Contracted Hearts

The Heir Everyone Wanted

Breakfast inside the Cole mansion felt like a battlefield.

Adrian sat at the dining table scrolling through messages on his phone while Eleanor and Richard watched him with matching expressions of irritation.

Vanessa remained unusually quiet beside them, sipping coffee carefully while tension stretched across the room like a wire waiting to snap.

Eleanor broke the silence first.

“So she still refused to return.”

Adrian did not look up. “Yes.”

Richard scoffed immediately. “Unbelievable.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened slightly.

“She was upset.”

“She was disrespectful,” Eleanor corrected coldly.

That finally made Adrian lift his eyes.

“She had every right to be angry.”

His mother stared at him carefully now.

“And whose fault is that?”

Silence.

Because honestly?

It was his.

Adrian knew that.

But admitting it aloud irritated him because somehow everything around Zara had become complicated far too quickly.

Nothing about this arrangement was supposed to feel personal.

Nothing.

Yet here he was arguing with his parents over a woman he was never supposed to emotionally care about in the first place.

Richard folded his newspaper sharply. “The board is furious.”

Adrian looked unimpressed. “The board is always furious.”

“Not like this.”

“They found out you married a cleaner,” Eleanor said bluntly.

Vanessa shifted uncomfortably at the table immediately.

Even she seemed to realize the sentence sounded harsh.

But Eleanor continued anyway.

“You embarrassed this family publicly.”

Adrian laughed softly.

“There it is.”

“What?”

“The real issue.”

Eleanor’s expression hardened. “You think reputation does not matter?”

“I think you care too much about appearances.”

“And you clearly do not care enough.”

Richard leaned forward slightly now. “You should have handled this better.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Handled what exactly?”

“The announcement. The board. The press.” Richard’s voice became sharper. “You made a reckless decision.”

“She was convenient.”

The moment the words left his mouth, something uncomfortable settled inside him immediately.

Because that was no longer fully true.

And deep down, he knew it.

Eleanor however relaxed slightly at that answer.

“Then stop acting emotionally attached.”

Adrian’s expression darkened instantly.

“I’m not attached.”

Vanessa quietly glanced at him over her coffee.

She did not believe him.

Not even slightly.

Richard sighed heavily. “The board meeting starts in an hour. You need to fix this before investors begin panicking.”

“They’re panicking because I’m engaged?”

“They’re panicking because the future CEO appears unstable.”

Adrian stood up immediately.

That sentence irritated him more than expected.

“I’m done with this conversation.”

“You cannot walk away from responsibility,” Eleanor snapped.

Adrian looked directly at her now.

“Watch me.”

Then he left the dining room entirely.

But the tension followed him all the way to the company.

The board meeting was worse than expected.

Every seat around the massive conference table was occupied, and the atmosphere inside the room already felt hostile before Adrian even sat down.

Executives whispered quietly among themselves while several board members stared openly at him with disappointment.

Adrian remained calm externally.

But internally?

He was exhausted.

One of the older board members adjusted his glasses before speaking first.

“We need clarification immediately.”

Adrian leaned back slightly in his chair. “About?”

“Your engagement.”

There it was.

Straight to the point.

Another board member sighed heavily. “The media is already discussing it.”

“And investors are concerned,” someone else added.

Adrian’s patience thinned visibly. “Concerned about what exactly?”

The room became quiet for a second before an older woman across the table answered bluntly.

“That the future CEO of Cole Enterprises secretly married a cleaner.”

There was that word again.

Cleaner.

Something sharp flickered across Adrian’s expression immediately.

He hated hearing people reduce Zara to that now.

Which was ironic considering he had done the exact same thing yesterday.

“She is not just a cleaner,” he said coldly.

Several people exchanged looks immediately.

Interesting.

One of the board members raised an eyebrow. “Then what exactly is she?”

Adrian paused.

And somehow that question frustrated him more than expected because he genuinely did not know how to answer it anymore.

Contract wife?

Problem?

Mistake?

Something far more dangerous?

