Three Months Marriage Deal
Sarah glanced at the man who was now sleeping on the bed. Just an hour ago, she had been filled with fear before she heard Noah's voice calling out to her. It had become her habit to lock the room before going to sleep as a safety measure, which explained why Noah couldn't enter the room.
She looked at the piece of paper that Noah had insisted she sign. Even after reading it several times, she couldn't understand why he wanted her to sign a marriage contract. Could it be related to the press release earlier? Sarah pondered this question, feeling perplexed.
Raising her gaze to the ceiling, she wiggled her feet and smiled. Noah had mentioned earlier that his marriage with the woman was not his choice. At least, her worst fears when she read the news this evening were not coming true. Although Noah hadn't provided any further explanation, Sarah felt a sense of relief.
"Why did you do that?" Noah suddenly mumbled the question.
Quickly looking at him, Sarah asked, "Sorry?" but then the room fell silent again.
Retrieving the paper that Noah had brought earlier, she read through all the clauses. "She would need to pretend to be his wife for three months..." Her eyes stopped there. "But I still need to get married to him? Why?" she unconsciously voiced her question.
She couldn't grasp the solid reason behind this nonsensical contract marriage he was proposing. Was it to protect her from his family? Many thoughts raced through her mind, but most of them carried a positive tone. Perhaps it was because her heart was already invested in the man who now lay soundly asleep on her bed.
"Should I just sign?" Sarah pondered, feeling the weight of her emotions. One of her weaknesses was that when she fell in love, she fell hard, and her sense of logic often struggled to cooperate when it came to matters concerning the man she loved.
For her, pretending to be his wife seemed like the better option for now. Perhaps if their relationship progressed, he might propose to her for real in the future.
But then, the voice in her head reminded her of what had happened with Nicholas. "Don't you remember what happened with Nicholas? He dumped you!" It brought back the painful memories of that night over a year ago.
Feeling anxious, she covered her face with her hands and closed her eyes tightly. "No, Noah is different," she whispered to herself, trying to convince her wavering heart.
"How is he different? Instead of proposing to you, he offered you a contract!" The voice of doubt echoed in her mind, casting shadows of uncertainty.
Sarah lowered her head, tears streaming down her face once again. Last night, she cried a river upon hearing the news of Noah's upcoming marriage. Now, she worried that she had made another wrong decision. She berated herself, feeling like a fool for easily falling in love and being easily deceived.
Noah's eyes suddenly snapped open, his brows furrowing as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. The sound of sobbing reached his ears, causing his frown to deepen. He looked around the room, his eyes widening in realisation. He was now in Sarah's room, and confusion washed over him, adding to the pounding headache he already had.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Sarah sniffled and wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"No, it's fine. Is everything okay?" Noah's frown deepened as he tried to suppress the queasy feeling in his stomach.
Sarah hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice quivering, "I... I read the contract you brought earlier. I'm just... confused and worried about what it means for us."
"Contract?" Noah's confusion deepened for a moment, but then his eyes widened as he recalled the contract he had discussed with Matthew earlier that day. He sighed, realising that this could be the reason he ended up in his current intoxicated state. "So, it's not that I'm not serious about us," he paused, trying to find the right words. "I just want to protect you from my family. You know how wealthy families can be."
"But why a contract?" Sarah's voice trembled with uncertainty, her eyes filled with confusion.
Noah's expression softened, and he took a step closer to her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "This is my way of ensuring your safety," he explained, his tone sincere but lacking further explanation.
A furrow formed between Sarah's brows as she tried to comprehend his reasoning. "I still don't understand how a contract protects me, but can you promise me that you won't leave me after those three months?"
Noah maintained his composure, his eyes meeting hers without batting an eye, as he lied, "Of course, I promise. I just need three months to make sure the other woman is completely out of my life."
"Then I will sign it," Sarah declared, determination in her voice as she stood up abruptly.
"No, where do you think you're going?" Noah swiftly moved to stop her.
"I was just going to find a pen," Sarah replied innocently.
"That can wait until tomorrow," Noah gently pulled her back into his embrace, guiding her to sit on his lap. He put his hands around her neck and leaned closer to her face.
"I will sign it now," Sarah stood up abruptly once again and hurriedly left the room. She closed the door behind her and fanned herself, suddenly feeling flushed and hot.
Noah let out a frustrated sigh as he watched Sarah reenter the room with a pen in her hand. She swiftly approached the side table, took the contract paper, and signed it without much hesitation.
Noah's eyes widened in amazement as he observed her actions. At that moment, he couldn't help but find her behaviour cute and pure. It made him wonder, could this same person really be capable of hurting someone?
"Oh, about this marriage form, do I need to put my thumbprint here?" she asked with a smile spreading across her face, ready to place her thumb on the stamp that Noah had brought earlier.
Noah looked at her, feeling a slight pain in his heart. The form was merely a cover-up for his lie. He had already taken care of everything, and Sarah, unaware of the truth, was smiling, thinking it was her first time signing that form.