Chapter 115 The Contract
The lawyers arrived three days later.
Dominic was still hospitalized, but he had finally been moved out of the intensive care unit and into a spacious, private recovery room.
A hint of natural color had returned to his sharp features, and though he remained weak and in considerable pain, he could sit up in bed now without the surrounding medical monitors screaming in protest.
Clara had been officially discharged two days earlier, but she had flatly refused to leave the building.
Instead, she had taken up permanent residence in the armchair pulled flush against the side of Dominic's bed - sleeping there through the quiet nights, eating her meals there during the day, and completely ignoring every gentle,
insistent suggestion from Celina that she go home to her own bed and rest.
She simply couldn't leave him. Not yet.
Not while the terrifying memory of how close she had come to losing him forever was still so fresh, so raw, and so utterly paralyzing.
The legal team arrived as a perfectly matched set - two men clad in immaculate, expensive tailored suits, carrying matching leather briefcases and digital tablets. Their expressions were masked in a shield of professional neutrality.
"Mr. Ashford, Ms. Quinn," the older gentleman said, stepping forward and extending a hand. "I'm Robert Pemberton, and this is my associate, David Chen. We understand you requested our presence to formally draft a marriage contract."
"That's correct," Dominic said from the bed. His voice was growing stronger with each passing day, though it was still rough and gravelly around the edges.
Pemberton settled into one of the visitor chairs while Chen claimed the other. Both men seamlessly retrieved their tablets and styluses.
"Before we begin," Pemberton stated, his tone gentle but unyieldingly firm, "I need to ensure that you both fully comprehend exactly what you are requesting. A marriage contract - what some classify as a postnuptial agreement,
though in this unique case it will be executed prior to the vows - is a strictly binding legal document. It will explicitly dictate the terms, conditions, and future expectations of your union."
"We understand completely," Clara replied, her voice steady.
"It is entirely unromantic," Pemberton pressed on, his eyes shifting between them.
"It is, at its core, a business arrangement. While it is not my place to question your personal motives, I am legally obligated to ensure that both parties are entering into this agreement of their own free will, entirely without coercion,
and with a total understanding of the long-term implications."
"We are," Dominic said. He reached across the mattress for Clara's hand. She met him halfway, their fingers intertwining with a practiced, automatic ease.
Pemberton offered a single nod. "Then let us begin. What are the primary objectives of this contract?"
Clara and Dominic exchanged a brief, knowing glance. They had spent the last forty-eight hours talking through these exact parameters, quietly working through the intricate details in the dark, stolen hours between nursing checks and rotating visitors.
"Protection," Clara answered cleanly. "Comprehensive legal, financial, and physical protection for both of us - and most importantly, for Dominic's daughter, Jasmine."
"There are still active threats out there," Dominic added, his jaw tightening.
"Warren Johnson's immediate attack failed, but what remains of Viktor Hale's syndicate hasn't been entirely dismantled. Samuel Reid is cooperating with the authorities from his cell, but there are other factions - people who might still target Clara to send a message,
or attempt to use Jasmine to get to me."
"And a legal marriage provides immediate, ironclad standing," Pemberton murmured, his stylus clicking against the glass screen as he took notes.
"Spousal privilege, immediate medical proxy authority, unified financial shielding. I understand perfectly."
He looked up, his sharp eyes pinning them.
"What is the intended duration of this union?"
"Two years," Clara said. "From the exact date of the ceremony."
"And at the conclusion of those two years?"
"We reassess," Dominic answered smoothly. "We will either mutually choose to renew and remain married, or we will formally dissolve the union. There will be no financial penalties, no litigation, and no hard feelings."
Pemberton's silver eyebrows rose a fraction. "That is highly irregular. The vast majority of marriage contracts do not come stamped with an explicit expiration date."
"The vast majority of marriages are not forged under a threat of violence," Clara countered.
"Fair enough," Pemberton conceded. "Let us move to the specifics. Custody and legal guardianship of the minor child, Jasmine Ashford, age seven. What are your stipulations?"
"Full joint custody," Dominic declared without a beat of hesitation.
"Clara will possess complete legal authority to make executive decisions regarding Jasmine's welfare, her education, and her medical care. In the event that something happens to me, Clara will automatically assume sole legal guardianship of my daughter."
