The contract bride

Family

Chapter: A Family's Reaction

Cathy’s car screeched into the driveway, her tires kicking up a cloud of dust. She slammed the door shut and sprinted into the house, her breaths coming in sharp gasps. Her heart hammered in her chest, not from exertion but from disbelief.

Felisha, sitting in the living room with a steaming cup of coffee in her hand, looked up as her daughter stormed in. The sight of Cathy’s disheveled state made her frown. She set her cup on the table with deliberate care and crossed her arms.

"Should I be scared?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Or are you just practicing for a marathon?"

Cathy, doubled over and clutching her knees, tried to speak between gasps. "Linda... wealthy... proposed... gala..."

Felisha raised an eyebrow. "Get your sentence straight, lady. I don’t understand a thing you’re saying."

Finally catching her breath, Cathy straightened up and spoke, her words rushing out in a single stream. "Mom, the gala I went to with my boyfriend—I saw Linda there. She was looking so beautiful, and everyone was staring at her. She got proposed to... by the son of the second richest family in town. Linda is getting married!"

Felisha froze. Her face, usually composed and calculating, twisted into an expression of utter disbelief. "Let me get this straight," she said slowly, enunciating each word. "Linda. Our Linda. Is getting married to a wealthy man. Are you sure it wasn’t someone else? Maybe you’ve been drinking."

"Mom, it was her," Cathy insisted, her voice rising in exasperation. "She was glowing, wearing this stunning black dress, and looking... well, expensive! Everyone was talking about her. She’s marrying Liam Castellano. You know, the Castellano family? The second richest family in the city?"

Felisha’s fingers tightened around the arm of the couch. A part of her wanted to deny it, to dismiss Cathy’s story as a mistake. But Cathy’s expression was too earnest, too frantic, to be lying.

Without another word, Felisha stood abruptly and marched toward the kitchen, leaving Cathy stunned in her wake.

"Mom?" Cathy called, confused by the sudden exit.

Felisha didn’t answer. She poured herself another cup of coffee with a trembling hand, her mind racing. Linda? The same girl who dared to defy me, who I thought would come crawling back, is marrying into wealth? And I’m just finding out like this?

As she stared into her coffee, the realization hit her like a freight train. Linda wasn’t coming back.

---

Meanwhile, at the Castellano Estate

Richard Castellano sat at his desk, going through paperwork when his most trusted man, Lucas, stepped into the room. Without preamble, Lucas cleared his throat and began, "Sir, I thought you should know something about Liam."

Richard looked up, his expression stern. "What about him?"

"Word just came in, sir," Lucas said carefully. "Liam publicly proposed to Linda Hart at today’s gala."

Richard’s face hardened, his jaw visibly tensing. "Engaged? To whom?"

"Linda Hart. She’s... not from any prominent background," Lucas added, his voice steady. "The girl—"

"I don’t need your opinion," Richard cut him off sharply. He exhaled, controlling his temper, before reaching for his phone. "Call Liam. Now."

---

Liam’s Call

Liam sat in the lounge of his home, a glass of whiskey in his hand, when his phone buzzed on the coffee table. He glanced at the screen, recognizing the number immediately. It was Lucas, his father’s most trusted man. Liam sighed, swirling his drink before answering.

"What?" Liam said casually, leaning back into the couch.

"Sir, your father demands to see you immediately," Lucas said, his tone firm but respectful.

Liam smirked at the word demands. "Tell him I’m busy, Lucas."

"Busy?" Lucas repeated, somewhat surprised.

"Yes, busy," Liam replied dryly. "If he’s so eager to see me, let him invite me to dinner this weekend. Exact him for it. I’ll bring my fiancée."

Lucas paused, unsure of how Richard would react to such casual dismissal. "I’ll deliver the message, sir."

"Good," Liam said before ending the call abruptly.

He tossed his phone onto the couch and leaned back, satisfied, when he heard soft footsteps shuffling behind him. Turning his head, he spotted Linda walking into the living room half-asleep, her brown hair wild and tangled around her face.

She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and yawned, barely noticing Liam until he laughed—loudly.

Linda froze, blinking at him groggily. "What’s so funny?"

Liam’s laughter only grew as he stood up, setting his glass on the table. "Did you check yourself in the mirror?" he asked, amusement clear in his voice.

Linda frowned, slowly realizing what he meant. She glanced at her reflection in the nearby window and groaned, raking a hand through her messy hair. "Whatever," she muttered, waving it off shyly. "It’s not like I’m entitled to make myself look pretty for you."

The smile on Liam’s face faltered, replaced by something unreadable. In one swift motion, he closed the distance between them. Before Linda could react, Liam grabbed her waist, pulling her close. Her heart skipped a beat as his intense gaze locked onto hers.

"Oh, you are," Liam murmured, his voice low and teasing.

Linda’s breath hitched. Her pulse quickened as his face moved closer, his lips hovering dangerously near hers. She closed her eyes instinctively, her breaths growing shallow.

But the moment she expected never came.

Instead, she felt the absence of his warmth. Opening her eyes, she saw Liam smirking while holding up the bottle of wine from the table beside her.

"We need to sign a contract, ma’am," he said mockingly, raising the bottle like it was a trophy.

Linda’s cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment. Realizing she had just been played, she crossed her arms and glared at him. "You’re insufferable."

Liam chuckled, pouring himself another glass of wine. "And you’re adorable when you’re flustered."

"Whatever," Linda mumbled, storming off toward her room.

"Don’t forget," Liam called after her. "You owe me a signature tonight."

Linda didn’t bother replying, though her mind was spinning. What have I gotten myself into?

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