Signed To Be His Wife - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

The silence in the mansion felt heavier than usual.
Amara sat alone on the wide balcony, a cup of untouched tea in her hands. The view of the city lights sparkled below, but her mind was far from the beauty around her. She hadn’t seen Dominic since that awkward breakfast. He had disappeared into meetings, phone calls, and closed doors — just like always.
She sighed and looked at the contract she had secretly photocopied the night before. One clause stood out in her mind:
> "No investigation into past family or romantic affairs."
Why was that part so specific?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock. Mia, the quiet maid, stepped out.
“Madam… there’s someone at the gate asking for you,” she said, looking nervous.
Amara frowned. “Who?”
“He said his name is Roland. He claims to be your cousin.”
Amara’s heart dropped. Roland? Her cousin from home? What was he doing here?
“Let him in,” she said quickly and hurried to the front door.
Moments later, Roland walked in, looking dusty and confused but full of concern.
“Amara,” he said, pulling her into a hug, “you didn’t return my calls. I had to find you.”
Amara was shocked. “You came all the way to Lagos? What happened?”
Roland looked around. “Is it true? Are you married? Why didn’t you tell us?”
She lowered her eyes. “It’s complicated, Roland. Let’s talk upstairs.”
Once in her room, Roland asked the one question she had been avoiding.
“Did you marry for money?”
Amara sighed. “I signed a contract. A legal agreement. It’s… not a real marriage.”
Roland looked disappointed, but he didn’t judge her. Instead, he asked, “Do you trust this man?”
Her silence answered him.
“I’m not here to shame you, Amara,” Roland said gently. “But I saw something strange.”
Her heart skipped. “What do you mean?”
“I saw a man taking pictures of you when I arrived. Across the street. He ran away when I noticed.”
“Someone’s following me?” she whispered, alarmed.
Roland nodded. “You need to be careful.”
Just then, the door swung open. Dominic stood there, tall and cold-eyed.
“What is this?” he asked, eyeing Roland suspiciously.
Amara stood up. “This is my cousin, Roland. He just arrived.”
Dominic’s expression remained unreadable. “Visitors must be approved. Especially unannounced ones.”
“Excuse me?” Roland said, standing. “I’m her family.”
Dominic turned to Amara. “You should have told me. We don’t allow strangers in this house without security clearance.”
“I didn’t know he was coming!” Amara snapped. “Don’t talk like I’m one of your employees!”
The tension in the room thickened. Roland stepped in.
“I can see I’m not welcome. I’ll leave tonight.”
“No,” Amara said. “You’ll stay the night and leave tomorrow. It’s not safe to travel now.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened, but he left without another word.
That night, as Amara walked Roland to the guest room, he whispered, “Be careful. There’s something cold about him. And something about this house doesn’t feel right.”
She nodded. She had started to feel it too.
—
The next morning, Roland left early.
Amara stood at the gate, waving, when a sleek black car rolled up. It was Dominic’s driver.
“Mr. Hart wants you at the office today,” the man said.
Amara didn’t argue. She got in.
Thirty minutes later, she walked into the glass tower of Hart Enterprises. The receptionist looked up.
“Mrs. Hart,” she said, her voice polite but stiff. “Take the private elevator.”
The moment she stepped into Dominic’s office, she knew something was off.
He didn’t look at her. He stood by the window, tense.
“Sit.”
She sat slowly, confused.
“I got a call last night,” he said flatly. “Someone is leaking photos of us to the media.”
Amara’s heart pounded. “What?”
“There’s a photo of you hugging your cousin at the gate. And a blog is about to publish a story claiming you’re cheating.”
She gasped. “But that’s ridiculous! Roland is my cousin!”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Perception is everything. You need to be more careful.”
Anger rose in her. “Don’t blame me for this! You never told me people were watching us!”
Dominic turned sharply. “I told you this marriage comes with rules. You broke one.”
Tears stung her eyes. “I did nothing wrong.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m doing damage control. But there’s something else.”
She looked at him, waiting.
“The security cameras picked up someone lurking around the back fence. Same man from last time.”
She froze. “You mean the man from when I moved in?”
He nodded. “I think someone is targeting you. Or us.”
Her heart thudded. “Do you think… it has anything to do with Elena?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
“I don’t know,” he said quietly. “But it’s possible.”
There it was again. That name.
She leaned forward. “Dominic… who was she really? What happened to her?”
His eyes darkened. “You don’t want to know.”
“Yes,” she said. “I do.”
He looked at her then, for a long time.
“Elena was my first love. She died in an accident six months before our wedding. Or so they said.”
She swallowed hard.
“I never believed it was an accident,” he continued. “She was investigating someone… someone inside my company. Then one night, she drove off and never came back.”
Amara whispered, “Do you think she was killed?”
“I think,” Dominic said slowly, “that I was too blind to see what was right in front of me. And now… someone doesn’t want that truth to come out.”
A chill ran down Amara’s spine.
“Then I want to help you,” she said softly.
Dominic looked at her — really looked at her — for the first time.
“You’re not here to help,” he said. “You’re here to survive. Just stay safe.”
But Amara had already made up her mind.
She wasn’t just going to survive this contract.
She was going to uncover every secret this marriage had buried — even if it meant breaking every rule he gave her.