The Contract Bride's Dilemma

Chapter 18: Elena's Breakthrough

Elena

The silence in the penthouse was suffocating.

Jason had barely spoken since they left the Sinclair estate. He had poured himself a glass of whiskey and now stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the city below. The weight of his father's words lingered in the air between them, unspoken but undeniable.

Elena watched him, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her dress. The man standing before her wasn't the ruthless CEO she had fought against. This was Jason Sinclair stripped bare—his carefully constructed armor cracking under the weight of his past.

She could have walked away. Should have. After all, this marriage wasn't real. His pain wasn't hers to carry. And yet, she found herself stepping forward.

"I secured an investor today," she said, her voice breaking the silence.

Jason didn't turn. "Congratulations."

She frowned at his indifferent tone. "That's it?"

He exhaled, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "You don't need my approval, Elena."

"No, but I thought you'd at least pretend to care."

His jaw clenched, and for a moment, she thought he wouldn't respond. But then, he turned to face her, his eyes cold, distant. "You want me to say I'm proud? That you proved me wrong?"

She met his gaze, refusing to back down. "I don't need validation. But I thought—" She hesitated. "I thought you'd be happy for me."

Jason's fingers tightened around his glass. "You think this is about your business? About winning some power struggle?" He let out a hollow laugh. "You don't understand, Elena."

"Then help me understand," she challenged.

His silence stretched between them. And then, he placed his glass down with deliberate care before crossing the space between them. His presence was overwhelming, his voice a quiet storm. "You think securing an investor means independence? That it means you're free from me?"

Her breath hitched. "That's not what this is about."

He tilted his head, studying her. "Then what is it about?"

Elena swallowed hard. "It's about proving that I can stand on my own. That I'm more than just your contract wife."

Something flickered in his eyes, something dark and unreadable. "You've always been more than that, Elena."

Her heart pounded. He was too close, his scent—expensive cologne and whiskey—wrapping around her. But before she could react, he stepped back, as if realizing the moment had stretched too far.

His mask slid back into place. "You've made your point."

Frustration bubbled inside her. She wanted to shake him, to make him feel something other than this maddening control. But instead, she took a steadying breath and nodded. "Good."

She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her. "Elena."

She hesitated.

"I didn't manipulate the deal."

She blinked, turning back. "What?"

Jason ran a hand through his hair. "Your investor. I didn't interfere."

Confusion warred with suspicion. "Why would you even say that?"

A humorless smile touched his lips. "Because if I had, you'd never know."

Her stomach twisted. Was that supposed to be reassurance? Or a warning?

She didn't reply. Instead, she walked away, her heart a tangled mess of emotions she didn't want to name.

Jason

She was slipping through his fingers.

Jason hadn't expected Elena to secure an investor so quickly. He had underestimated her—something he rarely did with anyone. And now, the realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He should have been proud. Should have admired her tenacity. But instead, an unfamiliar sensation coiled in his chest.

Fear.

Not fear of losing control, but fear of losing her.

His grip tightened around the railing of the balcony. Philip's words echoed in his mind:

If you don't learn from my mistakes, you'll find that a contract is just as fragile as trust.

He had spent years ensuring he would never be like his father. But was he any different? Was he so consumed with control that he had failed to see what truly mattered?

Elena wasn't just another business deal. She wasn't a pawn to be maneuvered.

She was the first person to look at him and see something more than a Sinclair. And that terrified him more than he cared to admit.

Jason turned back toward the penthouse, making a decision he never thought he would.

He wouldn't let her walk away.

Not without a fight.