"And should the worst happen to Ms. Quinn?" Pemberton asked, looking at Clara.
"Custody reverts solely to me," Dominic said. "However, I want it explicitly written into the contract that Clara's sister, Celina Quinn Mason, is officially designated as the secondary legal guardian if both Clara and I are concurrently incapacitated or deceased."
Pemberton’s stylus flew across the tablet. "Understood. Now, let us address the financial arrangements. Assets, corporate equity, personal income, real estate - how do you wish to structure these?"
This was the exact portion of the meeting Clara had been dreading.
Dominic wasn't merely comfortable; he was astronomically, generationally wealthy.
The Ashford Group alone was valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
His personal portfolio boasted luxury estates in London, Manhattan, and the south of France, alongside massive investment accounts, priceless art collections, and a fleet of vintage automobiles.
Clara, by stark contrast, possessed her standard salary from the Ashford Group and a modest, carefully guarded savings account. The sheer economic disparity between them was staggering.
"I don't want a single dime of his money," Clara intervened fiercely before Dominic could even open his mouth.
"I want that explicitly codified in the contract. I am not entitled to, nor will I ever claim, any of his pre-existing assets, his corporate income, or his personal property. If we dissolve this marriage at the two-year mark, I walk away with exactly what I brought into it. Nothing more."
"Clara - " Dominic began, his brow furrowing.
"No," Clara cut him off, her gaze unyielding. "I am not doing this for a payout, Dominic. I need you to know that. I need the legal record to reflect that."
Dominic stared at her for a long, silent moment, searching her face. Finally, a look of profound respect softened his eyes, and he turned back to his attorney.
"Draft it exactly as she wishes," Dominic instructed.
"But attach a mandatory rider. Clara will receive a substantial monthly stipend for personal expenditures - clothing, travel, anything she desires. Furthermore, she will hold unrestricted, full access to all household accounts for Jasmine's upbringing and the general management of our estates."
"Dominic, that is completely unnecessary - " Clara tried to protest.
"It is entirely non-negotiable," Dominic stated, his tone dropping into a commanding register that brooked absolutely no argument.
"You are placing yourself directly in the line of fire by wearing my ring, Clara. You are actively making yourself a target for my enemies. The absolute least I can do is ensure you are fully supported while doing so."
He turned back to Pemberton. "Additionally, I want a separate, irrevocable trust established in Clara's name entirely outside of this marriage contract. If I die or become permanently incapacitated, a lump-sum payout will be instantly released to her.
Enough to guarantee she is financially secure for the rest of her life."
"Dominic, please, no - "
"I said it’s non-negotiable, Clara," Dominic repeated softly, his eyes locking onto hers. "Allow me to protect you in the only way I can right now."
Clara opened her mouth to fight him, but the fierce, protective determination burning in his dark eyes silenced her. This mattered deeply to him. Making sure she was safe from the fallout of his world was his absolute priority.
"Fine," she murmured softly, conceding the point.
Pemberton logged the entry. "What about your immediate living arrangements?"
"Clara moves into the main estate with me," Dominic answered. "Her belongings, her personal items - everything. It is her home now, not just a place she is staying."
"And public relations?" Chen spoke up for the first time, his voice sharp and analytical. "How do you intend to manage the public and media perception of this sudden marriage?"
Clara and Dominic looked at one another.
"We present to the world as a completely legitimate, happily married couple," Clara stated firmly. "Public events, high-profile social functions, corporate business dinners - we attend every single one of them together. We will act the part perfectly in the public eye."
"And in private?" Chen inquired smoothly. "Within the walls of the estate?"
Clara felt a sudden, traitorous heat bloom along her neck and cheeks. They hadn't actually spoken about the intimate logistics of their living situation yet.
"Separate bedrooms," Dominic answered for them, his tone entirely respectful.
Clara felt an immediate, confusing cocktail of sharp relief and deep, heavy disappointment coil in her stomach.
"At least initially," Dominic continued smoothly.
"We are not going to mandate or force intimacy. If it happens naturally between us, it happens. But it will absolutely not be a legal requirement of this contract."