~Reynold’s POV~
Clause One: I was strictly forbidden from developing romantic feelings for Frederick. At the same time, I was not allowed to pursue or fall in love with anyone else outside the contract.
Clause Two: Total exclusivity. I was not allowed to engage in any form of intimacy with another person for the entire duration of the five years.
Clause Three: Complete and utter submission. I was required to yield entirely to Frederick’s authority and obey his commands whenever he demanded it, regardless of where we were or who might be around. Refusing him was heavily restricted; I was not allowed to turn him down without a valid, approved reason. The penalty for an unjustified refusal sent a shiver down my spine: Failure to comply without valid cause would result in disciplinary action involving a continuous session spanning seven distinct sexual positions.
My heart began to race. The rules were far stricter than I had expected. And this was only the third clause.
My hands trembled slightly as the reality of what I was reading sank in. I slowly lifted my head, my eyes wide as I stared across the bed at him.
"Frederick..." I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "What if I just... genuinely don’t feel like having sex on a given day? Will I actually be punished like that?"
Frederick didn’t blink. He shifted slightly against the headboard, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that made it difficult to breathe.
"The rule is there for a reason, Reynold," he said, his voice low, steady, and completely serious. "I don’t expect you to want it every time. But compliance is part of the agreement. If you say no without a legitimate, acceptable reason, the clause stands. I don’t put rules in my contracts that I don’t intend to enforce."
I stared at him, my heart racing. The sheer weight of the condition pressed down on my chest, a stark reminder that even though he was taking care of me, protecting me, and offering me a home, this was still a binding transaction of power and surrender.
I continued reading the contract, my brows drawing closer together with every clause.
Clause Four: Absolute Transparency. I was required to be completely honest with Frederick. I had to tell him everything and was not allowed to keep secrets from him or lie to him about anything. I was also expected to answer his calls and messages promptly.
I flipped to the next page and read Clause Five:
Clause Five: Holidays and Weekends. I was required to spend every holiday with Frederick, including accompanying him on business trips whenever he traveled. Every Friday after my classes ended for the week, his driver would be waiting at the university gates to take me back to his estate. I would be driven back to the university early Monday morning. Any refusal to spend the weekend at the estate must be supported by a valid reason approved by Frederick.
Clause Six: I was not allowed to tell anyone about whatever existed between Frederick and me. If we were together in public and anyone asked questions, I was not allowed to answer. Frederick would do the talking if necessary. Until he was ready to make things public, I was forbidden from saying anything to anyone. Breaking this rule would result in punishment.
Clause Seven: I was allowed to ask Frederick for anything I wanted during the five-year term. Everything he gave or earned for me under the contract would remain mine even after the contract ended.
There were still more pages.
But I couldn’t bring myself to keep reading. Every new rule made my chest tighter, and I was beginning to worry that if I saw too many conditions, I would become too frightened to sign the contract at all.
I slowly closed the folder and looked up at him. "It’s all fine. I’ve read enough."
Frederick watched me, his expression unreadable. "If you don’t want to sign it, Reynold, you can still walk away—"
"I’ll sign it," I quickly interrupted before my courage failed me. "But... I have a few questions first."
Frederick leaned back against the headboard, crossing his arms. "Go ahead."
"Do the rules you wrote down apply to you too?" I asked. "Are you going to follow them?"
Frederick raised an eyebrow. "Which rules?"
"Mostly rules one and two," I said, my heart racing. "No falling in love with anyone else and absolute exclusivity. No intimacy with anyone outside of this."
Frederick stared at me for a long moment before letting out a dry, incredulous chuckle. "Why would I need to follow those? I wrote the rules for you, Reynold, not for me."
His words immediately irritated me.
"Why can’t you follow them?" I shot back, my voice rising. "You’ve written all these rules as if you’re trying to lock me in a cage and turn me into your slave under this contract. You expect me to follow every rule you give me, stay loyal to you, and never be with anyone else, while you’re free to do whatever you want. What if you’re sleeping with someone else while I’m here following all your rules?"
Frederick’s jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with warning. "That’s none of your business, Reynold. If you don’t like the terms, then don’t sign it."
"Fine!" I snapped, the frustration of the past few weeks finally boiling over. "I’ll sign it, but you have to follow rules one and two too. That’s a must for you!"
"Fine!" I snapped, my frustration finally getting the better of me. "I’ll sign it, but rules one and two have to apply to you too. You have to follow them as well. That’s non-negotiable."
"You don’t get to tell me what to do," Frederick said, his voice turning cold.
"It’s a contract, Frederick!" I argued, tears of anger stinging my eyes. "If I’m agreeing to all these rules, then I’m allowed to have rules for you too!"
"You do not dictate terms to me," he growled, leaning forward.
"So you’re just going to do whatever you want while I’m expected to obey every rule you’ve written for me? Is that it?" I demanded, my voice trembling. "You have more than fifteen rules here, Frederick, and you can’t even follow two simple ones about loyalty and exclusivity? Just because you have the money to control me, you think you can make all the rules while you do whatever you want?"
"I never said I wouldn’t be honest with you," Frederick said softly.
"Forget it. There’s no point!" I choked out, a bitter laugh escaping me. "I’m poor, so I guess I don’t have the right to ask for anything from you. I understand."
I pushed the folder away, dropping it onto the mattress before scrambling toward the edge of the bed.
Before my feet could touch the floor, strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind and pulled me back against his chest.
"Let me go!" I struggled angrily, trying to pull his arms away. "Leave me alone!"
Frederick didn’t budge. His grip remained firm as he rested his face against my shoulder.
"Are you seriously angry over this?"
"I want to use the bathroom," I lied.
Frederick let out a long sigh. "Fine. I’ll follow the two rules. I’ll agree to exclusivity if that’s what it takes to stop you from looking at me like you want to murder me."
I froze in his arms, surprised that he had actually agreed.
Frederick was quiet for a moment before asking, "But what if I break those rules one day?"
I turned my head to look back at him. "What do you mean?"
"You heard me," he said calmly. "What happens if I break either rule?"
I didn’t hesitate. "Then we end the contract."
Frederick stared at me. "What?" he asked, as if he hadn’t expected that answer.
"If you break either of those rules, the contract is over," I said firmly.