Chapter 4 Clash of the Titans

Claire's POV

I sat curled on the sleek leather couch in the penthouse living room with my copy of the contract papers trembling slightly in my hands as I read them over again, even though I’d read them a hundred times.

I needed to remind myself exactly why I was here and what was expected from me.

The words between the lines felt heavier today. Colder.

The silence was shattered by the sharp click of heels on marble. I looked up, expecting Peter or one of the staff.

But it wasn’t.

A tall, stunning woman with glossy black hair in a high ponytail and a tight black sheath dress that hugged every curve stood in the doorway like she owned the place.

Her red lips curled into a venomous smile as her eyes raked over me with pure contempt.

“Who the hell are you?” I demanded, standing up.

“Vanessa Cole,” she said smoothly, stepping closer. “Ethan’s former fiancée. And you must be the hired womb.”

My spine stiffened. “Is there a problem?”

She laughed coldly and moved further into the room, her heels clicking like gunshots. “You’re getting way too comfortable here, sweetheart. This isn’t your home. You’re just a temporary employee with a very specific job, spread your legs, get knocked up, and disappear.”

Anger flared hot in my chest. “You don’t know me. Back off.”

Vanessa stepped right into my space, her face inches from mine. “I know exactly what you are. A gold-digging slut who signed a contract to carry Ethan’s baby for money. Don’t start thinking you’re special.”

Before I could respond, she shoved me hard.

I stumbled backwards and crashed onto the cold marble floor, pain shooting through my hip and elbow. The impact knocked the breath out of me.

“Pathetic,” she sneered, towering over me.

I scrambled to my feet, fury boiling over. “You fucking bitch—”

“What the hell is going on here?” Ethan’s deep voice cut through the room like a whip.

He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his powerful chest, his expression unreadable. His sharp eyes flicked between us, lingering on me a second longer.

Vanessa instantly flipped into polished mode. “She was being difficult. I was just delivering a message and things got out of hand.”

“That’s a lie!” I snapped. “She shoved me, Ethan. She put her hands on me.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened, but his face remained cold as ice. He stared at me for a long moment, then turned to Vanessa.

“Leave us.”

Vanessa gave me one last poisonous look. “Just reminding her of her place,” she said sweetly before strutting out, heels echoing behind her.

The door slammed behind her. The silence that followed was suffocating.

I stood there, fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms. “She attacked me and you’re just going to let her walk away?”

Ethan’s voice was flat and merciless. “This is business, Claire. You’re here to carry my child. That’s it. Don’t complicate things by taking anything personally.”

His words hit like a slap. I laughed bitterly, pain and rage twisting inside me. “You don’t even see me as a person, do you? Just a walking incubator.”

He didn’t answer. The silence was answer enough.

Ethan's POV

I watched Claire’s face crumble for a split second before she locked it down. Something twisted in my chest, something I immediately crushed down.

This was supposed to be simple. Contract. Heir. Done.

Vanessa had been my fake fiancée for PR, and she still liked to insert herself into my life. I should have shut her down harder, but I wasn’t about to show weakness in front of Claire.

“You’re making this harder than it needs to be,” I said coldly.

Claire stepped closer, fire blazing in her eyes. “She put her hands on me, and you’re defending her? Fuck you, Ethan.”

Her defiance sent a dark pulse of heat straight to my cock. Even angry, flushed and breathing hard, she was stunning.

I wanted to grab her, pin her against the wall, and fuck that fire right out of her till she was moaning my name instead of cursing it.

But I kept my mask on. “Focus on why you’re here. The money. Your father. Nothing else matters.”

I turned and walked out before I did something stupid — like touch her.

Claire's POV

Later that night, I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, replaying every humiliating second.

Vanessa’s shove. Ethan’s cold dismissal. The way he looked at me like I was nothing.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wasn’t going to break.

Not for Vanessa. Not for Ethan Blackwood.

If this was a game, I would learn to play it better than any of them. I would carry his child, take the money, and walk away with my head high.

But deep down, a dangerous thought whispered:

What if they all don't go away after you walk? What if the contract had clauses you didn't see?

I gulped hard…