“She is my fiancée,” he said finally.

The room remained unconvinced.

A younger executive sighed. “Mr. Cole, with all due respect, image matters.”

“I’m aware.”

“Then surely you understand why people are questioning this decision.”

Adrian folded his hands calmly. “I understand why people are surprised.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

Silence.

Another executive leaned forward slightly. “You come from one of the most powerful families in the country. People expected someone more suitable.”

Adrian’s expression hardened slightly.

“Meaning?”

The man hesitated before answering carefully. “Someone from your social level.”

There it was again.

The same conversation.

The same judgment.

And suddenly Adrian remembered Zara’s face yesterday inside his office.

The hurt in her eyes.

The anger.

The disappointment.

A strange guilt twisted inside his chest again.

“She works hard,” Adrian said quietly.

Several people looked surprised by that response.

“And?” someone asked.

Adrian exhaled slowly.

“She’s intelligent. Strong minded. Difficult.” A faint trace of irritation crossed his face briefly. “Very difficult.”

That almost made a few people laugh awkwardly.

But the tension remained.

One of the older board members sighed. “Nobody is saying she is a bad person.”

“They’re just saying she’s wrong for your image,” another added.

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

Because technically?

That was true.

And he hated the fact that part of him understood their perspective.

“She will adapt,” he said finally.

“And the heir?” Richard’s closest business associate asked suddenly.

The room quieted immediately.

Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“What about the heir?”

“You understand the board’s concerns,” the man continued. “The company needs stability. Continuity. Investors need reassurance.”

Adrian leaned back calmly. “You’ll have it.”

“You’re planning to start a family soon?”

Adrian hesitated only briefly.

Then answered firmly.

“Yes.”

The room visibly relaxed slightly after that.

Another executive nodded slowly. “Good. That changes things.”

Adrian hated how transactional the entire conversation felt.

A child.

An heir.

A solution.

Everything reduced to strategy.

Still, he kept his expression calm.

“I’m handling the situation.”

One of the board members looked at him carefully. “You seem defensive about her.”

That question lingered heavily in the room.

Adrian’s expression immediately cooled again.

“I’m defensive about unnecessary disrespect.”

Not her.

That was the answer he wanted them to hear.

But even he no longer fully believed it himself.

Across town, Zara sat inside the bathroom staring blankly at the pregnancy test in her shaking hands.

Positive.

Again.

She looked at the second test beside the sink.

Positive too.

Her stomach dropped completely.

“No.”

Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

“No no no.”

Her breathing became uneven immediately as panic rushed through her body.

This was too fast.

Too real.

Too much.

She sat slowly at the edge of the bathtub while tears filled her eyes again.

Pregnant.

Actually pregnant.

A child.

Her chest tightened painfully.

And suddenly Adrian’s words from yesterday returned to her mind all over again.

Someone like you.

A stain.

The board.

The embarrassment.

Zara pressed a trembling hand against her mouth.

This was supposed to be simple.

Temporary.

Controlled.

So why did everything feel like it was spiraling out of control instead?

A loud knock interrupted her thoughts.

Then another.

“Zara?”

Adrian.

Her eyes widened instantly.

“What does he want now?” Amara muttered outside.

Another knock came.

“Please open the door.”

Zara quickly wiped her face before stepping out of the bathroom slowly.

Amara looked toward her immediately. “Should I send him away again?”

Zara stared silently at the tests still hidden behind her back.

Then looked toward the door.

“Let him in.”

The moment Adrian entered the apartment, tension crashed into the room immediately.

Zara stood across from him looking exhausted and emotionally drained.

And somehow that made his guilt worse again.

He took a careful step forward. “You look terrible.”

Zara laughed bitterly. “Amazing opening line.”

Amara folded her arms nearby. “You have five minutes.”

Adrian ignored her completely.

“I came to apologize properly.”

Zara stared at him quietly.

Then suddenly held the pregnancy test up.

The room froze.

Adrian blinked once.

Then again.

“What is that?”

Zara’s laugh sounded almost broken now.

