Contracted Bride

Chapter 7

The air of the hospital greeted Ella as she stepped through the doors. Her hands clutched the strap of her handbag. This was the place she had visited every day for the past five years, a place that smelled of antiseptic—a constant reminder of her mother’s fragile hold on life.

But today felt so different.

Today, she wasn’t walking in as Ella anymore, the broke and desperate daughter of a dying woman. Today, she walked in as the soon-to-be wife of Charles Don.

The thought alone sent her heart into a chaotic rhythm.

“Miss Ella?” The nurse standing at the front desk blinked in surprise, her eyes trailing over Ella’s borrowed clothes and a nervous demeanor. “Oh, you’re here for Mrs. Vasilious. The doctor wanted to speak with you about her condition.”

Ella nodded, forcing a polite smile. “Thank you. Is she… stable?”

“Still stable,” the nurse assured, though her tone carried the usual weight of uncertainty. “But we do need to discuss the outstanding bills.”

Of course, the bills!

Ella followed the nurse, she knew this walk by heart—past the vending machine. Each sound pulled at her chest like invisible strings.

Inside her mother’s private ward, the slow sounds of life-support monitors filled the silence. Ella’s mother lay motionless on the bed, her once-vibrant face sunken. Tubes and wires covered her body, and though Ella had grown used to seeing her this way, the sight still felt like a stab to the chest every single time.

She sank into the chair beside the bed, taking her mother’s hand. It was warm.

“Mom, It’s almost over. I found a way. You don’t have to worry anymore.”

A tear slipped down her cheek, landing on her mother’s hand. She quickly wiped it away before the door opened behind her.

Charles stepped in, his presence as commanding here as it had been in his office. He didn’t belong in hospitals—too intimidating. His black suit and emotionless expression contrasted with the white walls and the suffering that lingered in every corner of the building.

Leonardo followed as usual, carrying a folder.

Ella stood abruptly, her heart hammering. “You came?”

“I said I would,” Charles replied simply, his eyes flicked to the bed, scanning the unconscious woman briefly before landing back on Ella. “This is her?”

“My mom.” Ella nodded.

“She’s… younger than I expected.”

Really! I.. I. The comment startled Ella. She wasn’t sure if it was meant to be pity.

“She’s forty-eight, life just… wasn’t kind to her.”

Charles didn’t respond. Instead, he turned toward Leonardo and motioned with a hand. “Handle it.”

The doctor arrived moments later, summoned by Leonardo’s call. He was a man who had seen far too many families fall apart in these halls.

“Mr. Don,” the doctor greeted, almost stumbling over the name in shock. “I… I wasn’t aware—”

“Spare me the formalities, her bills. The treatments. From now on, everything goes under my account. Full coverage, private care, best specialists—whatever she needs.”

“All… all of it?” The doctor asked stumbling.

“All of it, and I want weekly updates sent directly to me. No delays.”

“Yes, sir. Absolutely. I’ll arrange the paperwork immediately.”

Ella was unable to process what she’d just heard. For five years, she had begged, borrowed, and drowned in debt to keep her mother alive. Every month was a battle, every phone call from the hospital was a new weight crushing in her chest.

And now, with one command, Charles had erased it all, just once.

“You… you didn’t have to—” Ella said crying.

“Yes, I did,” he interrupted, not looking at her. “We signed a contract. This is part of the deal.”

“But still…thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.”

“Don’t thank me, you’ll pay me back in three years.”

Ella nodded, back in three years... Back in three years! She repeated.

As the doctor left to prepare the paperwork, Ella sat back down beside her mother, overwhelmed.

Charles remained still standing, his hands in his pockets, gazing out at the hospital facilities. Leonardo stood behind him, ever like a shadow.

Ella broke the silence. “You know… I used to think I’d never escape this cycle. Every time I paid one bill, another came in. And I hated myself for it—because I couldn’t give her more than machines keeping her alive everyday.”

Charles didn’t respond.

“But now…Now I feel like I can finally breathe. Even if it’s just for a little while.”

“Don’t mistake this for charity, Miss Ella. This isn’t me saving you. This is business.”

"Hmm! Business, Ella sighed.

She nodded, even as a part of her chest still ached at the reminder. “I know. But… thank you anyway."

Paperwork consumed the next hour. The hospital’s finance department scrambled to adjust records, moving Ella’s mother’s account from overdue collections to premium private coverage. Nurses whispered as they passed, their eyes wide at the sudden change in status.

Ella signed a few forms confirming consent for upgraded treatments. But most of the work was handled by Leonardo and the hospital staff—Charles barely spoke, only interjecting with curt instructions or brief nods of approval.

When it was over, Ella held the final document confirming her mother’s full coverage. The weight of it in her hands felt unreal.

“Is it… really done?” she whispered.

Leonardo glanced at her. “It’s done. Effective immediately.”

The sun was beginning to set as they stepped out into the parking lot. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of rain.

“Can I… stay a little longer? Just to sit with her?” Ella asked.

Charles nodded “Leonardo will wait with you. I have a meeting.”

Something about the abruptness stung, though Ella couldn’t explain why.

“Right, thank you… Mr. Don.” She said.

“Charles,” he corrected without looking back. Then he slid into the car and was gone.

Ella returned to her mother’s side as twilight painted the room. She sat quietly, holding her mother’s hand again, her tears slipping freely down her cheeks now that no one was watching.

“You’re going to be okay, Mom, I don’t know what I got myself into, but… at least you’ll be okay.”

Her mother didn’t stir, but Ella liked to imagine she heard her somehow. That somewhere deep inside, she knew her daughter hadn’t given up.

“Sir, if I may… why go this far for her mother? You could’ve just paid the debt and left it at that.”

“Because I gave my word. And because she reminds me…” He stopped himself, shutting the thought down.

Leonardo glanced at him through the rearview mirror but didn’t press further. He knew better than to dig where scars ran deep.

By the time Ella returned to the mansion, exhaustion weighed heavy on her. The events of the day replayed in her head—the contract, the hospital, Charles’s icy words.

She wandered through the grand halls, still unfamiliar with her surroundings. Everything felt too big. She missed the clutter of Annabelle’s apartment, the warmth of her friends’ laughter.

As she reached the guest wing, she paused by a closed door at the end of the hall. Charles’s study. Light seeped through the door.

For a brief moment, Ella considered knocking—just to say thank you properly once again. But the memory of his expressions stopped her.

Instead, she whispered into the silence, “Thank you, Charles,” and walked away.

In his study, Charles stared at the marriage contract lying beside a stack of corporate files.

Outside, rain began to fall, against the windows.

He didn’t hear Ella’s whisper through the door, but for reasons he couldn’t explain, he paused mid-sip—his heart tightening with something he refused to name.

Three years. That was the deal.

But something told him this arrangement was about to get far more complicated than either of them anticipated.