Chapter 2

"Lucas," I spoke, my voice cold, "if I sign, can you guarantee you'll treat me well for the rest of our lives?"

"Absolutely!" Joy flashed in Lucas's eyes as he reached out to put his arm around my shoulder. "As long as you're obedient, you'll have the final say in our family."

I dodged his hand, the pen tip touching the paper with a sound.

Instead of signing my name directly, I quickly added a line of small text after the virginity clause.

[If the groom conceals an illegitimate child before marriage or commits major deception, he must compensate the bride $3 million and leave the marriage with nothing.]

Then I signed "Aria Carter" and slapped the agreement down in front of Lucas.

Lucas froze, not expecting me to pull this move.

His mother couldn't read the fine print clearly. Seeing only that I had pressed my red thumbprint, she smiled broadly and snatched the paper to tuck into her clothes.

"Good, good that you signed!"

"Lucas, quick, pour Aria some wine. We're all one family now!"

But Lucas's expression darkened.

He stared hard at that line of text, the muscles in his jaw twitching.

"Aria, what is this supposed to mean?"

He lowered his voice, his tone angry.

"Illegitimate child? Have you lost your mind? Everyone knows my character!"

I picked up my wine glass and swirled it, watching the clear liquid.

"Lucas, since you think purity and honesty are the foundation of marriage."

"Then I'm adding this clause. You shouldn't have any objections, right?"

"After all, if you're innocent, what's there to be afraid of signing this?"

I threw his words right back at him.

Lucas's best man Derek leaned over to look, but Lucas shoved him away.

"What are you looking at! Eat your food!"

Lucas shouted once, then turned back with a forced smile.

"Fine, Aria. You've got guts. We'll see about this."

The banquet returned to its lively state.

But no one at the main table was talking.

My mother held my hand, her palm covered in cold sweat.

She leaned close to my ear, her voice trembling.

"Aria, let's leave. We're not going through with this wedding. This family's heart is too black."

"Mom, it's not time yet." I patted the back of her hand. "Some accounts need to be settled in front of the whole world to be truly satisfying."

Lucas's brother Tyler, that twelve-year-old boy, was grabbing at chicken drumsticks and eating with oil all over his mouth.

He looked at me sideways, his eyes full of hostility and greed.

"Aria, my brother said that from now on all the money you earn has to go toward buying me a house."

Tyler mumbled indistinctly.

"My brother also said your family's old house will have to be put in my name too. Because when you marry my brother, it becomes our family's property."

My mother's eyes looked ready to pop out.

"Lucas, is this how you teach children?"

Lucas's mother slapped the back of Tyler's head.

"What nonsense is this child spouting!"

Lucas covered his mouth and coughed, then picked up his glass to toast the next table.

His steps were clearly somewhat unsteady.

I watched his retreating figure, a smile playing at my lips.

Tyler's face looked exactly like Lucas's.

Especially the black mole behind the ear.

Lucas said he was an "old-age baby" his mother had at forty.

But what "old-age baby" would look so identical to his older brother?

I stood up, excusing myself to go to the restroom.

Pushing open the private room door, I saw Lucas standing in the shadows of the fire escape corridor, roaring into his phone.

"Didn't I just transfer you five thousand?"

"How much more do you want? I'm telling you, today is my engagement day. Don't push me!"

A woman's crying and shouting came through the phone, especially piercing in the empty hallway.

"Tyler is your son too. You can't just ignore him!"

"If I can't get that $300,000, I'm taking the kid to make a scene at your office!"

I gripped my phone and pressed the record button.

Lucas was panting in the shadows, his back tense.

"Madison, listen carefully!"

His voice was very low, his tone vicious.

"That idiot Aria has already signed. As soon as that $300,000 comes through, I'll transfer it to you immediately."

"I'm also figuring out the mortgage situation. Her salary card will be managed by my mom from now on—you won't be short on child support."

"Now shut up and stay put with the kid!"

The woman on the other end was still relentless.

Lucas punched the wall with a dull thud.

"Don't talk to me about status. You were the one who insisted on having the baby. Now you want legitimacy?"

"Dream on!"

"Aria's father is a professor. Her family has prestige and respectability. What can you give me?"

"Besides demanding money, what else can you do?"

I stood behind the door, dizzy with rage.