bu

stress lips pressed thin under control. But under there I sensed fire. The sort of fire my m

's shadow's edge as

ili

If only for the obvious flash of a cufflink glinting beneath one man's jac

th a tr

John Astor's pers