The Contract

Amy's POV

I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, the wound on my forehead blurring my vision until Andrew's hand pressed against my forehead, his handkerchief gently pressing on the wound. The slight pain made me open my eyes, and in a daze, I seemed to see Andrew's eyes turn golden, but when I blinked again, they had already turned silver-gray.

Perhaps it was my hallucination. How could a normal person have golden eyes?

Andrew grabbed my arm and helped me up, sitting me down on a nearby sofa. When I passed Catherine, I saw her trembling body. Perhaps she was also frightened. I looked at the shattered door that had been beaten down, thinking to myself that anyone would be afraid of the strength that could push down a door with one palm.

However, I didn't know if it was from using too much force or being too emotional, but Andrew's hand supporting me was really too hot, making me instinctively want to pull away. He seemed to sense my avoidance and pushed away after confirming I was seated.

I looked at his back and felt a long-lost sense of security. This was the first time in three months that someone stood in front of me and stood up for me when I encountered trouble.

Catherine glanced at me, seeming very shocked that I could have any connection with Andrew, the CEO of Skin Group.

"I wonder why Mr. Skin would come here? Skin Group couldn't possibly have business with a company about to go bankrupt." Catherine's gaze kept looking toward me, but Andrew slightly stepped to the side, blocking our eye contact.

"My schedule is not something I need to report to you." My focused gaze was interrupted by Andrew's sudden turn of his head, and I could only quickly look away. In my peripheral vision, I seemed to see the corner of his mouth lift. I didn't know what there was to be happy about.

"However, Miss Catherine, even if Miss Vincent is about to undergo bankruptcy liquidation, she should not be subjected to violence." A warm current flowed into my heart, and the pain from the wound on my head was slightly soothed by these words.

"Mr. Skin, I only had some disputes with Miss Vincent, and I didn't—"

"Miss Catherine, I thought my standing here was enough to make you see where I stand, yet you're still trying to change my mind. How foolish."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud, and Catherine also heard my laughter. Her voice became very angry, as if I had subjected her to inhumane humiliation, but this anger was directed at Andrew. "Andrew, what right do you have to interfere in our affairs?"

"You have no right to question that. In any case, if I can appear here, I can certainly make you leave." Andrew's voice sounded very certain, and a phone ringtone came from the other side. I looked toward Catherine as she answered the call. The distance was too far for me to hear anything. Catherine only used a very short time before hanging up. She glared at me fiercely, then turned and left.

I was very curious about how Andrew had gotten Catherine to leave voluntarily. But he seemed to have no intention of explaining, only finding the medical kit from the cabinet in my office. I didn't know how he found it.

Watching him crouch in front of me with the medical kit, I reached out to take the box, but he pressed my hand down. The temperature of his hand was also very hot, making me feel like my hand was being burned. Because Andrew was helping me disinfect and bandage, he was very close to me. His shirt had two buttons undone, and his Adam's apple moved slightly. The hormones emanating from his body kept invading my will, so I could only change the subject to divert my attention.

"Thank you, Mr. Skin. So did you come over because you received the email I submitted about the investment opportunity?"

"Yes." He threw the cotton swab and gauze into the trash can and walked toward the leather chair Catherine Rivers had sat in, sitting down with a casual and confident posture, as if he owned the building. Perhaps he did. As far as I knew, Andrew Skin might own half of Silverton City. "However, I must say, your luck is very good. If I hadn't seen that email, or if I had arrived five minutes late..."

He didn't finish, but we both knew what would have happened next. Five minutes late, and I would have been unconscious on this floor, or worse. The thought made my stomach twist, bile rising in my throat, as if I had fallen back into the pain of Catherine grabbing my hair and slamming me into the wall.

My shoulders also slumped powerlessly, my hands trembling slightly. "If possible, I want this nightmarish day to completely disappear."

"I can make that happen." Andrew leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, those silver-gray eyes locking onto mine with an uncomfortably intense focus. "I can make all of this disappear, Amy. The debts, the creditors. Everything that causes you pain. You'll never have to see Catherine Rivers again. Never have to worry about losing your company or anything else."

These words were very tempting, which also meant they weren't real. Nothing in this world comes without a price, and someone like Andrew Skin wouldn't throw millions of dollars at a failing business out of kindness.

"What's the price?" I forced myself to meet his gaze, even though something deep inside me strongly urged me to look away. "What do you want in return?"

"Smart girl." His smile carried approval, almost pride, and I hated how it made warmth surge in my chest—it would make me lose my keen sense of danger. "I want you to sign a contract with me. A very special contract."

"A business contract?"

"Not exactly." He reached into his jacket—the one he had somehow retrieved and put back on—and pulled out a thin folder. Black leather, expensive, with silver clasps gleaming under the fluorescent lights. He placed it on the desk between us, his fingers lingering on it as if reluctant to let go. "This is a private contract. It requires your absolute trust and absolute commitment."

My pulse quickened again, the warning voice in my head growing louder. "I don't understand. What kind of private contract?"

"The kind that solves all your problems." He pushed the folder toward me, his hand pausing for a moment before withdrawing. "Open it. Read it. Then decide if you're brave enough to say yes."

I stared at the folder as if it might bite me. Everything about this felt wrong—the timing, the offer, the way Andrew looked at me with those too-sharp eyes, as if he could see through my skin to the rotting desperation beneath. But what choice did I have? Catherine Rivers would return with lawyers and court orders. The creditors would take everything, and I would be left with nothing but debt, failure, and the pain of knowing I had let the family legacy disappear under my management.

I opened the folder.

The first page was heavy cream-colored paper, expensive stock, with text printed in an elegant font that looked more like a wedding invitation than a legal document. But as I began to read, my brain stalled, unable to process what I was seeing.

This was a BDSM power exchange contract.