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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Elle

I wake to the soft light filtering through the curtains, the quiet hum of the mansion’s early morning sounds filling the air. Today is the day. The wedding. My stomach flips nervously, the weight of everything pressing down on me. It’s a day that should feel magical, but instead, it’s heavy with the tension of all the unspoken things – things I haven’t fully processed yet, things I don’t know how to face.

As I sit up, the soft rustle of the sheets seems too loud in the silence. The weight of the moment crashes down on me, and for a moment, I just sit there, frozen, my hands tightly gripping the edge of the bed.

There’s a sharp knock at the door, and before I can respond, it swings open.

Alexander walks in without waiting for permission, his presence filling the room. I blink in surprise, my breath catching in my throat, and quickly snatch the covers right up to my chin, even though I’m wearing pyjamas.

“Good morning, Elle,” he says smoothly, like this is just another normal day, like he hasn’t already done everything in his power to make my life feel like a carefully crafted performance.

I don’t respond immediately, my heart pounding. I force my expression to stay neutral, but every part of me is on high alert.

Without acknowledging my silence, Alexander steps forward and places a leather folder on the bed in front of me, his expression cold, almost pleased with himself.

“There’s one more thing to take care of before the wedding,” he says, his voice smooth as velvet but laced with a subtle threat I can’t quite place.

I frown, glancing at the folder, the unease in my stomach growing. “What now?” I manage to say, though my voice is shaky.

Alexander doesn’t answer directly. Instead, he pulls out the contract and opens it with a flick of his wrist, revealing the prenup. My eyes skim over the text, my heart dropping as the words sink in. The terms are worse than anything I could have imagined.

He’s added to the child clause – he’s not removing it. He’s changing it.

“You’ll remain married to Sebastian for a minimum of three years,” he says, his voice like ice. “In that time, you will produce at least two children – an heir and a spare.”

I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. I glance up at him, my confusion mounting. “What is this?”

Alexander doesn’t look at me as he continues, his voice calculating. “And if you decide to leave the marriage within five years, you forfeit all rights to any assets and will be stripped of all control, even over your own children. The family trust will take full control.”

I feel like the room is spinning, my heart racing as the words hit me like a physical blow. “This is...insane,” I whisper, my voice barely above a breath. This is utter madness. No one in their right mind would sign this. Least of all me.

“I think you’ll find it’s quite reasonable,” he says, his gaze sharpening as he watches me. “This is about ensuring stability for the Sterling-Knight family. You’ve entered into this marriage willingly, and you will fulfill your part of the agreement.”

My stomach churns as I shake my head. “I love your son. I–I don’t need to sign this…I won’t sign this.”

Alexander’s eyes narrow slightly, and he steps closer, his tone lowering, the threat clear. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.”

He places the original prenup that I signed with Seb on the covers in front of me. I don’t need to read it to know what it says – it’s the same one Seb and I agreed on. The one that made me feel like a contract, like a commodity, rather than a person. The one that tied me to this family’s expectations.

“You signed that , Elle,” he says, his voice cold, calculated. “You agreed to this marriage. And now, if you don’t sign this updated version of the prenup, I’ll be forced to tell the world everything.”

My heart skips a beat. “What do you mean?”

He places his hand on the folder, his eyes locking with mine. “I’ll tell your family, tell society – everyone – that you sold your virginity at a sex club to the highest bidder to get ahead.”

A gasp slips past my lips and I swallow my panic.

Think, Elle. Think!

Forcing myself to project an air of calm I in no way feel, I take a deep breath and nod at Alexander.

“It’s true that I was sold as a date at an auction for a worthy cause, but it’s also true that your son was the highest bidder. Before he decided to propose. How would that look for the Sterling-Knight family name if it were also to come to light?”

I keep my tone light, but inside I’m trembling. Terrified. I’m threatening Alexander Sterling-Knight, calling his bluff and trying to play him at his own twisted game.

It backfires when he scoffs.

“You think that’s all I have to destroy you with, Elle? I know everything about you… How are your family’s finances, by the way? Can they afford the forfeit fee? And I’ll go to the police about Aiden. I’ll make sure you lose everything you’ve built for yourself, Elle. Your reputation. Your career. Your future. But I’ll also destroy your entire family too.”

I feel my breath catch in my throat as the gravity of his words sinks in. He’s using my past against me. My mistakes, my secrets – the things I’ve fought so hard to bury – he’s ready to expose them all.

Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I’ve already been through too much to let him control me. But just as I’m about to speak, Alexander presses his lips together, his voice dropping lower. “And if you think that’s bad, I’ll do worse. I’ll release the original records of Candy’s. The ones your family worked so hard to bury to give her a fresh start. The ones she tried to leave behind. You won’t just lose everything – she will too.”

My knees feel weak, my vision swimming with tears. The weight of his words crushes me, suffocating me in a way I’ve never felt before. I have no choice. He’s backed me into a corner, and I can’t find a way out.

“Please,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Please, don’t do this.”

Alexander’s gaze hardens, his resolve unshaken. “Sign the prenup, Elle. And keep it a secret. You’ll marry Sebastian. You’ll give him the family he’s expected to have. And in return, you will have everything you’ve ever wanted.”

I stare at the document in front of me, the contract that ties me to a future I don’t want. The weight of everything – my past, my family, my future, and everything I’m about to lose – presses down on me like a boulder.

I take a deep breath, my hand shaking as I reach for the pen. It feels like lead in my sweaty grip. I swallow past the lump in my throat and sign my name, feeling like I’m signing away my soul in the process.

“Thank you, dear,” Alexander says, his voice colder than ever. He takes the document from me, his eyes scanning it one last time. “I’ll make sure this remains between us.”

With that, he leaves the room without another word, his footsteps echoing in the hall.

I sit there for a long time, my chest heaving as the weight of the last few minutes settles over me. Tears spill over my cheeks, but I don’t make a sound.

This is the moment that changes everything. The moment I lost myself for the family’s legacy. The moment I realised that, no matter how hard I try, I will never be free.

And all I can do is wait for the wedding.