Chapter 2 A Ridiculous Deal

Carla

"You've been bailed, and now, you're free to leave." A warden informed me as he opened my waiting cell, three days after I was thrown in there. I was beyond shocked as I exited the haunting bars, unable to believe my ears. The bail was millions of dollars, and I never deluded myself into thinking anybody would be able to bail me out of this predicament.

"Who bailed m-" I was still speaking when I stepped upfront and set my eyes on the man standing at the direct opposite of me. As soon as our eyes locked, it was like I was hit with a sharp whiplash, one which had my heart instantly propelling into my stomach while my mouth fell open.

Zade Dalton Gomez.

His blue eyes stared me down from across the room and I was tempted to cower from how intense his look was. He was as good looking as an oil painting. His long hair was slicked back but a few curls escaped and framed his face, his jawline was so sharp, his nose perfectly pointed and altogether, he looked like a Greek god.

Zade grew up to be extremely good looking than I could have ever anticipated. Presently, he ranks number one hottest man in the entire country, which was undeserving in my opinion. He was good looking as a kid and back then, all the girls had crushes on him... except me. As kids, I hated him.

He was best friends with my elder brothers, but he never took me seriously and always tomented me. Everything suddenly changed when his father backstabbed mine and rendered my father penniless, then our families went their separate ways and I loathed him since then.

As he closed the distance between us, I began to sweat buckets. I was nervous, my heart was pounding but I refused to avert my gaze. When he stopped a few feet away, he let his eyes run over my entire body and I shivered, feeling the urge to protect myself from his condescending gaze.

I cleared my throat till our eyes locked. "Um... you bailed me, right?"

When he didn't respond, I began again. "Well, I don't know why you did that, but thank you..."

I was still speaking when he suddenly grabbed my wrist and began to pull me out of the police station. I struggled in his hold and demanded where he was taking me, but he didn't respond till I was in the backseat of a Mercedes.

"Drive." He gruffly said to his driver and I fidgeted nervously beside him, feeling like a fish out of water.

I knew Zade hated me, like I hated him. He has no tangible reason to waste millions of dollars on me, so what does he want?

"Where are you seriously taking me to?!" I demanded and he sighed, massaging his forehead like I suddenly gave him a headache.

"My home, where we'll have an important discussion."

~~~

"Dave Meadows is already working on dissolving his marriage with theft convict Carla Meadows, and he's currently engaged to Serena Carter." The newscaster on the television announced, and clips of my husband sharing a kiss with my ex-best friend was shown and a picture of the two of them posing with Serena's new diamond ring facing the camera.

Dave really did it. He hadn't been bluffing. He really plans on marrying Serena.

I waited for pain to come, for hurt or jealousy to overcome me. But all I felt as I stared at the television was anger, and intense range.

"Bet you still cannot believe that the man you carry out joint crimes with has ditched you for someone else." Zade's deep voice filled the sitting room and I stiffened, but I refused to turn around. I watched from the side of my eyes as I sauntered into the room and took the seat opposite from me.

"I called it and I did tell you that I saw right through his bullshit, didn't I?" He drawled, eyes on me and I sat straighter, face an emotionless mask.

Zade indeed warned me. He called me a day before my wedding to say those words. But I thought he just didn't want me to be happy, especially since we were also technically enemies, so I didn't listen to him and had asked him to go fuck himself

I cleared my throat before speaking. "Mind your business, Zade."

He chuckled this time while sipping his scotch, leaned back on his couch. He had rid of his suit jacket, but his inner shirt was still on and it was stretched tightly over his pecs and bulging biceps.

"Remember that I bailed you about thirty minutes ago. Show some gratitude, Carla."

I bit my bottom lip and briefly glanced away. My name sounded so weird on his tongue because as kids, he never called me that. He called me something else, something that always infuriated me so much.

Kitten.

After a few seconds, I cleared my throat again and pushed my hair out of my face. "Thank you so much for bailing me, Zade. Seriously, I mean this from the bottom of my heart."

Zade waved me off almost immediately. "None of that now, since after all I freed you for a reason."

I stiffened, instantly growing suspicious. My hunch was correct, he did bail me for a reason.

"What's that?" I demanded. This time, he leaned forward before speaking.

"I freed you because I want you and I to get into a contract marriage." He suddenly announced and I blinked a few times, waiting for him to burst into laughter or something but that never happened.

I laughed awkwardly, my heart starting to race. "You're not being serious, are you?"

His eyes narrowed at me and I stiffened again. "Do I look like someone joking? I bailed you because of that."

I let out a scoff, hands gesturing around. "But... I can't marry you! It doesn't sound normal. Why the hell would I do that?"

"Well, as you might have guessed, you don't have a choice in this situation. You either agree to the contract marriage or I'll send you back to jail."

My heartbeat accelerated at that threat and I realized that I was basically trapped between two hells. Return back to jail or agree to this atrocity.

"Do not get the wrong idea, I don't particularly want this. You'll be my last option when it comes to marriage." He pointed out and I'd be lying if I claimed that didn't hurt.

"But be rest assured that the contract marriage would only last a year then it would be dissolved." He continued.

I let my eyes try to pick out the expression on his face, but I got nothing.

"Why do you even want a contract marriage? And I'm sure you'll find more willing women out there, except if there's something you're getting out of this." I demanded just as he got to his feet.

"Of course there's something. I need you to become the mother to my selective mute child."

My eyes instantly flew open. "You have a child?!" I demanded, extremely shocked. The media never mentioned anything of him having a child.

He approached me and my heartbeat accelerated again. "It's my niece, but now I see her as my child since I'm her guardian."

My eyes widened. "Oh." I muttered. "But what about her parents...?"

"Dead." He revealed flatly and my mouth fell open. I hastily apologized for that but he didn't acknowledge that. I shifted awkwardly again.

"I feel moved that you think I fit this role, but I suck with kids and I'm terrible with them. You should find someone else." I breathed out.

"You'll treat my niece like an egg and you'll play a mother's role to her, else you'd be returned back to prison after I take my bail money back. And you're the perfect role for this because somehow... my niece thinks you're her mom."

My mouth fell open from shock and confusion. "What?" I whispered and he sighed while massaging his forehead.

He was standing a few feet away from my couch, but I didn't like how he towered over me this way so I got to my feet, but it didn't make much difference because he was still a whole foot taller.

"She's a selective mute. She can speak but chose not to after a particular trauma. The only time she speaks is whenever your picture is shown, and she calls you 'mommy'." He revealed and I was shocked even more. I couldn't believe my ears. That made no sense to me.

How is that possible?

"So, the contract marriage would hold. If you don't agree to it, you'll be returned back to prison where you belong."

This time, I bristled as I glared up at him. "Where I belong? I didn't commit the crime I went to prison for, I only went for my husband. And this time, I was framed."

He laughed right in my face. "Of course you'd deny it. One can't expect anything less from a criminal after all."