Chapter 9 - What He Signed
James hadn't slept.
He had stayed at the kitchen table long after Athena went upstairs, staring at the dark screen of his phone while the clock ticked too loudly in the silence.
Every second felt like a countdown.
He hadn't turned on the lights.
The house felt safer in the dark.
Quieter.
Like maybe if he didn't move, didn't breathe too loudly, none of this would be real.
His phone buzzed against the table.
He flinched like it had burned him.
Slowly, he flipped it over.
Unknown Number:
One day.
His throat went dry.
He rubbed his hands over his face, exhaling shakily.
He had told himself this wouldn't happen.
That he would win the money back.
That he could fix it before anyone got hurt.
That he was smarter than this.
But the number in that folder...
There was no fixing it.
And Seraphine had made it very clear.
Money... or your wife.
A knock sounded at the front door.
James froze.
His heart stopped.
No one ever came here.
No one.
Slowly, he stood and walked to the door like he was walking toward his own execution.
When he opened it, Seraphine stood on the porch as if she had every right to be there.
Perfect. Composed. Terrifying.
He stepped outside immediately and shut the door behind him.
"You can't just come here," he hissed.
She smiled faintly. "You sound nervous."
"I told you I'd handle it."
She looked past him toward the house.
"Is she inside?"
His jaw tightened. "Yes."
Seraphine stepped closer.
"You have until tomorrow night."
"I know."
"Do you?" she asked softly.
Her eyes flicked toward the upstairs windows.
"She trusts you, doesn't she?"
The words struck him like a slap.
He looked away.
Seraphine circled him slowly.
"You signed the contract willingly. Mage blood sealed it. There is no breaking it now."
"I didn't know what it meant," he muttered.
She tilted her head. "That doesn't change what it means."
His chest heaved.
"Why her?" he demanded. "Why does the King want her?"
Seraphine's smile deepened.
"You still don't understand how valuable your wife is."
A chill ran down his spine.
"What does that mean?"
She leaned in closer, voice lowering.
"It means you were never meant to keep her."
Before he could respond, she stepped back.
"Tomorrow night," she reminded him.
And then she walked away into the darkness like she had never been there at all.
?
Inside the house, Athena stood halfway down the stairs.
Her heart was racing.
She had heard voices.
James never raised his voice.
But something in his tone had sounded different.
Scared.
She stepped down quietly just as he walked back inside.
He froze when he saw her.
"How long have you been there?"
"I just came down," she said softly. "Who was that?"
He hesitated.
Too long.
"Wrong address," he said quickly.
She nodded.
Because she always did.
But something in her chest twisted.
Because for the first time in two years...
She didn't believe him.