Contract Marriage

I

Chapter Three

I woke up in a bright, quiet room. The lights above me seemed to shine a bit too much, causing my head to ache, so I blinked a few times, trying to accustom myself to it. My heart was racing as I sat up, slow and dizzy. I had to steady myself.

Where was I?

The room did not look like a typical hospital room at all. The walls were colored in pastel shades of neutral color, and the furniture was modern and sleek. In fact, it looked more like the suite in some very expensive hotel than in a hospital. I could see the skyline of the city outside my window. This was no ordinary place.

Before I could even begin to wrap my mind around it, the door swung open and a man stepped inside. He was tall and dressed in a crisp black suit, which seemed to command the entire room. Dark eyes, smoldering with an intensity that locked onto mine, seemed to pierce right through me. There was something intimidating about him, but still, he was as composed as one would be. His voice was deep and smooth as he uttered, "Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?

I was still in an attempt to comprehend it all. I blinked, the fogginess in my head clearing. My throat was parched, I swallowed before speaking. "Where. am I?"

He moved closer toward me, his gaze fixed on mine. "You are in my private hospital wing," he enlightened. "You fainted in the street. I found you and made sure you were brought here"

Private hospital wing? My heart skipped a beat, and I looked around again, trying to understand anything. Who was this man? How could he afford all this? But before I could ask more questions, he put a glass of water in my hand.

"Th....thank you." I whispered, my voice still shaking. I couldn't believe that somebody saved me, but the questions inside my head were overwhelming.

"You don't have to thank me," he said, his voice low. "It's just what I do. But now that you're safe, but you should do something for me in return"

In return? My head spun in confusion. What kind of proposition could someone like him want from me?

He sat on the edge of the bed, never looking away from my eyes. "I can help you get on your feet," he said calmly, "but I want you to do something fore in return"

I frowned, hesitating. "What do you want?" I asked softly. Inside, I was tallying up. Was he asking for money? Or perhaps favors? What could someone like him want from me?

"Okay, Fine. You want money? How much do you want? I am going to pay you" I say sharply.

He had a serene, almost knowing glint in his eyes. "I don't want your money or anything like that, what do you know you can do?" he asked, catching me off guard.

“Wh… what do you want exactly”

“When I think of it, I'll let you know” he replied

I cocked an eyebrow, growing more and more perplexed by the second. "Let me know what it's”

****

*After being released from the hospital*

I sat in Chris's guest bedroom, staring out the window into a world of shattered dreams and endless questions. Outside his window, the birds chirped-seemingly soft songs in direct contrast to the weightiness inside my chest. How had my life crumbled so quickly? My husband, the man I'd entrusted with every part of my soul, had finally betrayed me in ways I hadn't imagined.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts, and I wiped my face, hoping to obscure the evidence of my tears. But as I looked up, I found Chris standing at the doorway, his expression a mix of concern and something else-something quiet but strong. He stepped inside and shut the door gently-to block out the world, just for me.

"Rose," he whispered, the softness of his voice taking me by surprise.

I wanted to say that I was fine, that I didn't need to talk, but it was a lie I couldn't bring myself to tell. It was almost as if a look in his eyes somehow knew my pain, saw through my defenses. I took a shaky breath, trying to pull together, but my emotions were raw and refused to be ignored any longer.

After a second of silence, Chris sat on the bed beside me, not crowding me, but close enough so that I would not feel alone. "You don't have to go through this alone," he whispered, his voice even and certain.

I swallowed hard, then let out a choked whisper. "It's… Luke"

"Luke… Are you talking about the CEO of Temptins company?

"Yes… Do you know him? He betrayed me in ways I can't even comprehend. I thought I knew him, that he loved me… but he just." My voice shattered, and I couldn't hold back my tears anymore.

Chris nodded slowly, his face flickering once to denote the passage of understanding over his face. "I know how it feels to be betrayed, Rose," he breathed softly, and in that instant I saw into his own scars.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice cracking as my eyes began tearing.

He looked at me now, his gaze steady. "Luke is not only your husband. He was my business partner. We constructed our businesses together, we trusted each other. But he also lied to and betrayed me. Took advantage of me, just like he did with you.

A wave of shock washed over me. I hadn't known, hadn't even imagined that Luke's cruelty extended beyond our marriage. The sense of betrayal was even deeper, as if every part of my life had been a lie, as if he'd been a stranger all along.

I felt a mix of hurt and anger boiling inside me, emotions I hadn't allowed myself to feel until now. "I had no idea," I whispered, beyond stunned. "I didn't know…"

Chris gave me a sad smile. "You're not the only one he's hurt. But you don't deserve this, Rose. You deserve better than him.

They pierced my heart, yet fired something deeper within me-a spark of strength I hadn't felt in a very long time.

"You shouldn't let him have this power over you," Chris said again, this time with a firmer tone. "You're stronger than this. And you're not alone."

I looked up at him; my heart was racing. "But how?" I asked. "How do I take back control when he's taken everything?"

Chris's eyes slitted thoughtfully, as if weighing something momentous. He leaned into me just a fraction. "There's one way, but it does sound a little unorthodox."

I tilted my head, interest piqued. "What do you mean?"

He inhaled, his eyes meeting mine with a new intensity. "What if I offered you a paper marriage?" he asked more cautiously.

"A… what?" I blinked, taken aback by his words.

A marriage of convenience," he repeated blandly, his voice soothing. "Not an actual marriage-a commercial agreement, more like it. Would serve to give you a chance to fight back, show Luke that he doesn't have possession over you."

I gazed at him in an effort to comprehend what he was telling me. "You mean… a contract marriage?"

"Precisely," he said, his voice flat. "It would be a partnership-one in which you are calling the shots. You'd have the freedom to rebuild your life with Luke not hanging over your head.

His words made me shiver as a strange mixture of fear and excitement overwhelmed me. The idea sounded wild, almost ridiculous… yet it was above all an idea that carried liberation with it. A chance to get out of Luke's shadow, to be independent once more. "What would you get out of it?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Chris's face turned contemplative. "The pleasure of seeing Luke reap the results of his action. He betrayed us both, Rose. This would be a way to show him that neither of us will let him get away with it. he said, "You need to divorce Luke legally too if you are ready for this"

My heart was racing, the thought of standing up to Luke filling me with a rush of courage. But it seemed so monumental, a line I could not uncross. "I am ready. Yes, I am ready to divorce him" I said, my voice shaking.

"Absolutely," he replied, his eyes steady and unwavering. "You are not alone in this, Rose. You have more strength than you realize, and I am here to help you find it."

A wave of determination washed over me, and I took a deep breath, nodding slowly. "Then let's do it."

Chris gave me an encouraging smile, a flash of pride in his eyes. He stood, pulling out his phone. "I'll call my lawyer. He can help us draft everything, okay?"

Within minutes, he had reached his lawyer and was explaining the whole plan in all its detail with precise calm. He was confident, and a weird kind of relief washed over me, as though something that burdened me had been lifted off my shoulders. The lawyer agreed to meet us, and the arrangements were made to finalize everything that afternoon.