Diary 19: Falling For My Contract Husband
(Do not mind the title, it sure is a spicy book)
Chapter 86
The sound of her heels clicking against the marble floors echoed through the grand hallway of the Wolfe estate. Isabella Moreau swallowed hard, gripping the silk fabric of her dress as she was led through the enormous mansion by a stiff-faced butler. Everything about this place screamed wealth and power-two things she had never possessed.
Tonight was the beginning of a deal she had never agreed to but had no choice in accepting.
A contract marriage.
Her father’s company was drowning in debt, and the only way out was for her to marry Sebastian Wolfe-the ruthless billionaire who didn’t believe in love, only transactions. She had met him once before, at a high-profile gala. He had barely looked at her, only sparing a curt nod in acknowledgment. Now, she was supposed to be his wife.
The butler opened the door to a dimly lit study, revealing the man who held her future in his hands.
Sebastian Wolfe sat behind a massive desk, his dark eyes unreadable as he studied her. He was as intimidating as she remembered-tall, sharp-jawed, and impossibly handsome in a cold, untouchable way. The kind of man who could ruin someone with a single word.
“You’re late,” he said smoothly, setting down his whiskey glass.
“I wasn’t aware this was an interview,” Isabella shot back, lifting her chin. She refused to let him see how much this arrangement terrified her.
Sebastian’s lips twitched, but it wasn’t a smile. “Everything in my life runs on precision, Miss Moreau. If you’re going to be my wife, you should get used to that.”
She forced herself to keep her expression neutral. “Let’s get one thing clear-I’m not here because I want to be. I’m here because I don’t have a choice.”
Sebastian leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the desk. “Good. That makes two of us.”
A sharp pang twisted in her stomach. Of course. This wasn’t a love story. This was a business deal, nothing more.
The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension.
Finally, Sebastian pushed a document across the desk toward her. “Read it. Sign it. You’ll find everything clearly outlined-one year of marriage, public appearances together, and a clean separation when the contract ends. You get financial security for your family, and I get the stability my company needs.”
His tone was emotionless, but Isabella caught the brief flicker of something deeper in his gaze-something he quickly masked.
She picked up the pen, hesitating for only a second before signing her name.
As she set the pen down, Sebastian stood and walked around the desk, stopping just inches from her. She had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
“You belong to me now, Isabella,” he murmured, his voice low and dangerous.
Her breath hitched. The words shouldn’t have sent a shiver down her spine, but they did.
Because even though this marriage was supposed to be nothing more than a contract, something told her it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
He might have bought her for a year, but she already wanted him.
For one night.
For forever.
“Mine,” he repeated, leaning in closer. Their lips were so close they almost touched, and her heart slammed into her ribs. “Do you understand?”
Isabella nodded, her throat tightening. This was supposed to be a transaction, nothing more. But she couldn’t help the desire that sparked in her veins.
“Yes, Mr. Wolfe. I understand.”
He smirked-a cold, sharp smile that made her insides burn.
“Good.”
* * * * *
I’m not falling for him.
The words echoed in Isabella’s head as Sebastian drove her back to her apartment to pack her belongings and move in with him . They were only supposed to have a transactional relationship, nothing more.
But the words weren’t convincing. Not when he had stared at her with a dark intensity that made her feel like he was going to devour her whole.
The car stopped in front of her building, and Sebastian cut the engine. They didn’t move for a moment, only the silence and the dark filling the air.
She had barely gotten out of the car when Sebastian appeared next to her, pulling open the door.
Isabella sucked in a breath as he stepped closer, his mouth hovering inches from hers. The air was so thick with tension it felt like she couldn’t breathe.
“Say it again,” he said.
Her heart slammed into her chest. “What?”
“Say you’re mine, Isabella.”
She felt her pulse thud in her throat. Why did he want her to say it? This was a contract-nothing more.
“I’m yours,” she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Something flared in his eyes for a brief second, and then his expression went cold.
He stepped back. “Don’t forget it.”
Without another word, he got in the car and left her on the sidewalk staring after him.
* * * * *
When she returned to his house later that evening with a small suitcase full of clothes, Sebastian barely spared her a glance. She spent the next three days holed up in the guest room trying not to think about how empty this house was. How empty he was.
There were no pictures on the walls, no decorations that gave any hint of the man who lived here.
It was a house of glass and stone, devoid of any warmth.
On the fourth day, Sebastian called her into his office. “We need to go to dinner tonight,” he said curtly. “I have a business associate I need you to meet.”
“Of course.” She nodded, her insides clenching. This was what she was supposed to do-play the perfect wife.
“Be ready at six o’clock,” he said, already dismissing her.
She turned to leave, but his words stopped her.
“Wear red.”
Her skin prickled with awareness, and she bit back a smile as she left his office. For one moment, she thought she saw a flash of emotion cross his face, and it made her wonder if this arrangement would be more than just a business transaction after all.
* * * * *
Sebastian was waiting by the car when she came downstairs at exactly 6:00 p. m. in a tight red dress. His jaw clenched, and for one moment she thought she saw something like hunger in his expression. But then it disappeared, leaving nothing but coldness in its wake.
He didn’t even look at her as they drove to the restaurant, his hands clenching around the steering wheel. It was so obvious he regretted making this deal.
Isabella swallowed against the tight feeling in her throat. What the hell had she gotten herself into?
When they arrived, he didn’t even reach for her door. He just waited impatiently for her to get out of the car. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her dress as he led her into the restaurant-a swanky, five-star place where everyone watched as they walked past.
They were greeted by a man named Alex-Sebastian’s business associate. The second the man saw them, his smile faltered.
“Sebastian,” he greeted, his eyes flickering to Isabella with interest. “You brought your new bride. I wasn’t aware you had gotten married.”
The words tasted like ashes in Isabella’s mouth.
“We got married a few days ago,” Sebastian said coolly. “My apologies for the lack of notice.”
“No worries, no worries,” Alex said hastily. “Please, join me.”
They sat down in the private dining room, and Sebastian immediately fell into a conversation with the other man. He barely spared Isabella a glance.
She felt like an ornament-something to look nice next to him.
But then she looked at Alex, who was watching her with undisguised interest, and something dark and possessive twisted in her chest.
She was married.
To Sebastian.
The idea sent a sharp pang through her, and for a second she wondered if she was going crazy. Why should she care who looked at her? This was only a contract. Not love. Not passion. Not anything more than a transaction.
Sebastian didn’t even spare her a glance, and it twisted her insides.
The conversation droned on and on, and when they finally got back into the car, Isabella was exhausted. “Why did you bring me?” she asked.
“To look nice,” he bit out.
Isabella felt the stinging of tears. That’s all she was to him-something to be admired. A trophy to be displayed next to him. Something to make him look more put together.
“You should have brought someone else,” she said quietly.
“I didn’t.” Sebastian didn’t look at her.
“You should have”
They didn’t talk for the rest of the drive.