I sat in my office, the contract laid out in front of me, surrounded by my legal team. They all stared at it, eyes wide with disbelief.

“This is… better than we could have imagined,” one of the lawyers finally said, his voice filled with astonishment. “There’s no downside here. It’s as clear-cut as it gets.”

Another lawyer added, flipping through the pages. “Upon your marriage, you’ll receive 20% of Dane Media shares. That’s worth millions. And if there’s a divorce,” she paused, looking directly at me, “a billion-dollar settlement.”

The words struck me like a blow. A billion dollars? I blinked, trying to wrap my head around it. I had anticipated something favorable for Carter, but this... this was beyond belief. No one would turn down an offer like this. It felt almost too good to be true.

My lawyers exchanged looks, clearly taken aback. “You should sign it right away,” one of them urged, pushing the pen toward me.

I stared at the document, my hand hovering over the pen. The room felt like it was closing in, my attention solely on the contract before me. This was real. My life was about to change in a way I had never expected.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up the pen. I hesitated for a moment, my mind racing with countless thoughts, but none were strong enough to stop me. Slowly, I signed my name next to Carter’s.

As the ink dried on the page, an odd sense of calm washed over me. There was no going back now. My life was no longer on the path I had envisioned, but something entirely different—something shaped by a man whose power I could hardly comprehend.