Chapter 10

Elena’s POV Alone in the room, I sat on the bed with the file still in my hands. My eyes moved over the numbers and the terms, again and again. I closed the file and let out a slow breath. Accepting this meant staying close to Eric. Refusing meant returning to uncertainty. Neither choice felt easy. I stood and walked to the window, letting the silence settle my thoughts. I didn’t want pity. I didn’t want to owe anyone my body or my dignity. I should have learned from my time with Mark, never to sell my soul to the devil in exchange for comfort. Yet there was something about Eric’s honesty, about the way he laid bare his truth, that tugged quietly at my conscience. I went back to the bed, sat and opened the contract once more. There was one thing I needed to protect. I picked up the pen and wrote a clear condition at the bottom of the page. ‘No sexual relationship.’ Simple and final. If he agreed, I would sign. If he didn’t, I would walk away. With my decision made, I closed the file, r