Make Her Happy

Ciara never imagined she would see Samuel here, especially not like this. When she turned around, the shock on her face was unmistakable.

Samuel leaned casually against the doorway, his expression unreadable, yet his tone was smooth as velvet. “You could’ve come to me if you needed help,” he said, his voice deceptively warm. “Why drag my mother into this?”

Ciara was taken aback, her mind racing to catch up. Before she could form a reply, Samuel’s grip tightened around her arm, and without waiting for her consent, he began leading her out of the room.

From behind, Mary’s voice echoed softly, filled with warmth. “Samuel, be good to Ciara. Make her happy.”

Samuel only gave a brief nod as he shut the door behind them, his grip on Ciara’s arm unrelenting as they walked down the long hospital corridor. The moment they reached a secluded corner, his demeanor shifted. The kindness vanished, replaced by something far colder. Without warning, he shoved her against the wall, his hand coming up to her throat, squeezing just enough to make her breath hitch.

His eyes bore into hers with an intensity that sent chills down her spine. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here, pretending you didn’t know who my mother was,” he hissed, his voice low and menacing. “You think I’m a fool? That I don’t see through your little games?”

Ciara struggled against his grip, her breath coming in short, painful bursts. “I swear... I didn’t know she was your mother,” she gasped, her voice barely audible.

Samuel’s eyes narrowed, his skepticism evident. “You expect me to believe that? You’ve been trying to worm your way into my life, and now you want my mother’s blessing too?”

Ciara’s heart pounded in her chest. The pieces were finally falling into place. Mary’s affectionate words in prison, the way she spoke of her son—Samuel. It all made sense now. But there was no room for explanations, no time to explain her innocence. If Samuel wanted to believe she was scheming, nothing she said would change his mind.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she felt his grip tighten momentarily before he released her, leaving her to slump against the wall, gasping for air.

“Listen carefully,” he began, his tone as frigid as the look in his eyes. “My mother doesn’t have much time left, and she wants to see us married. We’ll do this for her, but don’t think for a second that it’s real. After two months, we’ll divorce, and you’ll walk away with a tidy sum. But if you try anything, I swear I’ll make your life hell.”

Ciara’s heart twisted at the thought of Mary’s condition. Two months. That’s all the time she had left. She barely had time to process the information before Samuel’s cold voice cut through her thoughts.

“So, do we have a deal? Or are you going to make this difficult?”

Ciara took a deep breath, steeling herself. She needed this deal, not just for herself, but for the baby growing inside her. “Fine,” she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. “I’ll agree to it. But I have one condition.”

Samuel raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised that she had the nerve to make demands. “What is it?”

“I have something important to take of and as such I need 30,000 dollars. In cash. Now.”

Samuel’s expression hardened, “And what exactly is that?

“Its... personal.”For a moment, she thought he might refuse. But then he sneered, pulling out his phone. Within minutes, his assistant appeared with an envelope, and Samuel counted out 5,000 dollars, thrusting it into her hands. “This is all you get for now. You’ll get the rest when I’m satisfied that you’ve played your part.”

Ciara wanted to argue, to demand the full amount, but the icy finality in Samuel’s tone stopped her. She accepted the money, knowing it was better than nothing, and watched as he turned and headed back toward Mary’s room.

She followed behind him, her mind spinning with the implications of what she’d just agreed to. When they entered the room, she forced a smile onto her face. “Aunt Mary, we’ve decided to get the marriage certificate today,” she said, her voice as cheerful as she could manage.

Mary’s face lit up with joy. “Oh, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy, Ciara.”

That afternoon, Ciara found herself at the city hall with Samuel, the process of getting married feeling more like a blur than a reality. The vows, the signatures, the photograph—all of it felt surreal.

As they left the building with the marriage certificate in hand, Ciara couldn’t shake the feeling that she was stepping into something far more complicated than she’d ever anticipated. The marriage might be fake, but the consequences were very, very real.

As soon as they stepped out of the city hall, Ciara turned to Samuel, her tone polite but distant. "Mr. Fury, the doctors don’t allow afternoon visits, so I won’t be returning with you. I’ll visit Aunt Mary tomorrow morning instead."

She understood the need to keep a clear line between them when Mary wasn’t around, and she wasn’t about to blur that boundary.

Samuel barely glanced at her, his voice cool and indifferent. "Do as you like."

Without another word, Ciara walked away, heading down the street alone. She needed space to breathe, to process everything that had just happened.

Back in the car, Samuel's assistant, Kingston, glanced over as they pulled away. “Aren’t you worried she might run off?” he asked, his tone casual but curious.

Samuel’s lip curled into a cynical smile. “Run off? If she really wanted to disappear, she wouldn’t have taken a job at a restaurant I frequent, and she definitely wouldn’t have come to my mother for help. Those first two times she ‘escaped’ were just tactics to up her value.”

Kingston nodded thoughtfully. “True. Makes sense.”

“Enough. Let’s go,” Samuel ordered, his tone leaving no room for further discussion.

