Oliver considered her point. "I see what you mean. But don't you think that's a lot of pressure to put on ourselves?"
Snow nodded. "Maybe. But I think it's worth it in the end."
Oliver outlined his fourth rule: "We should never confess real love to each other, no matter what happens."
Snow's eyes locked onto Oliver's, a flicker of emotion dancing in their depths. But she nodded, her voice firm. "I agree..."
Oliver smiled, looking relieved. "Good. I'm glad we agree on that."
Snow outlined her third rule: "We should always support each other's goals and dreams."
Oliver nodded enthusiastically. "I completely agree with that. I think it's essential to be supportive of each other."
Snow smiled. "I'm glad we agree on that."
Snow outlined her fourth rule: "We should never get too possessive or jealous in our relationship."
Oliver raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I agree with that. I think a little possessiveness can be cute."
Snow shook her head. "I don't think so. I think it's essential to trust each other and give each other space."
Oliver considered her point. "I see what you mean. But don't you think that's a lot to ask?"
Snow nodded. "Maybe. But I think it's worth it in the end."
Together, they signed the contract, their hands touching briefly as they exchanged pens.
Snow grinned mischievously. "Now that we have our rules in place, let's go have some fun."
Oliver raised an eyebrow. "What kind of fun?"
Snow's eyes sparkled. YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!
Snow's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I don't know, something exciting. We can go to the beach, or the movies, or even try that new restaurant downtown."
Oliver raised an eyebrow. "You're really enthusiastic about this, aren't you?"
Snow nodded, her grin still plastered on her face. "Yes, I am! I think this is exactly what we need. A chance to have some fun and get to know each other better."
Oliver chuckled, shaking his head. "You're something else, Snow. Alright, let's go have some fun."
Snow squealed with excitement, jumping up from her seat. "Yes! Let's go!"
Oliver stood up, laughing, and together they set off towards the car.
As they drove, Snow chattered excitedly about all the things they could do. Oliver listened patiently, smiling at her enthusiasm.
When they arrived at the beach, Snow immediately ran towards the water, laughing and splashing in the waves. Oliver followed more slowly, watching her with a warm smile.
As the day went on, they had a blast together. They built sandcastles, went for a swim, and even shared a romantic picnic on the beach.
As the sun began to set, Snow turned to Oliver with a happy sigh. "This has been the best day ever."
Oliver smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "For you mostly. But...I'm glad you enjoyed it. I had a great time too."
Snow's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I'm so glad we made that contract. This is exactly what I needed."
Oliver chuckled, shaking his head. "You're something else, Snow. But I'm glad I'm along for the ride."
Together, they watched the sunset, feeling happy and content in each other's company.
Little did they know, their fake relationship was about to get a whole lot more real.
★ ★ ★
Leo walked out of class, he ran into William on the road. William mentioned that he needed to head back to their dorm since Leo had a party to attend that night.
Leo asked William if he could ask Violet to accompany him to the party.
William raised an eyebrow and asked if Leo was really interested in Violet, given that she had broken Oliver's heart.
Leo shrugged off William's concern, saying that he genuinely liked Violet and wanted to make her special. William seemed skeptical, but Leo was undeterred.
Just then, Julian appeared, and Leo's face lit up with a smile. Julian, who was British, hugged Leo warmly and exchanged greetings with William.
Leo introduced Julian to William, explaining that they had been childhood friends and high school classmates. Julian's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked Leo if he could give her a tour of the school.
Leo hesitated, mentioning that he had a party to attend, but Julian persisted, asking him to please show her around.
Leo escorted Julian to her destination, chatting with her along the way. When they arrived, Leo spotted Violet working on something.
As Violet turned around, her eyes landed on Julian, and her expression turned cold.
Violet's gaze flicked to Leo, and she raised an eyebrow. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here."
Leo approached Violet, a sheepish grin on his face. "Violet, this isn't what it looks like. Julian is just a friend from high school."
Violet snorted. "Do I look like I care? You can mess around with any girl you want. I never told you we were exclusive, so why should I care?"
Julian stepped forward, her British accent crisp. "That's not very nice of you, Violet. Just because Leo is...sometimes a bit of a dickhead, doesn't mean you have to be rude to him."
Violet's eyes narrowed. "And who are you to tell me what to do?"
Julian stood her ground. "I'm Julian, Julian Langham. And I think it's nice to treat people with respect, even if you're not interested in them. Maybe if you did, you'd have a boyfriend by now."
Leo intervened, his hands raised. "Julian, please stop. This isn't your fight."
Violet glared at Julian before turning on her heel and walking away.
Julian turned to Leo. "Come on, Leo, let's go. I don't want to get lost."
Leo hesitated. "I'll send you the map of the school. You can find your way."
Julian raised an eyebrow. "Suit yourself. Nice meeting you, Leo...I think."
Leo watched as Julian walked away before turning to chase after Violet. "Violet, wait!"
★
~VICE MAYOR'S HOUSE- 7:30PM
As she entered her house, Bryan's words echoed in her mind, sending a chill down her spine. She rushed to her room, shutting the door behind her, and collapsed onto the bed.
She was devastated, terrified, and afraid. The thought of Bryan's threat kept ringing in her ears: "I'll make sure to ruin her life forever and probably get rid of her."
She shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "No, no, no. I won't let that happen to my Snow. she has been through so much in life, I won't let that happen to her."
Just as she was about to break down, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. She shouted, startled, and turned to see her husband, Mister Daniel, standing beside her.
"What happened?" he asked, concern etched on his face.
She burst into tears, burying her face in his chest. "Snow is in big trouble," she sobbed.
Mister Daniel wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "It's okay, everything is fine. Everything is going to be fine," he whispered, trying to comfort her.
But she knew that everything wasn't fine. She knew that Snow was in danger, and she had to do something to protect her.