CONTRACT MARRIAGE WITH THE DEVIL BILLIONAIRE

The forest seemed to close in around them as the sounds of the attackers faded into the distance. Andrian's sharp eyes scanned the shadows, his steps sure and steady despite the blood staining his shirt.

"Keep moving," he said, his voice tight.

Emma stumbled behind him, clutching her injured shoulder. Every step was agony, but the questions burning in her mind hurt even more.

She finally stopped, planting her feet firmly. "No."

Andrian turned, his gaze flashing with frustration. "Emma, this isn't the time—"

"It's never the time!" she snapped, her voice breaking. "You've dragged me through hell, and I still don't know why. I deserve answers!"

Andrian's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

Emma's chest heaved, tears blurring her vision. "What does he mean, Andrian? That I'm the key to everything? That I'm part of something bigger?"

His silence was deafening.

"And what about the contract?" she continued, her voice trembling. "Was that all a lie too? Just another way to control me?"

★★★

The Weight of Truth

Andrian's gray eyes darkened, his expression unreadable. "No," he said finally, his voice low. "The contract was real. But it wasn't just for me."

Emma's heart pounded. "What does that mean?"

He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. "The marriage wasn't just about you or me. It was protection—against them."

Her stomach twisted. "Them? You mean the people chasing us?"

"Yes," Andrian said. "But it's more complicated than that."

Emma shook her head, anger and confusion mixing with her fear. "Then explain! I've been lied to, hunted, and abandoned, and I'm done running blind!"

Andrian hesitated, his expression softening. "Emma… the truth is dangerous. It's the reason Alexander left you. It's the reason I had to find you."

Her breath caught. "Alexander? He knew?"

"Yes," Andrian said, his voice hardening. "And he ran instead of protecting you."

Emma's knees wobbled, the weight of his words crashing down on her. "Protecting me from what?"

★★★

The Revelation

Andrian's gaze didn't waver. "Your family."

Emma froze, her heart pounding in her chest. "My family? They're… they're dead."

"No," Andrian said firmly. "That's what you were told. But the truth is, your family isn't gone. They're powerful. And they'll do anything to keep you from learning the truth."

Her mind spun, the pieces falling into place like jagged shards. "So, the contract… it was to keep me hidden?"

"Yes," Andrian said. "Your marriage to me wasn't about love or convenience. It was about erasing you from their reach."

Emma's legs buckled, and she leaned against a tree for support. "Why me? What makes me so important?"

Andrian hesitated, then stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Because you're the heir to everything they control. And they'll kill to keep it."

★★★

The Contract and Betrayal

Her breaths came in short, shallow gasps as she struggled to process his words. "So… so you married me to keep me hidden? To make me disappear?"

Andrian's jaw tightened. "I married you to protect you, Emma. But you need to understand—there's more at stake than just your life."

"What about Alexander?" she asked, her voice trembling. "He left me at the altar because of this?"

"Yes," Andrian said. "He couldn't handle the truth about your family. About who you are."

Emma's chest tightened, anger flaring in her veins. "And you could? You just stepped in and used me like I'm some pawn in your game?"

His expression darkened. "I didn't use you. I saved you."

★★★

A Choice to Make

The weight of his words hung between them, the forest around them eerily silent. Emma's mind raced, her emotions a storm of anger, fear, and betrayal.

"You should've told me," she said, her voice breaking. "You should've given me a choice."

Andrian's gaze softened. "I was trying to protect you. From them, from the truth, from everything."

"But now they've found me," she said bitterly. "And I don't even know who I'm running from."

Andrian stepped closer, his voice steady and firm. "You're running from a family that doesn't see you as a person. To them, you're power. Control. And they won't stop until you're back under their thumb—or dead."

Her chest tightened as tears spilled down her cheeks. "So, what now? I'm just supposed to trust you?"

"Yes," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Because I'm the only one who can keep you alive."

★★★

Before Emma could respond, the sound of distant voices reached them. Andrian's body tensed, his hand moving to his weapon.

"They've found us," he said, his voice low.

Emma's heart pounded as fear clawed at her chest. "What do we do?"

Andrian's gaze locked onto hers, his expression hard but calm. "We keep moving. And this time, you trust me. No more questions, no more hesitation."

Emma nodded reluctantly, her legs trembling beneath her. "Okay. But you owe me the whole truth."

"You'll have it," Andrian said, guiding her deeper into the forest.

But as they moved, Emma couldn't shake the weight of his words—or the chilling realization that her entire life had been a lie.

If her family was still alive, what else had they been hiding from her? And why was she the key to everything they wanted?

Shadows of Betrayal

The forest was dark and silent, broken only by the crunch of leaves underfoot. Emma followed Andrian, her thoughts a storm of confusion and anger. Her body ached, her shoulder throbbed, but it was the weight of his words that hurt the most.

"Your marriage to me wasn't about love or convenience. It was about erasing you from their reach."

The phrase replayed in her mind like a haunting echo. She stumbled over a root, catching herself against a tree.

Andrian stopped and turned, his gray eyes narrowing as they studied her. "We can't stop now."

