THE BILLIONAIRE'S COLD DEAL

Chapter 3: Caught in a Trap Samantha's POV... "Be my wife for six months, and I will give you all you ever wish for." Again, he dismissed my questions like they were nothing but a passing breeze. "I know everything about you, Samantha," he changed the topic so quickly it unsettled me. "Everything you don't even know about yourself." I stared at him, my eyes widening in shock. "I can rewrite your story and give you a brand-new life if you let me," he added casually. I sat up, struggling to balance the storm of thoughts racing through my mind. "I..." No matter how hard I tried, the words refused to leave my lips. "Answer me, Samantha," he said firmly. "I need to know where you stand. Once you agree, we sign a contract, and that's it." His words snapped something loose inside me. I let out a hollow chuckle and slowly turned to him. "I bet you're nothing but a good-for-nothing stalker," I said bitterly. "Tell me...why do you know so much about me? Do you even know if I'm married? If I have kids?" I scoffed in disbelief, the thoughts spilling out faster than I could control them. "I've seen this madness in movies. In novels. But never in real life," I hissed. "I may be poor, but I'm not stupid. Contract bride indeed" I glared at him. "I want you to open this door so I can get out of this damn car and never come near me again. Because if you do, I'll drench you in acid." Lf looks could kill, he would've been dead already. I was stunned by his audacity. His sudden chuckle caught me off guard. "If you truly want to leave, I won't stop you, Samantha ," he said calmly. "But don't come begging when you're about to die of sickness." He smirked. "And remember, your landlord won't take you back." I froze at his revelation. The weight of his words sank in slowly. "You know about that?" I asked after a long moment, disbelief coating my voice. "You think I'd approach you without knowing everything?" he chuckled. "I told you, I know more about you than you know about yourself." A shiver ran down my spine. "Samantha, you need me, and I need you," he continued. "That's all that matters right now. The ball is in your court. Will you make this work or not?" He tapped the driver's seat, and his bodyguard handed him a file. "To prove I'm not here to play games," he said, passing it to me, "this is the contract." I shot him a sharp glare before taking the document. "Go through it and tell me if you're fine with the rules," he said calmly. "I'm not even agreeing to this yet," I snapped, rolling my eyes. Still, I opened the document and began to read. A six-month contract between Samantha Williams and Adrian Wolfe, the first page read. "You even know my full name?" I muttered. He said nothing. I returned my attention to the document. Contract Terms: 1. This marriage shall last for a period of six (6) months from the date of signing. 2. Both parties agree that no emotional attachment or romantic feelings shall develop during the contract period. 3. Physical intimacy is permitted only by mutual consent and shall not imply emotional involvement. 4. Both parties must present themselves as a loving married couple in public and at all official events. 5. Neither party shall interfere in the other's personal life beyond what is required by this contract. 6. The wife shall reside in the husband's residence for the duration of the marriage. 7. Any form of jealousy, possessiveness, or emotional demands is strictly prohibited. 8. The details of this contract and marriage must remain strictly confidential from the public and media. 9. Violation of any rule will result in immediate termination of the contract and financial penalties. 10. Upon expiration of the contract, both parties shall separate peacefully with no further obligations, unless otherwise stated. "Who even gives someone these kinds of rules..." The words died in my throat when my eyes landed on the amount listed below. Mr. Adrian Drew shall offer Miss Samantha Williams a sum of $500 million for a six-month marriage, along with additional benefits. I blinked in disbelief, not once, not twice but the figures remained the same. When that didn't work, I pinched myself. Still, the numbers remained. I looked up at him, then back at the contract. Then back at him again. I repeated the motion at least six times. "This couldn't be real" I finally spluttered. "You're offering me five hundred million dollars to be your wife?" It still wasn't adding up, no matter how hard I tried to understand it. "Yes, Samantha. Five hundred million dollars will be yours once you sign this contract and become my wife," he assured me. "But what about your family? What do they have to say about this?" I asked, my thoughts racing. "I don't even know much about you. How am I supposed to be sure you'll actually give me the money?" "That's not an issue, Samantha," he replied calmly. "All you have to do is sign the contract. That's all I want. Don't ask questions. Don't be scared of anything. Just do what needs to be done, and that's it." I sensed urgency in his tone, and it unsettled me. Why was he the one rushing? Shouldn't I be the one hesitating? And why me out of all the women in the world? I couldn't hold back anymore. "Why me?" I demanded. "Why did you pick me of all people?" And for the first time, he was the one freezing. It was as though I had asked the deadliest question in the world. His gaze dropped instantly, and his lips trembled despite his effort to stay composed. Panic flickered across his face, and in that moment, I sensed there was more to this than he was willing to admit. Still, I wasn't ready to walk away. I wouldn't turn down this offer for anything in the world. I have nothing to lose like I have said earlier. Walking out of here is me walking into my own dorm, into greater poverty, into depression and I wasn't ready to do that. I remembered, I have prayed for a miracle in the club and maybe my prayer has finally come to pass. "Don't bother answering," I said firmly. "Just transfer the money to my account, and I'll sign the contract, just like you want." I was also shocked at my words. As my words rolled out, I saw it immediately, his panic on his face melted into relief. "Why did you argue so much if you were going to agree anyway?" he muttered, sinking back into his seat. "Enter your details into this phone," he said, handing it to me. I did as instructed. Before I could even pull my own phone out of my bag, I heard the familiar notification chime. "Sent," he said calmly. I wasn't ready to believe him that easily, but staring at my phone, and my breath caught. $500,000,000 sat boldly in my account, as if it were nothing. An amount I had never imagined I would see in my lifetime. "It's time to do your part," Adrian said, snapping me out of my daze. I nodded and signed the contract without hesitation. "Now that's what I'm talking about," he said, a smirk curling his lips. "See? That was simple, Riley." "Now that the contract is signed and sealed, we move straight into business." I didn't think much of his words, until he suddenly clapped his hands. Before I could react, the bodyguard seated behind us snatched my phone away. "That's the first rule, Samantha," Adrian said coldly. "You no longer have the right to communicate with anyone from this moment onward. And that shouldn't be a problem...." His eyes locked onto mine. "-since you have no family. You're an orphan."