THE CEO'S CONTRACT WIFE

The rain in New York didn't wash things clean; it just made the grime slicker. Elena stood outside the service entrance of the Grand Imperial Hotel, shivering as the cold water soaked through her thin uniform. In her hand, she crumpled the pink slip of paper that had just ruined her life. Fired. "It wasn't my fault," she whispered to the empty alleyway, her voice trembling. "The guest touched me." But management didn't care. Mr. Henderson, the floor manager, had made that clear ten minutes ago. Rich guests are always right, Elena. You made a scene. Hand in your badge and get out. She checked her cracked phone screen. Three missed calls from the hospital billing department. Her stomach twisted into a tight knot. If she couldn't pay for Toby’s dialysis this week, they would transfer him to the state facility. He wouldn't survive the waitlist there. He was only ten years old. She needed money. Not a few hundred dollars—she needed a miracle. Elena leaned her head against the brick wall, closing her eyes. "Please," she prayed to the universe. "I'll do anything. Just help me save him." As if in answer, the hum of a powerful engine cut through the sound of the falling rain. A sleek, black limousine pulled up to the curb, splashing a puddle of dirty water onto her worn-out sneakers. It was a phantom in the dark alley—too expensive, too clean, and completely out of place. The rear window rolled down with a soft electric hum. "Elena Rossi?" The voice was deep, smooth, and cold as ice. It wasn't a question; it was a verification. Elena stepped back, clutching her bag to her chest. "Who’s asking?" The rear door opened. A man stepped out. He was tall, over six feet, dressed in a charcoal suit that cost more than Elena would earn in ten lifetimes. His hair was dark, styled perfectly despite the wind, and his eyes were the color of steel. They swept over her with a calculating intensity that made her skin prickle. "My name is Julian Thorne," he said. He didn't offer a hand to shake. He offered a command. "Get in the car. We have business to discuss." "I don't know you," Elena said, her voice shaking but her chin held high. "And I don't have any business with a billionaire." "You have a brother named Toby," Julian said calmly, checking a watch that glinted under the flickering streetlamp. "He has kidney failure. The bill is twenty-four thousand dollars in arrears. You were just fired for slapping a guest who groped you in Suite 402." Elena froze, the air caught in her lungs. "How... how do you know that?" "I know everything, Elena. I also know that you are desperate." He stepped closer, shielding her from the rain with a large black umbrella held by a silent driver who had appeared out of nowhere. "I have a proposition," Julian continued, his gaze locking onto hers. "It requires a signature, discretion, and one year of your life." "What kind of proposition?" she asked, wary. Julian’s lips curved slightly, but it wasn't a smile. It was the look of a predator spotting prey. "Marriage," he said. The word hung in the wet air between them. "Excuse me?" Elena blinked, sure she had heard him wrong. "I will pay off your brother's medical bills in full. I will ensure he gets the best transplant surgeon in the country. And I will give you five million dollars upon completion of the contract," Julian stated, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "In exchange, you will marry me. Tonight." Elena stared at him, the rain mingling with the shock on her face. "You're crazy." "I am a businessman," Julian corrected. "And I am late. My grandfather is rewriting his will in forty-eight hours. To inherit Thorne Enterprises, I must be married. You need money. I need a wife who can be bought." He extended a hand toward the open car door. The leather interior looked warm and dry. "Get in the car, Elena. Your brother is waiting." She looked at the limo, then at the pink slip in her hand. She thought of Toby, lying in that hospital bed, pale and scared, waiting for a sister who had just lost her job. She took a deep breath, swallowed her fear, and stepped toward the car.