"I can't keep going without answers," she said, her voice trembling. "You've dragged me into this without telling me the truth. Why am I running? Why are they hunting me? Why did you marry me?"

Andrian's expression hardened, but there was a flicker of something softer—regret?—in his gaze. "You're running because staying still will get you killed. And I married you because it was the only way to keep you safe."

"That's not enough!" she snapped, tears blurring her vision. "What am I, Andrian? Who am I that people would kill to find me?"

★★★

The Truth Unveiled

Andrian hesitated, his jaw clenching. "You're not just Emma Caldwell," he said finally. "You're the daughter of Malcolm Caldwell."

Emma froze. The name sounded distant and unfamiliar, like a piece of a puzzle she'd forgotten existed. "Who is that?"

"Not who," Andrian corrected, his voice grim. "What. Malcolm Caldwell wasn't just your father—he was the head of a family that controls half the country's underground dealings. His death left a void, and every faction has been fighting to fill it."

Her stomach churned, disbelief washing over her. "My father was… what? Some kind of criminal?"

"Not some kind," Andrian said. "He was the criminal. The Caldwell family isn't just powerful—they're untouchable. And as his only surviving child, you're the key to his empire."

Emma's head spun. "No. No, that's impossible. My father died when I was a baby. My mother—"

"Your mother hid you," Andrian interrupted. "She faked your deaths to keep you safe. But the secret's out now, Emma. They know who you are, and they'll stop at nothing to take you back."

Her legs gave out, and she sank to the ground, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. "So… the marriage… it wasn't real?"

Andrian crouched beside her, his voice low but steady. "It was real. But it wasn't built on love. It was built on survival."

★★★

The Contract's Price

Emma's heart ached, and her chest tightened as tears streamed down her face. "You used me."

"I protected you," Andrian countered, his tone sharper now. "Do you think you'd still be alive if I hadn't intervened? They would've found you months ago."

She shook her head, anger mixing with despair. "You didn't give me a choice. You didn't tell me the truth."

"Because the truth would've gotten you killed," Andrian said. "And because some choices don't exist when lives are on the line."

Her stomach twisted as she stared at him, the man she'd been forced to marry, who had promised her safety but given her nothing but lies.

And then, like a strike of lightning, another thought hit her. "Alexander. Did he know?"

Andrian's expression darkened. "He knew. And he left you because he couldn't handle it."

Her voice broke. "He abandoned me. You lied to me. And now I'm supposed to trust either of you?"

Before Andrian could respond, the sound of a branch snapping made them both freeze.

★★★

The Betrayal

Out of the shadows stepped Alexander, his face pale and his eyes wary. He held up his hands as he approached, his gaze locking onto Emma.

"Emma," he said softly. "I never wanted this for you."

Her body tensed, anger flaring to life. "You left me. You let me stand there, waiting for you, while you ran away."

"I thought it was the only way to protect you," Alexander said, his voice trembling. "But I was wrong. I see that now."

Andrian stepped between them, his posture rigid. "What are you doing here, Knight?"

"I came to help," Alexander said, his tone firm. "You can't keep running, Andrian. Not with her. They'll find her eventually, and then it'll be too late."

Emma's eyes darted between them, suspicion clawing at her chest. "What are you talking about?"

Alexander's gaze softened as it landed on her. "There's another way, Emma. A way to end this. But you have to come with me."

"No," Andrian growled, stepping closer to Alexander. "She's not going anywhere with you."

Alexander's lips curled into a faint, bitter smile. "You think she's safer with you? How long do you think you can keep this up before they catch you both?"

Emma's chest tightened as their words collided like blades, the tension suffocating. "Stop!" she shouted, her voice breaking. "Both of you!"

★★★

The two men fell silent, their eyes still locked in a silent battle.

And then, Alexander's voice dropped, cold and calm. "They'll kill her, Andrian. You know that."

Andrian's jaw tightened. "Not if I stop them first."

Alexander shook his head, his expression dark. "You can't stop them. But I can."

"What are you saying?" Emma asked, her voice trembling.

Alexander turned to her, his gaze filled with something she couldn't read. "Come with me, Emma. I can take you to them. I can make a deal to keep you safe."

Her blood ran cold. "A deal?"

"You won't have to run anymore," Alexander continued. "You'll be free. But only if you trust me."

"No," Andrian said, his voice sharp. "They won't let her go. They'll use her, manipulate her, and then—"

Alexander's voice rose. "And what's your plan, Andrian? Keep her locked in this endless chase until one of you dies?"

Emma's hands trembled as the weight of their words pressed down on her. "Stop," she whispered.

But they didn't stop.

"She's not a bargaining chip," Andrian growled.

"And you're not her savior," Alexander shot back.

Before Emma could speak, a faint buzzing caught her attention. She looked down at the phone Alexander had slipped into her hand—a single message flashing on the screen:

Come with us, or they both die.

Her breath hitched, and she looked up, her voice trembling. "What did you do?"

Alexander's face darkened, regret flickering in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Emma. I had no choice."