Chapter 1: The Contract
986 Words
Ava Moretti hated hospitals.
The smell of antiseptic, the endless beeping of machines, and the look of sympathy in people’s eyes made her stomach twist.
She sat beside her mother’s bed, clutching a stack of unpaid medical bills in trembling hands.
“$250,000?” she whispered, her voice breaking. “How am I supposed to pay this?”
Her mother managed a weak smile.
“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart.”
Ava forced herself to smile back, but fear wrapped around her heart.
Her mother’s condition had worsened over the past month. Without surgery, there was little hope.
And Ava had run out of options.
The waitress job she worked day and night barely covered rent. Their savings had disappeared months ago.
She was drowning.
Her phone vibrated.
Unknown Number.
Normally, she would ignore it.
But desperation changed people.
“Hello?”
“Miss Ava Moretti?” a smooth male voice asked.
“Yes.”
“My employer would like to meet with you regarding a business proposal.”
A bitter laugh escaped her.
“I think you’ve got the wrong person. I don’t have a business.”
“It’s a matter concerning your mother’s medical treatment.”
Ava froze.
“How do you know about my mother?”
“If you’re interested in hearing the details, a car will be waiting outside St. Catherine Hospital in thirty minutes.”
The line went dead.
A chill ran down her spine.
It sounded insane.
Dangerous.
But when she looked at her mother sleeping on the hospital bed…
She made her decision.
Thirty minutes later, Ava found herself sitting inside the most luxurious car she had ever seen.
The driver remained silent.
The city lights blurred past the window.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“The Kane Group Headquarters.”
Ava’s eyes widened.
Everyone knew the Kane family.
They owned half the city.
Hotels.
Banks.
Real estate.
The media called them royalty.
By the time the car stopped in front of the towering glass building, Ava’s palms were damp with sweat.
Inside, employees moved with purpose.
Everything screamed wealth.
Power.
Control.
“Mr. Kane is waiting for you.”
The assistant led her into a private elevator.
Her reflection stared back at her from the mirrored walls.
Simple dress.
Tired eyes.
Secondhand shoes.
She didn’t belong here.
The elevator doors opened.
A spacious office stretched before her.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the glittering city skyline.
And standing in front of them was a man.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Dressed in an immaculate black suit.
His dark hair was perfectly styled.
His expression was unreadable.
He turned.
And Ava forgot how to breathe.
He was devastatingly handsome.
Cold gray eyes settled on her.
Assessing.
Calculating.
“You kept me waiting,” he said.
No greeting.
No introduction.
Just accusation.
Ava straightened her shoulders.
“I came as soon as I could.”
His gaze dropped briefly to the hospital bracelet still wrapped around her wrist.
Then he walked toward his desk.
“Sit.”
She remained standing.
“I’d like to know why I’m here.”
For the first time, something flickered across his face.
Approval.
“Good.”
He slid a file across the desk.
Ava opened it.
Inside were copies of her mother’s medical records.
Her employment history.
Bank statements.
Her chest tightened.
“You investigated me?”
“I don’t make investments without research.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“What exactly are you proposing?”
He leaned back in his chair.
“A contract marriage.”
The room fell silent.
Ava blinked.
“What?”
“You marry me for three years,” he said evenly. “In return, your mother’s medical expenses will be covered.”
A laugh escaped her.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I never joke about business.”
She stared at him.
This had to be some kind of nightmare.
“Why me?”
His expression hardened.
“Because you’re exactly what I need.”
“Which is?”
“A wife.”
Her pulse raced.
“I don’t even know your name.”
He held out his hand.
“Alexander Kane.”
The name hit her like lightning.
The Alexander Kane.
CEO of Kane Group.
Billionaire.
The man newspapers called ruthless.
Ava pushed the file away.
“This is crazy.”
“Perhaps,” he said calmly. “But your mother’s surgery is scheduled in twelve days.”
Her blood ran cold.
“You have until tomorrow to decide.”
He stood, signaling the conversation was over.
As Ava turned to leave, his voice stopped her.
“There are rules.”
She glanced back.
“No love,” Alexander said.
“No interference in my personal affairs.”
“And under no circumstances will you forget that this marriage is merely a contract.”
His gray eyes locked onto hers.
“Can you do that, Miss Moretti?”
Ava thought of the hospital.
Of her mother’s fragile smile.
Of the bills she couldn’t pay.
She lifted her chin.
“What happens if I say no?”
Alexander’s expression never changed.
“Then you walk away.”
A pause.
“And pray someone else can save your mother.”
Ava left the office with the contract clutched tightly in her hands.
The city outside had never looked colder.
Tomorrow, she would have to choose.
Her freedom.
Or her mother’s life.
Behind the glass walls of his office, Alexander Kane watched her disappear into the elevator.
His assistant stepped forward.
“Sir, are you certain she’s the right choice?”
Alexander’s gaze remained fixed on the closing doors.
“There’s no one else.”
His voice was quiet.
Dangerously so.
“After all…”
He picked up an old photograph hidden beneath the contract papers.
A picture of a little girl with bright eyes and a fearless smile.
“…I’ve been looking for Ava Moretti for a very long time.”
- Writer
