Chapter 4: The Marriage Agreement
I didn’t sleep that night.
Not because of the pain.
Not because of Vanessa.
Not even because of what Adrian had done.
I stayed awake because my mind kept replaying every moment of our marriage.
Every conversation.
Every decision.
Every time Adrian looked at me and told me I was different.
I used to think those words meant I was special.
Now I wondered if they meant something else.
Different.
Useful.
A hidden advantage.
At 6:00 the next morning, I was sitting in the library when Adrian walked in.
He looked exhausted.
For once, he looked like the consequences had finally reached him.
“Claire.””
I didn’t look up from the documents my father’s team had sent overnight.
“Did you know?””
He stopped.
“Know what?””
I lifted my eyes.
“Who I was.””
The silence answered before he did.
“Claire…”
That hesitation hurt more than any denial.
“You knew.””
“No.””
The word came too quickly.
I noticed.
“I knew your family had money.””
My hands tightened.
“But I didn’t know everything.””
I stood.
“You expect me to believe that?””
“It’s the truth.””
“Then tell me the truth.””
He looked away.
That was something Adrian did when he was uncomfortable.
A habit I used to find human.
Now I found it revealing.
“When did you find out about my father?””
He stayed quiet.
“Adrian.””
“Six months after we started dating.””
My heart sank.
“Six months?””
“Yes.””
“And you stayed?””
He looked at me.
“I loved you.””
I wanted to believe him.
I wanted those words to still have power.
But after everything, they felt fragile.
“If you loved me, why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I was afraid.””
“Afraid of what?””
He ran his hand through his hair.
“That you would think I was using you.””
I stared at him.
“You didn’t think I would think that after hiding it?””
He had no answer.
Then I noticed something on the table.
A folder.
My name was written on it.
Claire Hart.
Not Ellison.
Hart.
The name I created.
“What is that?””
Adrian looked at the folder.
His expression changed.
“It’s nothing.””
Again.
Nothing.
I walked over and opened it.
Inside were copies of documents.
Old documents.
From years ago.
My eyes moved across the pages.
And then I saw it.
A date.
Three months before Adrian proposed.
My stomach turned.
“What is this?””
Adrian stepped forward.
“Claire, wait.””
I looked at him.
“No.””
My voice was calm.
That scared him more than anger.
“You knew my identity before you proposed.””
“That’s not what it means.””
“Then explain it.””
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
The doorbell rang.
Neither of us moved.
A moment later, my assistant Olivia entered with a sealed envelope.
“Claire, your father asked me to deliver this personally.””
Adrian looked nervous.
I took the envelope.
Inside was a single message from my father.
One sentence.
One sentence that changed everything.
I read it twice.
Then I looked at Adrian.
“What is it?”” he asked.
I folded the paper.
“My father found the original agreement.””
Adrian’s face went pale.
“What agreement?””
I stared at him.
“The one you signed before you married me.””
His breathing changed.
“Claire…”
I took one step closer.
“Tell me, Adrian.””
My voice dropped.
“Did you marry me because you loved me?””
A pause.
“Or because you thought marrying Claire Ellison would make you untouchable?””
For the first time, Adrian had no answer.
And that was when I knew.
The truth I was about to discover would hurt more than anything Vanessa had done.
Because Vanessa had entered my marriage.
May you like
But someone else had built it on a lie.
And that someone was the man I called my husband.
