Contracted To The Beast novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Have you sent the address yet?”

I hit send and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. Rain hammered the roof of the Rover like it was trying to break in. The underground garage felt too damn quiet after the shitshow in Hale’s office. My taped shoulder still burned, but that wasn’t what had my pulse kicking.

Her reply came fast.

Send it.

Short. Cold. Typical Nia Page.

I typed the building address and hit send, then leaned back, staring at the concrete ceiling. Nearly six years. Six fucking years since that night in high school, and the moment she walked into the physio suite with her ponytail and those steady hands, everything slammed back.

She looked good. Too good. Athletic build that said she actually worked for it, subtle curves filling out the Vipers polo, long wavy chestnut hair fighting to escape the band, warm hazel eyes that still sparked with fire. Natural glow. No fake shit. Just strong, beautiful, and clearly done with my bullshit.

And she still hated me. I could feel it.

Her car pulled in behind mine. I climbed out, rain soaking my shirt in seconds. She stepped out slowly, duffel slung over her shoulder, phone already glued to her hand like armor.

“You came,” I said, voice low over the rain.

“Didn’t have much choice after signing that damn contract.” She locked her car and adjusted the strap. “Let’s handle the logistics tonight. I need to get home after.”

I grabbed her duffel before she could stop me, ignoring the twinge in my shoulder. “My place is on twenty. Yours is two floors down. Team’s paying for both. Come on.”

We rode the elevator in silence. Her citrus scent mixed with rain and tape, filling the small space. I kept my eyes on the numbers, but I caught her glancing at her phone every few seconds, thumbs flying across the screen. Typing. Pausing. Typing again. A little frown creased her brow-careful, like she was explaining something important without giving too much away.

Curious as hell, but I didn’t ask. Not my business. Not yet.

The elevator dinged on my floor. I unlocked the penthouse and flipped on the lights. Rain streaked the floor-to-ceiling windows, city lights blurring beyond.

Nia stepped inside, still typing. She sent one last message, silenced the phone, and set it face-down on the kitchen island.

“My mom knows I’m pulling a late night for the new job,” she said, voice steady but a little tight. “Told her I’m coordinating with the captain on some physio stuff. She gets it, clinic hours are crazy too. Also Just texting the nanny quickly. Making sure Zara’s settled for the night.”

I slid a bottle of water across the island to her. “Kid at home?”

She took the water but didn’t open it. She went a little stiff before continuing, voice steady but careful. “Yeah… Four and a half… Nanny’s handling bedtime.”

Wait… what?

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Chapter 3

Four and a half.

Nia didn’t look away. Didn’t flinch. Just stood there like it was normal. Like it wasn’t the kind of detail people usually led with.

“Didn’t think you had time for that,” I said, voice quieter now.

One shoulder lifted. “I make time.”

My brows pulled together slightly. “That wasn’t something you just dropped into conversation, especially not when you wer about to fake-date an NHL captain for six months.”

“Hale know about that?” I asked.

Her eyes snapped to mine. “No.”

A beat.

“And he doesn’t need to.”

Something in her tone made it clear-conversation over.

Which meant someone had been in her life long enough to matter.

And for some reason… I didn’t like that.

Yeah.

This arrangement just got messier than Hale thought.

I nodded, not pushing. Part of me wanted to ask more, who the hell she was texting so carefully, what her life looked like now but I bit it back. I didn’t go deep. Not with her. Not when six months of fake smiles stretched ahead like a penalty box I couldn’t escape.

Instead I leaned on the counter, watching her. “You married? Boyfriend waiting at home who’s gonna lose his shit when he sees you on every screen holding hands with the popular hockey captain?”

Her hazel eyes flicked up, sharp. “No husband. No boyfriend. And even if there was, he’d have to deal with it. This is a job. Your fans can get as wild as they want, I’m not here to play house for real.”

I smirked, but it felt forced. “Good. Because the second the announcement drops tomorrow after the game, my phone’s gonna blow up. Fans love drama. They’ll ship it hard or tear it apart. Hale’s probably already briefing my old man about the whole image fix. He loves controlling narratives.”

Nia crossed her arms, leaning against the island. The ponytail had loosened a bit from the rain, a few wavy strands framing her face. She looked tired but steady, strong shoulders, subtle curves under the polo, that natural glow that didn’t need makeup. Beautiful in a way that made the old high-school memories feel sharper.

My phone buzzed on the counter. Bella’s name flashed on the screen.

I ignored it at first, but it rang again immediately. I answered on speaker without thinking, setting it down so I could grab another water.

“What?” I said.

Bella’s voice came through sharp and pissed. “Maddox, what the hell is this I’m hearing? Hale just called my father. You’re doing a fake dating thing with some random team physio? Why didn’t you use me? We could’ve made it look real. Your father wants the merger. This is perfect timing and you’re throwing it away on some nobody?”

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Chapter 3

Nia’s eyes widened slightly, but she stayed quiet, watching me.

55 voucher

I rubbed my jaw. “It’s not my call. Bella. Owner picked her. Clean image. No drama. Exactly what the sponsors want right

now,”

“Clean image?” Bella laughed, bitter. “I’m the one who knows you. I’m the one who’s been there through your father’s bullshit. And now you’re parading some physiotherapist around like she’s your girlfriend while I sit on the sidelines? Call Hale back. Fix this. Or I’ll come over and remind you why we work.”

Nia’s jaw tightened. She picked up her phone again, thumbs moving fast like she was checking on her kid of sending one more message to whoever was waiting.

I kept my voice even. “It’s done, Bella. Six months. Stay out of it. And don’t show up here tonight.”

Bella’s voice rose. “This isn’t over, Maddox. Your father will hear about this. He still wants us aligned. Don’t think some random woman changes that.”

The call ended with a click.

I set the phone down and looked at Nia. She was staring at her own screen, typing one last quick message before pocketing

“Girlfriend problems?” she asked, voice dry.

“Ex.” I said “Something like that.” I watched her carefully. The way she kept checking her phone, the careful wording when she mentioned her mom and the nanny, it all screamed responsibilities she wasn’t sharing. Curiosity gnawed at me, but I shoved it down. Asking would open doors I didn’t want open.

“She’s pissed Hale didn’t pick her. Thinks she could sell the couple thing better because of the family pressure. My old man probably already knows about the contract. He loves this kind of control.”

Nia nodded once, pushing off the island. “Sounds messy. But that’s your mess. Mine is making sure this looks believable without blowing up my real life. I’ll head down to my condo now. Text me the details for tomorrow’s sighting after the game. Light. Casual. No big scenes.”

I grabbed her duffel and walked her to the door anyway. The hallway felt quieter than usual, rain still tapping the windows. In the elevator down two floors she stayed on her phone for a second, sending what looked like a final check-in, then slipped it away.

At her door I handed over the bag. “One more thing. Whatever you’ve got going on at home, handle it quietly. Fans will go wild seeing the Beast with someone new. They’ll dig. Don’t give them anything real to find.”

“Don’t act like you’re easy to read. Kane,” she said.

I huffed a quiet laugh. “Funny. I was just thinking the same about you.”

She met my eyes, hazel steady but tired. “I know how to protect what’s mine, Maddox. Goodnight.”

The door clicked shut between us.

I stood there a beat longer, rain echoing in the hall. Nia Page. Strong, beautiful, carrying secrets in every careful text she sent. The girl I’d ghosted because she made me feel too much was now the woman I had to fake-date for six months.

My phone buzzed again in my pocket.

This time it wasn’t Bella.

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