Bound By Contract, Tied By Faith

"I said... Miss Ivy."

His voice reached me across the office, low but clear. It wasn't loud, yet it made me look up immediately.

My throat went dry.

"I... yes, sir?" I said, my voice coming out softer than I expected. It shook a little as I stepped forward.

I tried to move normally, but I was suddenly aware of everything my steps, my hands, the way people around us had gone quiet.

Up close, he looked even more imposing than I remembered.

He was tall, with broad shoulders that filled his suit neatly. The charcoal fabric sat perfectly on him, paired with a clean white shirt and a navy tie. Everything about him looked put together, like he paid attention to even the smallest details.

His shoes were polished, catching the light as he shifted slightly.

Then I met his eyes.

They were dark and steady, fixed on me in a way that made it hard to breathe properly. Not harsh, not unkind... just focused.

Like he was really seeing me.

I felt suddenly self-conscious under that gaze.

My heart started beating faster.

He stepped closer.

Then closer again.

He wasn't rushing. Just walking toward me like he already knew I wouldn't move.

I wanted to look away, to focus on something else, but I couldn't.

Everything else in the office faded into the background. The phones, the typing, the quiet conversations, of it all became distant.

"You handled that well," he said.

It took me a second to realize he was talking about me.

A compliment.

From him.

"Th-thank you, sir," I said, holding my folder tighter. My fingers felt cold, even though my chest was warm and tight from how fast my heart was beating.

He didn't look away.

Not even for a second.

He just stood there, looking at me like he was trying to understand something.

I could feel it. His attention.

It made it harder to breathe normally, harder to think straight.

And then-

"Ivy!"

I flinched slightly as Mr. Odum's voice broke in.

I turned as he hurried toward me, Tania right behind him, flipping through a thick folder.

"I want you to send an email to-"

He stopped when he saw who I was standing with.

The change in him was instant.

His posture straightened, and his voice dropped.

"Oh... sir, I didn't realize..." he said, suddenly unsure.

He paused, then waved his hand quickly.

"Never mind. Go on... carry on. Whatever I wanted can wait."

"O-okay, sir," I replied.

He gave me one last look before walking off.

Tania followed, but she glanced back at me once, her eyes curious, almost questioning.

Then they were gone.

The office noise slowly came back, but it didn't feel the same.

I became aware of a few people pretending not to stare, their attention lingering just a little too long before they looked away. Whispers would probably follow later. I could already imagine it.

I turned back to him.

He was still looking at me.

"Let's go," he said.

I nodded quickly and followed him without asking any questions.

The hallway felt longer than usual as we walked. My heels clicked softly against the floor, each step sounding louder to me than it probably was.

My thoughts wouldn't settle.

Where are we going?

Did I do something wrong?

Why did he call me?

I tried to think back to everything I had done that morning, searching for any mistake I might have made, but nothing stood out.

Still, the feeling wouldn't leave.

He didn't say anything, and the silence between us only made me more nervous.

We passed a few employees along the way. Each one greeted him respectfully, their voices polite, careful.

"Good afternoon, sir."

He acknowledged them with a small nod, never slowing down.

No one spoke to me.

No one even tried.

We reached the elevator.

The doors reflected a faint image of us as we stood there. I caught a glimpse of myself-my slightly tense posture, the way I held my folder a little too tightly.

He stepped in first.

I followed.

The doors closed behind us with a soft sound that felt louder than it should have.

The space suddenly felt small.

Too quiet.

Too close.

I became aware of the distance between us. Not far, but not close enough to touch either.

"I've seen you," he said.

I looked up at him.

"I've watched you. Your work. The way you carry yourself. The way you handle pressure."

My breath caught.

I didn't expect that.

I didn't even know what to say.

"I also..." He paused slightly. "...have a problem."

I swallowed.

"A problem, sir?"

"Yes."

The way he said it made it sound important.

Serious.

"I want you to solve it."

"Me?" I asked, confused.

"Yes. You."

My grip on the folder tightened. My fingers pressed into the edges as my mind started racing.

Why me?

Out of everyone in the office... why me?

Then I spoke without thinking.

"I just... I hope whatever happened last night doesn't change your perspective of me," I said quietly. "I'm usually not like that."

The moment the words left my mouth, I wished I could take them back.

But it was too late.

They hung there between us.

He looked at me for a moment.

"I don't mix personal matters with business," he said. "So you have nothing to worry about."

Some of the tension in my chest eased.

But not all of it.

Because he was still looking at me.

Not in a way I could easily explain.

Then he said-

"I want you to be my wife."

Everything inside me stopped.

"...I'm sorry?" I whispered.

"For six months," he added, like it was a normal thing to say.

My heart skipped.

Married?

For six months?

To him?

The words didn't make sense in my head.

"I... I don't understand," I said, my voice dry.

"You don't have to understand everything right now," he said. "Just listen."

I nodded slowly.

My hands were shaking a little now.

"This will be a contract marriage," he continued. "Six months. No complications. No interference with your personal goals. You will be compensated."

Compensated.

The word settled heavily in my mind.

This wasn't something casual.

This wasn't a suggestion.

It was an offer.

A serious one.

"This is not a joke," he added. "I don't make jokes about important decisions."

I looked at him again.

Everything about him still looked perfectly arranged, from his tie to the way his sleeves sat neatly at his wrists. There was a faint scent of cologne, something subtle but noticeable.

I became aware of how close we were again.

The quiet.

The weight of what he had just said.

"Why me?" I asked.

He didn't answer immediately.

For a moment, it felt like he was studying my face, like he was trying to decide how much to say.

Then-

"Because you're exactly what I need."

The words were simple.

But they stayed with me.

The elevator slowed.

I felt it before it came to a stop.

My heart was still beating too fast.

The doors opened.

Light came in from the hallway outside.

But I didn't move.

I couldn't.

My mind was still trying to catch up.

Marriage.

Six months.

Him.

Nothing about this felt real.

And yet, it was happening.

I tightened my hold on the folder, grounding myself in something physical.

Because deep down, I knew.

The moment I stepped out of that elevator...

I wouldn't just be walking into another part of the building.

I would be stepping into something I couldn't take back.

Something that would change everything.

And for some reason, even with the fear sitting in my chest...

A small part of me knew I wasn't going to say no.