As the car cruised past Ciara, he didn’t bother sparing her a glance, his mind already moving on to other matters.

Ciara, on the other hand, dragged herself home, her mind heavy with exhaustion. But as she reached her door, a familiar voice cut through her thoughts. “Ciara! So this is where you’ve been hiding.”

"Linda?" 

Ciara’s gaze was cold and unyielding. "How did you find me?"

Linda smirked, her confidence evident. "Ciara, this is what they call an urban village. It’s the only one in South City, and the people here... well, they don’t have the best reputation. Did you know you can spend a night with one of the locals for just five dollars? A busy night can earn a hundred. Quite the business, isn’t it?"

Ciara’s voice dripped with sarcasm. "So, you came all this way to brag about making a hundred bucks in one night?"

Linda’s face twisted with anger, and she raised her hand as if to strike Ciara, but stopped herself. A sly smile replaced her fury. "I almost forgot myself there. But listen up, Ciara—I’m getting married soon, and while cleaning out the old house, the maids found some pictures of you and your mother in the trash..."

Ciara’s composure broke, her voice urgent. "My mother’s pictures? Don’t throw them away. I’ll come and get them."

Linda’s tone was indifferent. "When?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"Fine. Tomorrow it is. Otherwise, I’ll just toss them out with the rest of the garbage. They’re just cluttering up my house," Linda said, turning on her heel with an air of triumph and sauntering away.

That night, Ciara went to bed early, exhausted from the day’s events. She was in her first trimester, and the constant stress was taking a toll on her. Tomorrow, she would visit the hospital for a check-up.

The next morning, Ciara arrived at the hospital early, waiting in line for her ultrasound. Just as it was nearly her turn, her phone rang. She sighed and answered. "What is it, Mr. Fury?"

Samuel’s voice was as icy as ever. "My mother wants to see you."

Ciara glanced at the line, estimating the wait. "I’ll be there in about an hour and a half."

"Fine." He hung up without another word.

Ciara waited patiently, but just as her turn came, an emergency case was rushed in, delaying her by another half-hour. When she finally made it to Mary’s ward, she could hear the old woman’s tearful voice through the door. "You ungrateful son! Where is Ciara?"

"Mom, we got our marriage certificate yesterday," Samuel said, trying to calm her down as he handed over the document.

"I don’t care about the certificate! I want her here!" Mary insisted, pushing him away.

Samuel sighed and stepped out of the room. As he did, he locked eyes with Ciara, his gaze sharp and unforgiving.

Ciara lowered her head and approached Mary with a warm smile, holding a small bag. "Aunt Mary, I’m so sorry for being late. I remember you used to love cream puffs, so I brought some for you."

Mary’s tears dried up as she smiled. "You remembered that I love cream puffs, Sabbie?"

"Of course," Ciara said softly, handing her one. "Have a taste, Mom."

Mary beamed at the word “Mom,” her eyes bright with joy. "With you by Samuel’s side, I can cross over peacefully."

Ciara’s eyes welled with tears. "Please don’t say that, Mom. You have so much life left to live."

After Mary fell asleep, Ciara approached Samuel again, her voice trembling slightly. "Mr. Fury, may I have the allowance we discussed?" 

Samuel’s expression was stone cold. "You were supposed to be here in an hour and a half. You showed up after three hours. I have kept my end of our contract and never failed to give you your allowance on time. so, If you ever keep my mother waiting again, money will be the least of your worries."

A chill ran down Ciara’s spine at the underlying threat in his voice. She nodded quickly, forcing a bitter smile. "I get it. I won’t ask again. But just to confirm—you’ll set up that account in the city for me, right?"

Samuel’s voice was flat. "You’ll get everything promised in the contract."

"Thank you. I have something to do this afternoon, so I’ll be leaving now," Ciara said quietly, feeling utterly defeated as she walked away.

As she reached the door, Mary’s weak voice called out, "Samuel..."

He rushed back to her side. "Yes, Mom?"

Mary looked up at him with a pained expression. "I know you don’t like Ciara, but you have to understand—she took care of me when I couldn’t take care of myself. She’s more loyal and righteous than anyone you’ll ever meet. With everything the Fury family has done to us, isn’t it time to stop? I want you to have someone by your side who will never leave you."

Samuel nodded, his mother’s words weighing heavily on him. "I understand, Mom."

Mary tried to sit up. "I’m going to call Aunt Quinton to check if Ciara is staying at your house. I need to know you two are truly living as husband and wife."

Samuel felt cornered, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

At that moment, his phone rang, and he answered with a cold, “What?”

On the other end, Linda’s voice was sickeningly sweet. "Samuel, darling, I wanted to invite you over to discuss our wedding plans. Can you come?"

"I’m not available today," he replied curtly, ending the call without waiting for her response.

Linda could tell Samuel really disliked her. It felt like a thousand needles poking her heart, making her feel hurt, embarrassed, and annoyed. She tried to sound sweet and cute, but it was clear it wasn’t working.

Before she could say more, the call ended suddenly. Linda’s heart sank.