“You tell me.”

His eyes slowly widened as realization hit him.

And for the first time in days, genuine emotion fully broke across his face.

Shock.

Then happiness.

Real happiness.

“You’re pregnant?”

That reaction immediately angered Zara.

Of course he was happy.

Of course.

Because now he gets what he wants.

“You look excited,” she said coldly.

Adrian looked stunned still. “Zara this is…”

“This is what? Convenient?”

“No.”

“A solution?”

“No.”

“An heir?”

His expression shifted slightly.

Wrong answer.

Very wrong answer.

Zara’s anger exploded instantly.

“Oh my God.”

“Zara.”

“You don’t even care about me! You care about the baby!”

“That’s not true.”

“Really? Because you look happier now than you ever looked around me!”

Amara looked ready to physically remove Adrian herself at this point.

Adrian stepped closer carefully. “You threatened abortion yesterday out of anger. Did you know already?”

“No.”

The answer came immediately.

And somehow that mattered deeply to him.

Adrian ran a hand through his hair slowly before laughing softly in disbelief.

“I’m going to be a father.”

The joy in his voice only made Zara angrier.

“You see?” she snapped. “This is exactly why I should get rid of it.”

His expression changed instantly.

Dangerously instantly.

“Do not say that.”

“Why? Because now your precious company is safe?”

“That’s not what this is about.”

“Then what is it about?”

Silence.

Because Adrian himself did not fully know anymore.

All he knew was the idea of Zara actually getting rid of the pregnancy made something violent twist inside his chest.

And that terrified him.

That evening, the Cole mansion exploded with celebration.

Champagne flowed.

Staff rushed around preparing food.

Richard looked genuinely pleased for the first time in weeks while Eleanor immediately began discussing future family announcements.

Vanessa watched everything quietly with unreadable eyes.

And Adrian?

He stood in the middle of it all strangely distracted.

Because Zara was not there.

Yet somehow everyone celebrated like she no longer mattered.

The news spread quickly.

Cole heir on the way.

Future successor confirmed.

The media lost its mind within hours.

And the next morning, Zara saw everything online.

Pictures.

Articles.

Celebration headlines.

A family gathering she was never invited to.

Her hands shook violently as she stared at the screen.

Then anger exploded fully.

The mansion doors slammed open the next morning.

Every servant inside the house froze instantly as Zara stormed inside looking furious enough to destroy the entire building.

Eleanor stood from the couch immediately. “What is the meaning of this?”

Zara laughed sharply. “That’s funny coming from you.”

Adrian appeared from the staircase instantly after hearing her voice.

“Zara?”

She turned toward him with blazing eyes.

“You threw a celebration party?”

His expression shifted immediately.

“You saw that.”

“Saw it?” she snapped. “The entire country saw it!”

Eleanor crossed her arms calmly. “The family was celebrating good news.”

“Without me?”

Richard looked annoyed already. “You refused to return home.”

“This is not my home!”

The argument exploded instantly.

Voices rose across the mansion.

“You people are unbelievable!” Zara shouted. “You throw parties about my pregnancy while treating me like garbage!”

Eleanor’s expression hardened. “Watch your tone.”

“No!”

Adrian moved toward her carefully. “Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!”

The tension became unbearable.

Then Zara shouted the sentence that silenced everyone.

“Maybe I should just abort it and end all this madness!”

The room froze.

Adrian looked furious instantly.

“Enough.”

But Eleanor spoke before he could continue.

“You signed a contract.”

Zara turned slowly toward her.

“What?”

Eleanor’s eyes became cold.

“You cannot simply walk away from obligations whenever you feel emotional.”

Zara stared at her in disbelief.

“Are you threatening me?”

“I’m reminding you there are legal consequences for breaking agreements.”

Silence crashed violently into the room.

Even Adrian looked shocked by how far his mother went.

And suddenly Zara felt trapped.

Completely trapped.

Without another word, she turned and walked out.

Then spent the next several days locked inside her room crying while the entire world celebrated a future she was no longer sure she wanted.