Page 41 of Claim Me
There were plenty of clauses stating I have no claim to his assets. The money I receive is a salary, a very large one, much higher than what bodyguards usually get, even those working for VIPs, but beyond that, I’m entitled to nothing.
Still… one thing caught my attention. An interesting clause near the end.
It basically said that as long as no form of closeness considered part of an intimate relationship occurs between the two parties, both are free to have relationships with others, provided the other party is not forced into contact with anyone outside the arrangement.
Perhaps my unruly subconscious decided it’s a strangely worded clause, especially since it was stated from the start that this marriage is only a formality. So… It shouldn’t be in the contractat all.
Those first words, "as longas it doesn’t occur."
What if it did?
It suggests that if something like that happened, Blue wouldn’t tolerate any kind of infidelity.
What were the CEO’s reasons for adding it? It clearly leaves a small door open to something more. How very weird.
A few minutes later, the driver pulls the limousine into the underground parking area beneath the cultural center.
I step out of the car first and scan the parking lot. There are quite a few vehicles, even though this is the VIP section.
"What kind of event is this?"
"A discussion panel about the future of testing for True Mate status. There will be a number of well-known geneticists attending."
"Is it open to the public? Like, can anyone just walk in?"
"Yes, but the advantage is that my presence wasn’t announced. I agreed to step in at the last moment, and that’s how I prefer it. I don’t like appearing at these kinds of panels when people know I’ll be there, because then there’s a bigger crowd and more…" he adds the last part in a sharper tone, "more emotion."
"Is it going to be some kind of auditorium or lecture hall?" I ask, scratching my chin beneath the mask, a little uncertain because I honestly don’t know what to expect.
After all, I’m not a professionally trained bodyguard. I’m basically improvising.
"Shouldn’t I… check the place out first?"
"It’s a large lecture hall. The people attending have tickets. There will be students and scientists, so it should stay calm, although the topic itself tends to stir emotions."
Blue starts heading toward the building, so I quickly fall into step beside him. The driver stays behind in the limousine.
We go around the building, clearly heading for a side entrance. I try to keep up, and for someone who isn’t particularly tall, Blue moves fast.
He puts on thin light gray gloves and presses the intercom button, and a moment later a man comes out. "Oh, good morning, Mr. Lowen."
He reaches out his hand, but Blue doesn’t take it.
The man looks confused, then adds, "Welcome. The panel is about to begin."
We walk through winding corridors toward a large lecture hall in the center of the building.
I can feel my tension rising. From experience, I know that events like this often attract activists. There’s an entire group that opposes the idea of True Mates. They see fated mates as a freak-of-nature pairing, a kind of personal prison, being tied to one person, even a threat to individual freedom. The whole concept has some very committed opponents.
As it turns out, I’m not wrong. Well, as an ex-activist, my instincts are pretty well tuned in that regard.
Blue is let into the hall through one door, but near another entrance there’s already a noticeable crowd, and I spot a few rolled-up banners.
When we step inside, I lower my voice and say,
"I saw people from NeverTrue. I’m betting they’ll make some noise. I know the type. I used to be in a group like that, as you know all too well."
"That’s the organizers’ problem, not mine," Blue replies shortly.
