The Cold Heir's Contract Wife

006

Brak!

Rosalie slammed the latest edition of the magazine she had just received onto the marble table. The thud echoed throughout the silent room, causing a maid standing near the door to bow her head as low as possible, not daring to glance at the mistress of the house.

"What is the meaning of all this?" Rosalie's voice trembled, holding back an overflowing rage.

"We only received this news this morning, Madam," the maid replied in a squeaky voice, terrified of becoming the target of her wrath.

Rosalie clenched both her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned stark white. Darian had truly crossed the line this time. Last night, they had just been involved in a fierce argument regarding Jesslyn, but this morning, without her approval, Marcus had already begun moving behind the scenes. Her son's trusted aide had been caught contacting various top-tier vendors to prepare for a wedding celebration.

A wedding.

And the bride-to-be was Harper Collins. A complete stranger who had only entered Darian's life in the past few days.

"He truly refuses to listen to me anymore," Rosalie muttered furiously.

She began pacing back and forth in the middle of the room, the heels of her shoes clicking repeatedly against the floor, creating a rhythm that reflected the chaos inside her mind. What caused Rosalie even more distress was not the fact that Harper had absolutely no background.

It was the Averil family.

The engagement between Darian and Victoria Averil was an open secret among the elite and their business colleagues. Many major associates were already aware of the plans to unite the two giant families. But now, Darian had flipped the table and was preparing a wedding with another woman.

How was she supposed to explain this scandal to the Averil family? Rosalie massaged her temples, which had begun to throb with pain. "Darian... that boy is truly stubborn."

Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, a different scene unfolded at the main Vane residence.

Harper stood transfixed behind a large glass window, gazing at the expanse of the sprawling lawn before her. Until this very second, she still struggled to believe the fate that had flipped her life upside down in the blink of an eye.

Yesterday, she was just a wretched woman cast out shamefully from the Collins residence. But today, she stood here, preparing to become the legal wife of a Darian Vane. Furthermore, from the whispers she had overheard, the wedding party would not be held in secret; it would be a magnificent, grand gala.

"I truly cannot understand the way that man thinks," Harper murmured softly, touching the cold windowpane.

The only thing she kept drilling into her mind was the reason behind all this madness. All of this was for Jesslyn.

A marriage that was happening only because Darian did not want Jesslyn to prefer her, so that Jesslyn would no longer experience trauma from being rejected by anyone. Harper, too, did not want Jesslyn to be with her—someone who had no purpose or capital to provide a better life after leaving the Collins family.

After that goal was achieved... after everything was finished...

But was her decision right?

Because she had to sacrifice herself alongside Darian Vane.

Harper bowed her head, staring at the tips of her shoes. She herself did not know what her life would be like later when this contract ended.

Knock! Knock!

A knock on the door broke the swirl of her thoughts. The door opened, revealing Darian stepping in with his usual dominant aura, followed by Marcus carrying several files.

"There are some important things we need to discuss," Darian said straightforwardly.

Harper turned around immediately, straightening her posture. Marcus stepped forward and placed a thick leather folder on the coffee table in the center of the room.

"The marriage contract agreement," Marcus explained politely.

Harper glanced at the document briefly. Honestly, she did not really care about the formalities written within it. From the beginning, her reason for accepting this insane offer was purely to protect Jesslyn, not for her own personal gain.

Darian took a seat on the sofa, leaning his back casually while his eyes remained fixed on Harper. "I want you to read and understand it first."

Hearing that, Harper finally stepped closer and opened the thick document. However, having only read the first few pages, the woman’s brow slowly furrowed deeply. "What is the meaning of all these points?"

Marcus offered a thin, professional smile. "That is the list of compensation you will receive once this marriage contract period expires, Miss Harper."

Harper flipped to the next page, then the next with increasingly rapid movements. The further she read, the wider her eyes widened in disbelief.