Page 90 of Bid For Me
He chuckles softly, his hand brushing against mine. “I’m used to this circus. You’re the one who deserves the credit.”
I glance at him, my heart tightening at the sincerity in his expression. “Maybe we make a good team after all,” I say softly.
“Maybe we do,” he replies, his voice warm.
As we reach the door to our shared suite, Seb hesitates, his gaze searching mine. “You okay?”
I nod, though the weight of the evening still presses heavily on my shoulders. “I will be. Just...tired.”
He opens the door for me, and I step inside, already dreaming of sinking into the plush bed. But as I turn to thank him, I catch the look in his eyes – a mix of admiration, gratitude, and something deeper.
“Goodnight, Elle,” he says softly, his voice wrapping around me like a warm blanket. “In-keeping with the wedding tradition, I’ll sleep elsewhere tonight and see you at the altar.”
“Goodnight, Seb,” I reply, my heart fluttering as he closes the door behind him, leaving me alone on my last night as a Miss.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Elle
I waketo the soft light filtering through the curtains, the quiet hum of the mansion’s early morning sounds filling the air. Today is the day. The wedding. My stomach flips nervously, the weight of everything pressing down on me. It’s a day that should feel magical, but instead, it’s heavy with the tension of all the unspoken things – things I haven’t fully processed yet, things I don’t know how to face.
As I sit up, the soft rustle of the sheets seems too loud in the silence. The weight of the moment crashes down on me, and for a moment, I just sit there, frozen, my hands tightly gripping the edge of the bed.
There’s a sharp knock at the door, and before I can respond, it swings open.
Alexander walks in without waiting for permission, his presence filling the room. I blink in surprise, my breath catching in my throat, and quickly snatch the covers right up to my chin, even though I’m wearing pyjamas.
“Good morning, Elle,” he says smoothly, like this is just another normal day, like he hasn’t already done everything in his power to make my life feel like a carefully crafted performance.
I don’t respond immediately, my heart pounding. I force my expression to stay neutral, but every part of me is on high alert.
Without acknowledging my silence, Alexander steps forward and places a leather folder on the bed in front of me, his expression cold, almost pleased with himself.
“There’s one more thing to take care of before the wedding,” he says, his voice smooth as velvet but laced with a subtle threat I can’t quite place.
I frown, glancing at the folder, the unease in my stomach growing. “What now?” I manage to say, though my voice is shaky.
Alexander doesn’t answer directly. Instead, he pulls out the contract and opens it with a flick of his wrist, revealing the prenup. My eyes skim over the text, my heart dropping as the words sink in. The terms are worse than anything I could have imagined.
He’s added to the child clause – he’s not removing it. He’schangingit.
“You’ll remain married to Sebastian for a minimum of three years,” he says, his voice like ice. “In that time, you will produce at least two children – an heir and a spare.”
I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. I glance up at him, my confusion mounting. “What is this?”
Alexander doesn’t look at me as he continues, his voice calculating. “And if you decide to leave the marriage within five years, you forfeit all rights to any assets and will be stripped of all control, even over your own children. The family trust will take full control.”
I feel like the room is spinning, my heart racing as the words hit me like a physical blow. “This is...insane,” I whisper, my voicebarely above a breath. This is utter madness. No one in their right mind would sign this. Least of all me.
“I think you’ll find it’s quite reasonable,” he says, his gaze sharpening as he watches me. “This is about ensuring stability for the Sterling-Knight family. You’ve entered into this marriage willingly, and you will fulfill your part of the agreement.”
My stomach churns as I shake my head. “I love your son. I–I don’t need to sign this…Iwon’tsign this.”
Alexander’s eyes narrow slightly, and he steps closer, his tone lowering, the threat clear. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.”
He places the original prenup that I signed with Seb on the covers in front of me. I don’t need to read it to know what it says – it’s the same one Seb and I agreed on. The one that made me feel like a contract, like a commodity, rather than a person. The one that tied me to this family’s expectations.
“You signedthat, Elle,” he says, his voice cold, calculated. “You agreed to this marriage. And now, if you don’t sign this updated version of the prenup, I’ll be forced to tell the world everything.”