Betrayed by My Trash Husband, Surrender Myself to the Devil-Chapter 21: An Offer from the Devil

Ray POV

[Song Recommendation: Two Feet - I Feel Like I’m Drowning.]

As I finished my short explanation, Claudia’s face visibly paled to the point that I could see a hint of fear in her eyes.

Of course, she would be scared since I uttered my intention blatantly: I wanted to make her my pet rat—or to make it cruder—my lab rat.

To take care of my pet rat, I had to make a cage for her, making sure that she couldn’t escape my clutches. And by making her cage bigger, she would have the illusion of freedom. But really, she was already within my grasp the moment she signed that contract.

But would she actually sign it? Hah, that didn’t matter.

Even if she refused, I had hundreds of ways to make her fold.

"Y-you—h-how—w-what the hell are you talking about? A pet contract?! Are you out of your mind?!"

Claudia’s reaction was also within my expectations. I’ve been observing her for years and knew well that she had the tendency to be stubborn even when she was cornered.

But I never doubted her capability of making a logical decision as long as love wasn’t involved. She was smart. She just had to snap out of her stubbornness and believe that I was giving her the only chance to fight back against Miles and Clarissa.

"Naturally, I’m not going to give you a contract like this without benefits," I said as I took out my wallet and placed my gold card on the table, the very same card I used to access the money I had in Gatlin Gold private bank. "This card has no limit. You can go crazy with it if you wish."

"And you can go fuck yourself with your money!" Claudia snapped. "Besides, there’s no way a contract like that is legal in this country!"

I did not take offense at her cursing me. In fact, it was good that she came to hate me, so I could experiment on her body freely without that love nonsense we had a decade ago.

The more she hated me, the more her heart would toughen. If she began to cry, then it would be difficult for me to continue with my project, because I got this uncomfortable feeling in my heart whenever I saw her tears of anguish.

"I wouldn’t give you an illegal contract without consulting my team first, Claudia," I affirmed, then got up from my seat.

I walked toward her, and Claudia’s eyes were filled with horror as she instinctively took a step back for every step that I took.

"W-what are you going to do? Step back!" Claudia yelled, yet she didn’t stand her ground. She kept taking steps back until her back hit the wall.

"I will also give you all the necessary tools to save Aurora from your half-sister’s clutches, Claudia," I continued with the offers she couldn’t refuse. "Don’t you want your daughter to be safe? To have her protected here would be the most logical step."

I could see Claudia’s resolve begin to waver. I had been studying human facial expressions for years as a psychiatrist and knew very well what she was thinking right now: contemplation and doubt.

"T-that’s true, but... w-why should I sign that kind of crazy contract..." she muttered.

"Why? Because I want you to sign it," I continued. "I’ll also help you with the legal process, making sure that you can separate from my stepbrother and escape a guilty verdict."

"Remember this, Claudia. Everyone in this world is against you except me. I am here to help, and I will make sure you and Aurora are safe."

Yes, I was—and still am—the only one who actually cared for her. Not out of affection, but malevolent interest.

I continued pressing her until she was cornered, then leaned in to whisper in her ear, "You don’t have any choice, Claudia. Signing that contract is the only way to save yourself and your daughter. So what are you hesitating for? What is this nonsensical resistance you’re putting up in front of me?"

"I-I am resisting because you’re clearly not sane!" Claudia yelled as she tried to wriggle her way out to no avail, so she used her hands to push me away.

I grabbed her wrists with one hand and pressed them against the wall above her head.

I wrapped my other arm around her small waist and pulled her closer until only our clothes separated us, making sure that she couldn’t escape my grasp this time.

I lost my pet rat a decade ago, and I had to claim her back. This time with a much more luxurious cage that she couldn’t escape from.

Claudia’s body started trembling, which gave me satisfaction. I liked being in control, after all, so it was perfect to see that everything she did was within my expectations.

"W-what do you want from me, Ray?" Claudia asked weakly. "I-I d-doubt that you have a heart. Y-you don’t love me, do you?"

I couldn’t help to scoff. "I know that you are special, Claudia. You’re the only woman who dared to insult me and say that I don’t love you even after everything that I offered."

"But you are right," I admitted with a terrifying chill in my voice. "I do not love you, Claudia Reed."

"T-then why are you doing this to me? Is it payback for what I said back then?" she asked.

"Could be," I replied nonchalantly. "Anyway, my reason doesn’t matter. Don’t think too highly of yourself, Claudia, because I tend to get bored easily. So I’ll probably rip that contract up once you’re done with your case."

It seemed that last sentence was enough to convince her, because I could feel her resistance begin to weaken, and she seemed to be in deep contemplation for a while.

Then she looked up at me again, staring at me with her clear blue eyes—a sharp contrast to my dark green ones—and asked:

"What are you going to do with me once I sign that contract?"