The Contract

PEARL'S P.O.V

"So, we plan to stand the arch right here and then the flowers all around..." Bethany's voice droned on as she gave a detailed rundown of everything that needed to be done before the end of the week.

The Maxwell wedding was only four days away, and their team had worked tirelessly to ensure every detail was perfect.

"So, what do you think?" Bethany's question snapped me out of my thoughts. Her expectant gaze made it clear she was waiting for approval.

"Good job, everyone did well," I said briskly, adjusting my shades to hide my face. "You all, keep it up."

With that, I turned on my heels and headed to the car, feeling their eyes on me. My unannounced arrival this morning had caught everyone off guard. I'd landed at 10 p.m. last night, but the thought of spending even a single second alone at the house was unbearable.

As I approached the car, I spotted Kourtney heading toward me. My chest tightened. I wasn't in the mood for any engagement, especially not from her. She'd likely already pieced together that something was off, though I hoped my oversized shades sent a clear message.

I stopped at the car and waited for her to catch up.

"Pearl, I was hoping to tag along on the ride. You're heading back to the office, right?"

"Yes, hop in," I said, sliding into the car without waiting for her reply.

Abel started the car, and I leaned against the window, grateful that Kourtney didn't bombard me with questions.

The ride was quiet, the cityscape passing by in a blur. I appreciated the silence more than words could express. My thoughts were chaotic, bouncing between the events of the past few days and the reality I was forced to confront.

Italy felt like a distant dream now, an illusion of freedom and something... more. I'd flown too close to the sun and gotten burned-so badly that the sting felt permanent.

His final words had shattered me, grounding me back in the cold, harsh truth. This wasn't a fairy tale. Nothing about it was real.

It was never meant to be real.

We had been playing house, and I had foolishly let myself believe in the possibility of something more.

When we reached the office, I headed straight to my private space, craving the solitude of my sanctuary. Once inside, I sank into the chair and removed my shades, tossing them on the desk. A long, shaky sigh escaped my lips as I pressed my fingers against my temples.

The door creaked open, and I glanced up to see Kourtney stepping inside. Her expression was soft, her lips turned down, and her brows furrowed in concern.

I stiffened, trying to keep my composure. But the weight of his words, the betrayal of my own vulnerability, pressed down on me.

I'd trusted him. I'd let my guard down, confiding in him things I'd buried for years. And he'd used it against me.

How could I have been so stupid?

A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it, and Kourtney was by my side in an instant. Her arms wrapped around me, and I collapsed into her embrace, the sobs wracking my body.

All the walls I'd built, all the strength I'd clung to, crumbled in her arms.

It was all a contract. Just a damn contract.

No one else knew. No one could know.

They wouldn't understand. They'd only judge me, and I couldn't bear that. They could never understand the weight of the lies, the charade, the emptiness it left behind.