Chapter 13: $10,000 Fine for Falling in Love

Chapter 13 - $10,000 Fine for Falling in Love "What? Next month? Isn't that a bit too soon, sir?" Bianca asked, clearly not prepared for that timeline. "Next month is already late for me," Adrian replied, folding his arms like a man who had just made the greatest compromise of his life. "I actually wanted us to get married in two weeks. But I extended it to one month. For you." Bianca's eyes widened, disbelief written all over her face. Adrian didn't like that reaction one bit. Seriously? Too fast? She knew the urgency. She knew about Grandpa. Was she thinking of backing out? Over his dead body. "Fine," she said coolly. "But I have a few more conditions." "More conditions? Didn't we just agree on everything yesterday?" "Oh, I have a few more. Just a moment." Bianca stood up and walked out, leaving Adrian blinking at the empty space she'd just occupied. She returned a moment later with a US Letter paper in her hand. She handed it to him without saying a word. Adrian raised an eyebrow. "What's this?" "My updated conditions." He lifted the standard office paper to eye level and began reading slowly, thoroughly. His expression shifted with each line. What the hell was this, marriage contract or a user agreement drafted by Satan himself? Terms of the Contract Marriage Between Adrian & Bianca Both parties must treat each other with respect and dignity. Falling in love is strictly prohibited. Physical contact such as hugging, holding hands, and kissing is only allowed when necessary. Neither party is allowed to engage in romantic or intimate relationships with other people during the marriage. Personal lives and private matters are off limits, no interference allowed. If either party breaks any of the terms listed above, a fine of $10,000 USD will be imposed. "This is it?" Adrian arched a brow at her, waving the crisp white sheet like it personally offended him. "Yes. That's all," Bianca replied, deadpan. He cleared his throat dramatically and began reading the terms out loud like it was some kind of royal decree. "Contract Marriage Terms. One, mutual respect and consideration. Reasonable. Two, no falling in love." Adrian paused, tilted his head, and smirked. "No problem for me. But... what if you end up falling for me?" Bianca didn't even flinch. "Impossible, sir. I've already told you, you're not my type." Ugh. That again. Adrian's ego took a small but noticeable hit. What exactly was wrong with her taste in men? Handsome? Check. Rich? Double check. Charming? Debatable, but still, check enough. What box hadn't he ticked? Whatever. He moved on. "Three, physical contact, such as hugging, holding hands, and kissing, is only allowed when necessary." His eyes skimmed to the next line and stopped at the word kissing. "Kissing's allowed?" he asked, eyes narrowing in fake curiosity. "Only on the cheek," Bianca shot back, not missing a beat. Adrian's gaze drifted to her lips for just a second too long. "Cheek only, huh?" he muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Four: no romantic involvement with others during the marriage," he continued, then lifted his head to meet her gaze. "This one's non-negotiable," he said firmly. "I hope you don't plan on breaking it," she replied coolly. "What, you think I'm the type to cheat?" he challenged, half-offended. Bianca shrugged. "You don't exactly scream 'committed husband' energy." Adrian clicked his tongue. "That's fair. But I don't plan on embarrassing myself during a fake marriage. If I commit to this, I'll follow through. I'm not an amateur." She gave him a look. That unreadable Bianca look. Then nodded once. Adrian looked back down at the contract. No love. No drama. Just business. Easy. At least, that's what he told himself. "That's not what I meant. It's just... considering how you, uhm... you know..." Bianca hesitated, eyes darting away. "Oh, okay. Okay. I get it," Adrian cut in, raising his hands in surrender. "You can relax. I'm not going to do that." "Good." She exhaled sharply, relieved. "Fifth clause, no interference in each other's personal business. Got it." Adrian nodded, tapping the page lightly. Then his eyes landed on the final line, and his brows furrowed. "$10,000 in penalty?" he read aloud, incredulous. "It means," Bianca explained calmly, "if either of us breaks any of the rules, the one who breaks them pays the other $10,000." Adrian blinked. Then grinned. "So if you fall in love with me, you owe me ten grand?" Bianca nodded without thinking. Then instantly scowled. "I've already told you, I'm not going to fall in love with you, sir. That clause won't be needed." "Sure, sure," he teased, smirking. "Whatever helps you sleep at night." Bianca didn't even dignify that with a reply. "As you wish," Adrian murmured, skimming the bottom of the sheet. "Okay, it says 'Signed,' and here's my name. So I'm supposed to sign this?" "Yes. I need everything official. Black and white." "Fine by me." He grabbed the pen from his desk and signed with a dramatic flourish. "There. Signed and sealed. Anything else you want to add?" "No. That's it." "Really? Nothing else? This is your last chance." He drummed his fingers against his thigh, watching her intently. Bianca hesitated. "Well... just one more thing. I want the wedding to be simple. As in low-key. No over-the-top parade." "Simple. Not a problem. Go on." "And... we need a backstory. People are going to ask how someone like you ended up marrying someone like me," she said, not bitter, just realistic. "They'll want to know how our 'love story' started." Adrian groaned theatrically. "Ugh. Right. The origin story. We definitely need a believable rom-com pitch." He leaned back in his chair and tapped his chin, eyes narrowing in mock concentration. "So... do we go with 'met in college but lost touch,' or 'accidentally got locked in a supply closet during a blackout'?" Bianca blinked. "Why do you sound like you've thought about this before?" "I watch a lot of movies." She rolled her eyes. "Let's just keep it realistic. Nothing involving closets or dramatic thunderstorms." Adrian snapped his fingers. "Fine. How about this, we worked together for years, I started seeing your brilliance, then one day... boom.. I realized I couldn't live without you." "That's exactly the kind of story that would make people think we're lying." "...Right. Got it. Needs more subtlety. We'll brainstorm later." "Deal." And just like that, the contract was signed, the chaos was official, and Adrian had a fiancée. A sarcastic, unimpressed, no nonsense fiancée with a terrifyingly well formatted clause sheet. Perfect. ***