BY CONTRACT: His to own

Chapter8

The car was silent for a moment, save for the low hum of the engine and the occasional sound of traffic passing by. Ava stared out the window, arms folded tightly against her chest, biting the inside of her cheek. The air between them was thick not just from the silence but from the weight of everything that had happened and what had just begun.

She finally turned her head slightly, just enough to look at him from the corner of her eyes.

“I told you I could go by myself,” she muttered, her tone laced with irritation. “You didn’t have to drive me.”

Damien’s hands were loose on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed ahead, calm as ever. “You’re my girlfriend now. It’s my duty,” he said without blinking.

She let out a dry laugh. “We’re only supposed to act like that when people are around, remember? This isn’t real.”

At that, Damien turned his head just a little, his eyes cutting toward her, dark, unreadable, intense.

“You’re my possession now,” he said, his voice low and controlled but with a sharp edge. “I own you. So you don’t tell me what to do. I make the rules, baby.”

Ava’s jaw clenched as she turned her gaze back to the window. Her fingers curled into fists on her lap. “You’re impossible,” she hissed under her breath.

“I get that a lot,” he replied smoothly.

The rest of the drive was quiet, with tension clinging to every breath they took.

When they arrived at the hospital, Damien parked the car as he owned it. He got out and walked around to open the door for her. Ava didn’t thank him. She just got out and kept walking ahead, her heels clicking against the tiled floor of the hospital entrance.

They walked up to the front desk where a young secretary sat behind the counter, scrolling through something on her computer. Her eyes flicked up when she heard them approach and then widened slightly when she saw Damien.

She blinked, lips parting just a little, stunned by the sight of the man standing in front of her. Tall. Clean-cut. Sharp jawline. Perfectly dressed in a black suit that screamed expensively. He didn’t even need to say anything, his presence alone demanded attention.

Ava noticed. Of course, she noticed. She crossed her arms again as if she were trying to shield herself from the weight of it all.

“We’d like to see the doctor,” Damien said, his voice calm and commanding.

The secretary nodded too quickly. “Yes…yes, sir. One moment.” Her voice was high-pitched and flustered as she picked up the phone.

As she dialed, her eyes kept flicking up to Damien. She even smiled once, a bit too long, a bit too obvious.

Ava rolled her eyes.

The woman spoke briefly to someone on the other end of the line, then hung up. “She’s available now. You can go in.”

“Thank you,” Damien said, giving her a small nod.

The secretary looked like she might faint from it.

Ava, on the other hand, didn’t bother acknowledging the girl. She walked straight toward the hallway leading to the doctor’s office. Damien followed a few steps behind her, his eyes unreadable, his energy cold and powerful.

As they reached the office door, Ava hesitated for just a second before pushing it open.

And the door closed behind them.

As they stepped into the doctor’s office, Ava immediately noticed the warm but sharp gaze of Dr. Elise as she welcomed them.

“Good afternoon, please come in,” the doctor said, standing from behind her desk with a polite smile. Her eyes, however, lingered a second longer on Damien, something Ava caught but didn’t comment on.

Ava stepped forward, her voice firm but anxious. “I have the money for the operation. Please… when will it take place?”

Dr. Elise nodded with a small smile. “That’s great news. The operation is scheduled for tomorrow morning, 9 a.m. sharp. All we need now is for the deposit to be made with the secretary so everything can be finalized.”

Before Ava could move, Damien stepped forward. “I’ll take care of the payment. You go see your sister,” he said, his voice calm but resolute.

Ava looked at him, surprised at the softness in his tone. She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay,” she whispered, her eyes dropping to the floor.

She turned and walked out of the office without another word, her steps slightly hurried, almost as if her heart couldn’t bear the weight on her chest any longer.

Damien turned to follow another direction, his shoes echoing across the polished floor as he headed back toward the front desk.

Meanwhile, Ava reached the familiar hallway where her sister’s room was. Her steps slowed as she approached the door. Her fingers hovered just above the handle. Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs.

She stood there for a moment, frozen, unsure of why the simple act of opening a door felt so heavy.

Then, with a quiet breath, she turned the handle and stepped inside.

The room was quiet, dimly lit by soft yellow lights. The faint beeping of a monitor was the only sound, steady and almost soothing, if not for the sharp pain it echoed in her chest.

Her sister lay still on the hospital bed, a pale sheet pulled over her fragile frame. Her face looked so peaceful, yet so distant like she wasn’t here.

Ava walked slowly to the bedside. She gently adjusted the blanket, making sure her sister’s shoulders were properly covered. Then she pulled the small wooden stool beside the bed and sat down quietly.

Her hand reached out, hesitant at first, then it gently closed around her sister’s cold, unmoving fingers.

A lump rose in her throat, and her vision blurred as the tears returned.

“I’m so sorry…” her voice cracked as she spoke. “I didn’t know how bad things had gotten. I should’ve… I should’ve taken care of you. Maybe I would have known about your condition sooner.”

She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve, but the tears kept coming. Silent, painful streams down her cheeks.

She held her sister’s hand tighter and rested her forehead gently against it.

“I’m going to fix this. I promise I will. Even if I have to give away every piece of myself… I’ll save you.”

The door behind her creaked slightly.

Damien stood at the door, unmoving, his tall frame casting a long shadow into the quiet room. His eyes were locked on Ava.

She hadn’t noticed him yet.

He watched her as she sat hunched over the side of the hospital bed, her fingers tangled around her sister’s. Her head was bowed, her shoulders trembling. The sound of her soft sobs pierced the sterile silence.

Damien’s jaw tightened. His fingers curled into fists at his sides, the sight of her like this clawing at something deep inside him, something he didn’t like to acknowledge.

This wasn’t the fierce, stubborn woman who had yelled at him earlier.

Seeing her cry like that did something to him.

Just then, a soft voice broke the tension.

“Mr. Valen.”

Damien turned sharply.

Dr. Elise stood beside him, her tone low, her smile faint and professional.

“Everything went as planned,” she said in a hushed voice.

Damien gave her a small nod. “Good.”

Without another glance into the room, he turned and walked away, the sound of his footsteps fading into the hallway.

Ava still hadn't seen him.