Clash of Wills

BETH'S POV

I walked up the wide and long flight of stairs and reached a long corridor lined with beautiful golden globes. The quiet hallway resonated with my sharp breaths and a gasp as I bumped into a woman. It was Augusta. 

"Miss Beth? Where are you off to?"

"I need to change into something better and Rol... Mr.Roland asked me to find something to wear in the ladies room." I explained, and the woman's eyes narrowed. It was almost as if the room reminded her of something. 

"I'm actually finding it hard to recognize which one it is." She smiled broadly again, ready to help.

"Sure. Follow me." 

We walked down the narrow hallway for what seemed to be minutes before finally arriving at an oakwood door. I thanked Augusta profusely and locked the door behind me. 

Before me stood a huge queen-sized bed with a long headboard. I quickly walked to the wardrobe. It was indeed a sight to behold. I felt like I was in a room owned by a royal family member. Beautiful dresses graced the wardrobe, but it only incited my curiosity as to how many women he'd had up here. The thought churned my stomach and made me grab any dress. A few moments later, I was bounding downstairs in a coral short gown that was sleeveless and v-neck-shaped. As I walked into the dining room, Roland looked up from the glass of champagne he had in his mouth and stopped sipping. 

A flash of admiration and desire crossed his eyes. Or was I hallucinating? 

"I see you found your way to the ladies room. It looks like you're not a damsel in distress after all." 

He dropped the glass of champagne and pushed a file with papers clipped to it towards me.

"What are these?" I sat opposite his chair and took the file. 

"Those are the papers, including the pros and cons of our marriage."

"Marriage!?" I cried, but he cut in.

"Fake marriage." After which, he grabbed his laptop and began typing away on it, his attention now fixed on the screen. 

On the paperwork, the first page states a vow and a space where I'm going to write my full name. Underneath, I'm to fill in all my personal information. I flipped to the other page and found several other questions asking me what I would love him to know about my sexual life. Am I sexually active? Am I a fan of BDSM? What is my sex fantasy? How often will I want to do that? Am I loyal? How many men have I slept with? Do I have a history of any sexually transmitted infections? The third page included rules and regulations like where I would be shopping for clothes and how I could only wear dresses once. I must look presentable at all times, even for casual events. I must be loyal throughout the year, and as long as I abide by his rules, I can get the money and live a good life. 

It was all too much for me and disgusting, so eventually I banged my hands on the table. This caught his attention, but he didn't flinch. 

"This is ridiculous!" I stood. He glanced at me, our eyes meeting and getting locked.

"How, dear?" 

"Can you stop?" I asked coldly, my voice quivering.

"Stop with the endearment and trying to treat me like a child. I am not a child."

Roland arched his brows and folded his arms across his chest, now fully focused on me. "When did I mention you're a child?"

I stuttered. "Well.…these rules! They are absurd! You want to take control of my life for two years? With no emotions?" 

"I'm not forcing you, dear. You can kindly walk away if you're not comfortable with the terms." He tilted his head confidently, which further irked me. I grunted and bit my lips to stop tears from falling from my eyes. I needed the money, but I won't lose my freedom for it.

"You don't have to tell me." With that, I turned to leave. My legs wouldn't stop moving until I left the estate and stopped a taxi. It was almost midnight, but I didn't care. Anything to stop staring at his arrogant face.

ROLAND'S POV

The moment I entered my room and told my PA how my date went, he was skeptical and insisted we run a background check on her. I told him how troubled I was within me, knowing a part of me wanted her and another part of me found it hard to trust her.

"We need to see if she has something to lose. Only then can she be the best bait." Ryan had said, and I found sense in what he said. "Besides, didn't you say she was completely different from the girl you'd been chatting with?"

I nodded and shifted my laptop so that the screen would face him. On the bright screen, a picture of a blonde with chemical-induced asses and boobs was displayed. She was dressed in a bikini, and her blonde hair was obviously fake. Her blue eyes were not as catchy as those of the girl I met at the restaurant that night. They were fake eye colors. 

"Totally different." Ryan raised his brows. "I wouldn't go for her as well if I were you.This kind of woman has nothing to lose. She will be hard to keep. At least not for two years."

We both agreed. So, I asked him to run a background check on Beth and make sure he got back to me as fast as possible. That night, when Beth would arrive, Ryan had promised to send something in. He must have gotten some information about her. My mind leaped for joy. And for Beth to have agreed to come, she definitely wants in. When I entered the study room and saw her before the portrait, carefully examining my family pictures, I wanted to hear her say yes. She looked too weak-minded, but I was sure that as long as we had an agreement, it would be useful.

Her body drew me in closer. When I was so close, I could feel her hair brush against my skin, and I broke her out of her reverie.

"Are you going to spend the whole night standing there?" She turned sharply, and for a few seconds, I caught her staring at my chest. When she looked up again, I felt weak in the knees. I held my breath. What the hell is wrong with me? Seeing how uncomfortable she was in her clothes, I offered for her to pick a dress in the ladies room. After which, we discussed the contract. It wasn't a success. I should have known she was too emotional for this and left her. That's what I thought until a call came in from Ryan after she left angrily.

"She needs you, Mr.Roland. We have to keep her." Immediately, he sent me a file that contained her background information. I crossed my fingers and pursed my lips before replying.

"She's not going anywhere."