Betrayed by My Trash Husband, Surrender Myself to the Devil-Chapter 23: A Deal with the Devil

Claudia POV

"And based on my observation just now, your body doesn’t seem to reject me," Ray assessed calmly. "This means you’ve agreed to let me do anything I want later on."

...

I didn’t know what just happened, really. That kiss was shocking at first, like thunder suddenly striking me from above. Then it turned into a surge of electricity running under my skin.

I only resisted at first because nobody had ever kissed me like that except for Miles. Even when we dated back then, Ray and I never did anything intimate. We didn’t even hold hands because he didn’t like to touch me.

So what made him suddenly kiss me?

Nonetheless, I couldn’t help admitting that kiss was full of passion and longing—the same passion that had long been lost between Miles and I.

My mind might have been rejecting him, but my body couldn’t lie. I began to enjoy the kiss, and in the end, I gave in to the urge to reciprocate it.

I must be crazy.

That was the first thing that came into my mind once our lips separated. How could I enjoy a kiss from a devil who didn’t even know how to love properly?

I stared at him as a strange feeling welled up in my heart. I feared him as much as I respected his intelligence—but would an intelligent man do something as crazy as this?

Truly, I had no idea what was on Ray’s mind.

Fortunately, he didn’t linger on me any longer. He finally let go of me and turned around. He walked back to the table and said, "Come here and sign this. It’s a legal contract bound by law, though it requires some legal loopholes to make it legitimate."

Of course, I didn’t doubt his words. With his influence and the vast wealth behind his family’s private investment bank, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to pull some strings.

I walked toward him and stood about one foot away. I picked up the document and gave it a quick read.

But the legal document was so thick that it was impossible to read through all of it in one night.

"Most of it is just my lawyers trying to find the legal loopholes to make the contract happen. No need to read everything," he said nonchalantly as he took out a gold pen from his pocket and handed it to me. "I don’t have time to let you read everything, Claudia. Just sign it and I’ll help you."

...

I stared at the gold pen, then at him. The devious gaze behind those glasses made me shudder, but at the same time, I knew I could trust that he would follow whatever was stated in this contract.

One thing about Ray had always been constant and certain: He never lied about anything that didn’t involve human emotion. Just like when we dated back then, the only thing he lied about was when he said that he "loved" me.

In the end, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, recalling my daughter, who was still bedridden and trapped inside the hospital ward with Clarissa.

That unstable woman might do something crazy to kill Aurora. So I had to get her out as soon as possible.

I finally gained clarity as I opened my eyes and signed the contract with unwavering resolve. There was a surge of courage from the depths of my heart as I reminded myself that I would do absolutely anything to save Aurora—even if that meant selling my body and soul to the devil.

Once I finished signing, Ray snatched the paper from me before I could read it again. He looked at the signature and grinned as he slowly lifted his gaze toward me.

"You’ve made the right choice, Claudia."

I fidgeted nervously, knowing that I had NOT made the right choice. I was cornered and had made a desperate attempt to save my daughter.

"S-so, what should we do to bring Aurora here?" I asked immediately, since that was my utmost priority. "She’s with Clarissa right now. I-I don’t know if she’ll do anything heinous to her."

"We can’t bring her here. She’s in a coma and requires extensive care from the medical staff," Ray replied. "But I can help make sure your half-sister won’t do anything to her."

"Please do that!" I blurted, desperately clinging to any hope for my daughter. "Aurora—she... she is the only family I have now. I can’t lose her!"

I was trying my best not to show weakness in front of Ray. But the thought of my daughter’s condition made me feel sick to my stomach. I was so worried that I might have a heart attack if something actually happened to her.

Ray assessed my condition just like he did with all of his patients, then said, "Fine. But it’s not free, in exchange for a difficult job, you’ll have to do something difficult for me."

"W-what is it?" I asked.

"Stay in this penthouse—"

I was about to agree to that seemingly easy requirement, until he added:

"—without ever stepping out."

My heart sank when I heard the last sentence.

"W-what do you mean?"

"The meaning is clear, Claudia." Ray paused for a second and pointed at the kitchen. "You’ll cook for me every morning and night. I don’t have any food restriction, so you can make anything."

Then he pointed at the door next to his office. "That’s your bedroom. Your luggage is already inside."

Lastly, he pointed at the front door. "There are CCTVs at every angle around the door. If you dare to leave without my permission, I’ll make sure you pay the price."

The more I listened, the more absurd it felt. For a second, I had thought he would actually be a good man for once and help me.

But of course, I couldn’t trust that a devil would be so kind without demanding compensation.

"Why are you doing this, Ray?" I asked weakly, trying to find some logic in it.

"Why? What do you mean why?" Ray’s grin widened until he was smiling from ear to ear. "You just signed a pet contract. Naturally, this will be your cage."