The Cold Heir's Contract Wife

"I will not let you dump Jesslyn into an orphanage!" Harper's voice echoed through the vast, cold Collins mansion living room. Her breath hitched, barely containing the rage ignited by her mother's decision. In the corner of the sofa, Jesslyn flinched in terror, hugging her tattered teddy bear tighter, hiding her trembling face. Elizabeth Collins exhaled a long breath, wearing an expression of weary annoyance as if she were tired of dealing with this drama. "You are being overly dramatic, Harper," she stated coldly. "We are only doing what is best for the family." "Best?" Harper let out a bitter laugh, unable to believe her ears. "Jesslyn is only five years old!" "And she remains a fatherless child who brings shame to this family," Elizabeth retorted sharply. The sentence caused Harper to clench her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white. Ever since Brianna passed away during childbirth, the Collins family had never truly accepted Jesslyn. To them, the child was a walking disgrace who tarnished the reputation they held so dear. Harper still vividly remembered how her sister cried in the hospital before taking her final breath. Brianna never even knew who the man was that had gotten her pregnant that night. And now, after five years had passed, they had decided to simply discard Jesslyn. The living room door opened. Alexander Collins entered alongside James and Edward Collins. The presence of the three men instantly made the atmosphere in the room feel even more suffocating. "Harper," Alexander’s voice sounded heavy and authoritative. "This decision is final." Harper stared at her father in disbelief. "You are serious, Father?" "The Collins family will not raise an illegitimate child." "She is your own granddaughter!" "She is a disgrace." That short, absolute answer made Harper's chest feel tight. James leaned casually against the door, wearing a smug, belittling smirk. "Be honest, Harper. That child is better suited for life in an orphanage than here." Jesslyn trembled instantly upon hearing her uncle’s words. Seeing this, Harper moved quickly, pulling the little girl’s tiny body into her embrace. "You are all despicable," Harper whispered, her voice sharp with restraint. Edward Collins, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up. "Our company has been plagued by problems ever since that child was born. People outside are whispering behind our backs. Grandfather will not allow this family name to be destroyed any further." Harper looked at them one by one. Slowly, a thin, bitter smile carved itself onto her lips, while her eyes conveyed profound disappointment. "Incredible," she whispered softly. "You blame a small child for your own business failures." "Watch your tone!" Elizabeth snapped. SLAP! A hard slap landed on Harper’s cheek. Jesslyn burst into tears of terror. However, Harper did not strike back. She only looked at her mother with a cold gaze—a look signifying that her respect had completely crumbled. "If you care so much about that child," Elizabeth said, her breath heavy with suppressed emotion, "then leave this house!" The room fell deathly silent. Alexander stared at Harper with a judgmental glare. "If you walk out of this house with Jesslyn, never consider yourself part of the Collins family again." Harper remained silent for a few seconds. Without a word, she grabbed her bag. James furrowed his brows. "You’re serious?" Instead of answering, Harper reached inside her bag, pulled out her phone, credit cards, and car keys, and laid them on the table. "I don’t need anything from this family." The belittling expression on James’s face instantly vanished. Alexander seemed shocked that his youngest daughter would be this reckless, while Elizabeth began to look enraged. "Do you think life out there is that easy?!" Elizabeth shouted. Harper ignored her. She crouched in front of Jesslyn, gently stroking the little girl's hair. "Let’s go." Jesslyn looked at Harper with eyes reddened and wet with tears. "Harper..." "I’m here," Harper whispered reassuringly. The little girl immediately hugged Harper's neck tightly as she was lifted into her arms. Before stepping out, Harper paused for a moment. She looked back one last time. "I hope one day you realize," she said quietly, "that the most inhumane person in this house is not Jesslyn." With that, Harper walked away. The mansion door slammed shut behind them, severing the ties that had bound her all this time. The night air bit into her bones. Harper walked along the sidewalk aimlessly, continuing to hold Jesslyn, who was still sobbing softly on her shoulder. "Sorry..." Jesslyn whispered faintly amidst her tears. "Jesslyn made Harper get yelled at..." Harper’s heart felt as though it were being shredded. "It is not your fault." "But they hate Jesslyn..." Harper held her breath for a moment, chasing away the tightness in her chest before stroking her niece’s head again. "I will never leave you." Jesslyn did not answer, only hugging Harper tighter. A few minutes later, the roar of an approaching engine broke the silence. An elegant, luxury black sedan slowly pulled over and stopped right at the curb near them. Harper was instantly on guard. Two men in black suits stepped out first, then opened the rear passenger door. A tall man emerged. His steps were calm, yet he radiated a dominating aura. His gaze locked instantly onto Jesslyn. From that second on, his facial expression changed drastically. Unconsciously, Harper tightened her hold on Jesslyn. "Who are you?" she asked sharply. The man did not answer immediately. His eyes remained locked on Jesslyn’s face, which was partially hidden behind Harper’s shoulder. Something surged within that gaze—shock, disbelief, and agitation. "Is your name Harper Collins?" he finally asked. Harper frowned suspiciously. "Yes. Why?" The man took a step closer. The frightened Jesslyn immediately hid her face deeper, clutching her teddy bear. The man’s eyes dropped to the tattered doll for a moment before returning to Jesslyn. His jaw tightened faintly. "I am too late finding her..." the man muttered softly. Harper began to feel uncomfortable with the situation. "Who are you, really?" The man finally shifted his focus directly to Harper’s eyes. "I am Darian Vane." The name instantly made Harper freeze. She had heard of him. Everyone in the city knew who he was—the sole heir to the Vane Dynasty, a powerful man too dangerous for anyone to provoke. Yet, what made Harper even more uneasy was not the weight of the name, but the way Darian was looking at Jesslyn. As if the little girl was something incredibly precious that he had been searching for for a long time. "You... knew my sister?" Harper asked slowly, beginning to connect the dots. Darian did not answer directly. "I have been searching for Brianna for years." Harper’s heart hammered against her ribs. Darian’s gaze fell back to Jesslyn’s small face. Then, in a voice low, heavy, and full of emphasis, he said, "I need to confirm something." Harper instinctively took a step back, assuming a protective stance. "What do you mean?" Darian did not answer with words. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and immediately dialed a number. As soon as the call connected, he gave a cold, brief command: "Prepare a DNA test. Now."