The next morning felt strangely quiet.
Ava woke up in Mihir's luxurious penthouse, but the memory of last night's chaos lingered in her mind.
She stood by the window, watching the snowy city below.
Her life had changed in just two days.
A contract marriage.
A mysterious enemy.
And a man she barely understood.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in," Ava said.
Mihir entered, already dressed in a sharp black suit. As always, he looked calm and perfectly composed.
"Good morning," he said.
Ava crossed her arms.
"Your life is insane, you know that?"
For a moment, Mihir looked amused.
"I warned you the contract wouldn't be simple."
Ava sighed.
"Maybe you should've warned me about people trying to kill you."
Mihir walked toward the table and placed a folder in front of her.
"The official rules of our contract marriage," he said.
Ava raised an eyebrow.
"Rules?"
Mihir nodded.
"Yes. If we're going to make this believable, we need to follow them."
Ava opened the folder.
Rule #1: They must appear as a loving couple in public.
Rule #2: Personal secrets remain private.
Rule #3: No emotional attachments.
Ava looked up slowly.
"No emotional attachments?" she repeated.
Mihir's expression remained unreadable.
"This is a contract, Ava. Not a love story."
For some reason, those words stung.
Ava closed the folder.
"Fine," she said calmly. "Then let's keep it professional."
But deep inside, something told her that rule might be impossible to follow.
Because every time she looked at Mihir…
Her heart felt strangely unsteady.
Just then, Mihir's phone buzzed again.
He checked the message.
His expression suddenly turned serious.
"What is it?" Ava asked.
Mihir looked at her quietly.
"It's about the man from last night."
Ava's pulse quickened.
"What about him?"
Mihir's voice was low.
"They found out who he works for."
Ava leaned forward.
"Who?"
Mihir paused.
Then he said a name that made the entire situation even more terrifying.
"My former business partner."
Ava's eyes widened.
"Your partner wants you dead?"
Mihir nodded slowly.
"And now that you're my wife…"
He looked directly into her eyes.
"You might be his next target."
Ava felt the room spin slightly.
The contract marriage had just become far more dangerous than she imagined.
End of Chapter 4