Contracted To The Beast novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Chapter 56

i stayed in the sitting room after Maddox left, stacking the plates just to have something to do. The soft clink of ceramic against ceramic echoed louder than it should have in the quiet villa.

1 wiped the table twice.

Then a third time.

Still restless.

I dropped onto the couch, letting my head fall back, eyes drifting to the ceiling. Sunlight stretched across the room in long, lazy streaks. Somewhere outside, waves broke against the shore-soft, steady, like a rhythm I couldn’t quite match.

Greece.

The word still didn’t sit right in my chest.

I pressed my lips together, a sudden urge rising, sharp, unexpected to run straight down to the beach and scream. Just… scream. Loud enough to feel something real.

Instead, I stayed right there.

Curled into the corner of the couch.

Doing nothing.

My body felt heavy, like it hadn’t caught up with the time change. It was barely past eleven, but my bones still thought it was the middle of the night.

I closed my eyes.

Just for a second.

A knock snapped them open.

I blinked, disoriented for half a beat before pushing myself up. “Hold on,” I called, dragging my feet across the floor as 1 searched for my slippers.

I opened the door.

“Hello,” a cheerful voice said as I opened the door. Samantha and Britney stood there, makeup artist and hairstylist, both smiling brightly.

“Welcome in,” I said, stepping aside and gesturing inside.

“Thank you,” they replied together, stepping in and setting down their cases.

“It’s such a beautiful island,” Samantha said, eyes wide as she glanced toward the windows.

“I was overjoyed when Mr. Kane’s team reached out to me,” Britney added, grinning from ear to ear.

I felt genuinely surprised to see Britney. She was the one who had cut my bangs back home and done an amazing job. Maddox had liked the result enough to compliment it-rare for him and even had his team contact her. That was so unlike him, but I felt grateful. He could be surprisingly thoughtful when he wanted to be.

“Yesss,” Samantha said, setting up the makeup chair and adjusting her bright ring light. “Let’s begin. We’ll give you a classy yet glamorous look for your museum date.”

Chapter 56

“Museum??” I asked, blinking in confusion.

“Sam! You ruined the surprise,” Britney exclaimed, lightly slapping the back of her head.

“Ow!” Samantha sulked, rubbing the spot dramatically. “I didn’t know it was a surprise.”

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“She didn’t say anything about the location. That was an obvious pointer,” Britney scolded gently. “Who goes on a trip without any clue of their itinerary?”

“Yeah, no one,” Samantha agreed.

At that moment, I felt like a giant arrow hovered above my head. I did exactly that, traveled with zero clue. Even spontaneous people usually did some research. But me? Nothing.

“Unless it’s a trip with your man. Then you can just sit back and relax,” Samantha continued excitedly.

“How will I know the outfits to wear?” I asked, taking a seat in the chair.

“That’s where we come in. We know your full itinerary and the prepared looks,” Britney reassured me with a warm smile.

“Don’t fret. Help is here.” Samantha said, already starting on my makeup.

The session turned out beautifully. Samantha gave me a soft nude base with a striking white graphic winged eyeliner and a touch of red shadow on my lids. Britney worked her magic with a cute updo secured by a claw clip. My new bangs framed my face perfectly. I loved the final look. They had both nailed it. I could keep them around forever.

“You look really stunning,” they both said, stepping back to admire their work.

I felt heat rise in my cheeks as they fawned over me. “Thank you very much,” I said, pulling them into quick hugs.

“Here you go.” Samantha said, digging into her purse. She handed me a Polaroid. “Your outfit of the day.”

I stared at the photo. Everything was laid out, the red maxi one-shoulder dress, gold accessories, matching gold René heels, Hermes clutch, and even the perfume. Tan France had thought of everything.

“He made sure to take pictures of everything so you won’t stress,” Samantha explained. “I’ll hand you the Polaroid outfit for each outing, as he requested.”

“Thank you.” I said, smiling genuinely.

“You’re welcome,” Samantha replied, flashing her bright smile.

I said goodbye as they packed up and left. I headed upstairs to change. When I opened the bedroom door, Maddox was already fully dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed. He wore black dress pants and a black button-up shirt with the

| sleeves rolled up and the first three buttons open, revealing a hint of his toned chest.

“You didn’t even tell me where we are going.” I said as I stepped into the walk-in closet.

“We’re going to the Archaeological Museum of Mykonos,” he answered, checking his watch without looking up. “Our reservation is for 1:30 p.m.”

“What’s the time currently?” I asked, pulling out the red dress.

“It’s 12:23 p.m…” he said, standing up.

I slipped into the red maxi one-shoulder dress. It flowed beautifully, elegant yet effortless. I added the gold accessories, the Rene heels, and finished with my signature Versace Yellow Diamond scent. I stood in front of the full-length mirror and paused. Damn. Who was she? I felt like I had stepped into a different version of myself. Something about being fully glammed up always shifted how I carried myself.

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Chapter 56

I walked out of the closet. My heels clicked against the wooden floors as I moved toward Maddox.

His jaw dropped. His eyes trailed slowly from my feet upward, lingering on my lips for a long moment. Heat prickled across my skin under his stare.

“Let’s go.”

It came out sharper than it should have.

He stood abruptly, adjusting his watch like he needed something to do with his hands. His gaze dropped for a second before he looked away completely.

“José is waiting for us.”

I stayed quiet as we got into the car. The door shut softly behind us.

I waited, but yet, nothing.

I turned my head slightly, watching him from the corner of my eye. Phone in hand. Calm. Unbothered.

Like he hadn’t just, I looked away.

My fingers smoothed over my dress, adjusting it unnecessarily.

Still nothing.

Right.

Of course.

I’m a sucker for compliments. It’s no surprise I have a praise kink. As a kid, I had always craved my dad telling me I did well, but he never did. No matter what I achieved, it was never enough.

“Do you always do that?” I asked.

His thumb paused over his phone. “Do what?”

“Act like you didn’t just see something.”

That got his attention. He looked at me properly this time.

“What are you talking about?”

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