Forced to love the cold hearted Doctor

The smell of disinfectant clung to Dr. Alexander Hale like a second skin. Twelve-hour shifts in the ER didn’t faze him anymore—but today, his hands trembled slightly as he adjusted the cuffs of his lab coat. Not from exhaustion. From anger. “She’s filing for full custody,” his lawyer repeated, as if Alexander hadn’t heard him the first time. “Your ex-wife claims your work schedule makes you an unfit parent.” Alexander’s jaw clenched. “She cheated on me with my brother. Abandoned our daughter for nearly two years. And now she wants custody?” “She doesn’t want your daughter,” the lawyer said, blunt. “She wants access to the fortune you’ve willed to her.” Alexander ran a hand through his dark hair, pacing the length of his office. “What are my options?” The lawyer sighed. “The court is more likely to award custody to a parent who can provide a stable, family environment. You’re single. You work nonstop. She’s remarried, lives in a ‘stable’ household, and is playing the devoted mother.” “So you’re saying I need a wife.” The words came out flat. Unbelievable. “I’m saying if you want to keep your daughter… you need to show the court she has someone at home. Someone who’s always there for her.” Alexander didn’t respond. His mind flashed to mornings at the café. The quiet little place near the hospital where he grabbed coffee and his daughter devoured buttery croissants. Where a golden-haired waitress always bent down to talk to Lily like she was the most important person in the world. Emma. He’d barely spared her more than polite nods before. But suddenly… she was all he could think about. Alexander’s fingers tapped rhythmically against his desk. He hated this—being backed into a corner. He didn’t lose. Not in the operating room. Not in life. And definitely not when it came to his daughter. But now, the system was stacked against him. His ex-wife, Julia, had remarried, presented herself as reformed, and had a new last name to cover up the wreckage she’d left behind. And the court… they saw a surgeon who left home before dawn and returned well past bedtime. They didn’t see the father who woke up early to braid his daughter’s hair. Who kept her paintings on his office wall. Who made time, no matter what, just to hear her little voice say, “I missed you, Daddy.” They didn’t know that Julia only remembered Lily existed when money was involved. “I need time,” he finally said, voice tight. The lawyer nodded. “You have three weeks until the first custody hearing. If you’re serious about presenting a stable family structure… you need to act now.” Alexander stood. “I’ll handle it.” He walked out of the office and headed straight to the café. Emma Carter wiped her hands on her apron, balancing a tray of pastries when the bell above the door chimed. She glanced up and froze for half a second. Dr. Hale. She tried not to stare whenever he walked in—tall, sharp-jawed, always looking like he’d stepped out of a medical drama. His suits fit too well. His voice, when he ordered, was always low and precise. Cold, even. But today… today, he looked different. Not rushed. Not tired. Intent. “Hey, Lily!” Emma greeted the little girl beside him, who beamed and ran straight for the counter. “Croissant, please!” she chirped. Emma chuckled and handed one over, already knowing the routine. Alexander didn’t follow his daughter to the table like he usually did. Instead, he stayed at the counter, his eyes fixed on Emma. She raised a brow. “Your usual?” He hesitated. “Actually… can we talk?” Emma blinked. “Talk?” He looked vaguely uncomfortable. “After your shift. Just five minutes.” Now that was strange. “Sure,” she said slowly. “I finish in thirty.” He gave a tight nod and returned to his daughter. Emma watched him go, heart thumping with confusion—and a flicker of curiosity. Whatever he wanted… it wasn’t just coffee. Thirty minutes later, Emma untied her apron and walked outside, wiping her hands on her jeans as she spotted Alexander waiting near his sleek black car. Lily was already in the backseat, munching on a second croissant, headphones on and humming along to a song Emma couldn’t hear. Alexander looked up as Emma approached. “Thanks for meeting me,” he said, straightening from his lean against the car. “You’ve never spoken more than five words to me before today,” Emma replied, crossing her arms. “So, yeah. I’m curious.” Alexander didn’t waste time. “I need your help. It’s… unconventional.” “Now I’m really curious,” she said, lips tugging into a half-smile. He didn’t smile back. “I’m in the middle of a custody battle. My ex-wife is trying to take Lily.” Emma’s face dropped. “What? But she—she never even—” “She’s using the court system against me,” he said. “Claiming I’m an absent father. That I work too much and can’t provide a stable home.” Emma frowned. “That’s ridiculous. Lily adores you. Anyone can see that.” Alexander nodded. “But what they’ll also see is that I’m single, barely home, and she has a ‘stable’ household. She’s remarried. The courts will lean in her favor.” Emma tilted her head. “So… what does this have to do with me?” His eyes locked onto hers. “I need someone I can trust to help me present a stable home. Someone Lily already feels safe with.” Emma’s heart started to pound. “You mean like… a nanny?” “No,” he said, shaking his head. “I need a wife.” The silence that followed was deafening. Emma stared at him, wide-eyed. “Excuse me?” “It would be temporary. Three years. Just until the case is over and everything is secure. No one gets hurt. You’ll be compensated.” Emma took a step back. “This is insane.” “I know how it sounds,” he said, softer now. “But I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you were the best person to care for Lily. She already loves you. And you’ve always looked out for her… even when you didn’t have to.” Emma looked toward the car, where Lily was still singing softly to herself. She thought about the way Julia once yanked the child out of the café in a huff. The rumors. The cold indifference in her eyes. And then she looked at Alexander—calm, composed, desperate not for himself, but for his daughter. “How much?” she asked finally. Alexander hesitated, misreading the question. “You’ll be well taken care of—” “I don’t mean the money,” Emma cut in. “I mean—how much does she mean to you?” He didn’t blink. “Everything.” Emma took a deep breath, her voice quieter now. “Okay. I’ll do it.”