The CEO signed a contract marriage to save my dad

The CEO signed a contract marriage to save my dad episode 10

The CEO Signed a Contract Marriage to Save My Dad

Episode 10 — The Night Everything Changed

The ride back from the Kingsley estate was unusually quiet.

Rain tapped softly against the car windows while city lights blurred outside like fading memories.

Lina sat beside Adrian, replaying Sophia’s final words repeatedly inside her mind.

Take care of him.

It didn’t sound bitter.

It sounded sincere.

And somehow… that frightened Lina more than Sophia’s anger ever had.

She glanced sideways at Adrian carefully.

His expression remained calm, but she could tell he was deep in thought.

Even his silence felt heavier tonight.

Finally, Lina spoke softly.

“Are you okay?”

Adrian looked toward her briefly.

“Yes.”

“That answer sounds fake.”

“It’s accurate.”

Lina sighed quietly.

“You know, normal people sometimes talk about their feelings.”

“I’m aware.”

“Do rich CEOs pay taxes on emotions too?”

For the first time all evening, the corner of Adrian’s mouth lifted slightly.

Tiny.

Brief.

But real.

Lina’s chest warmed immediately.

She was becoming addicted to those rare smiles.

And that was dangerous.

Very dangerous.

---

When they arrived at the mansion, Lina expected Adrian to disappear into his office like usual.

Instead, he followed her into the living room.

That alone felt unusual.

Mrs. Eleanor looked up from arranging flowers and immediately sensed the strange atmosphere.

“I’ll prepare tea,” she announced wisely before disappearing.

Lina placed her purse down slowly.

“You don’t have to pretend you’re fine all the time.”

Adrian loosened his tie slightly.

“I’m not pretending.”

“Yes, you are.”

Silence.

Then unexpectedly, Adrian asked:

“Why do you keep trying to understand me?”

The question caught her off guard.

Lina hesitated before answering honestly.

“Because underneath all the scary billionaire behavior… you’re lonely.”

Adrian’s gaze sharpened slightly.

Most people saw power when they looked at him.

Fear.

Control.

Success.

Very few noticed the loneliness underneath.

“You shouldn’t analyze people,” he said quietly.

“You shouldn’t hide from people.”

Another silence settled between them.

Heavy.

Personal.

Then Adrian suddenly stepped closer.

Too close.

Lina’s heartbeat instantly lost stability again.

“I told myself this marriage would stay simple,” he admitted softly.

Her breath caught.

“But lately…” His eyes lowered briefly toward her lips again. “You complicate things.”

The room suddenly felt too small.

Lina could hear her own heartbeat.

Feel the warmth radiating from him.

This was dangerous territory.

No contracts.

No acting.

Just truth.

And truth terrified her far more than pretending ever had.

Before either could move—

Crash!

A loud sound echoed from outside the mansion.

Both turned instantly.

Mrs. Eleanor hurried into the room looking alarmed.

“Sir—someone crashed through the front gate!”

Adrian’s expression cooled immediately.

Security alarms suddenly rang throughout the mansion.

Lina’s stomach dropped.

“What’s happening?”

Adrian instinctively moved in front of her protectively.

“Stay behind me.”

Several guards rushed past the windows outside.

Then headlights flashed violently across the driveway.

A black sports car had crashed directly into the entrance gates.

The driver’s door opened.

And a familiar man stumbled out.

Drunk.

Angry.

Desperate.

Ethan Kingsley.

Lina blinked in shock.

“Ethan?!”

Adrian’s expression darkened instantly.

Ethan walked unsteadily toward the mansion entrance while security tried stopping him.

“I need to talk to him!”

“Sir, please calm down—”

“Move!”

Moments later, the front doors burst open.

Ethan entered looking completely unlike his usual charming self.

His hair was messy.

His eyes were bloodshot.

And pain radiated from him openly.

Adrian’s voice turned dangerously cold.

“You’re drunk.”

“Very observant,” Ethan laughed bitterly.

Lina exchanged worried glances with Mrs. Eleanor.

Something was terribly wrong.

Ethan looked directly at Adrian.

“She’s gone.”

Sophia.

The realization hit instantly.

“She left tonight,” Ethan continued quietly. “No goodbye. Nothing.”

Adrian remained silent.

But Lina noticed his jaw tighten slightly.

Ethan laughed again, though this time it sounded broken.

“You know what’s funny?” he asked. “I spent years watching her love you while you pushed her away.”

The room fell silent.

Lina’s eyes widened slightly.

Wait.

Watching her love him?

Ethan looked exhausted suddenly.

“I loved her too.”

The confession shattered the room completely.

Even Adrian looked genuinely shocked.

Ethan rubbed his face tiredly.

“She never noticed me. Not once.” His voice cracked slightly. “Because all she ever saw was you.”

Lina’s chest tightened painfully.

No wonder Ethan always watched Sophia so carefully.

No wonder he understood her emotions better than anyone else.

He had been quietly suffering all this time.

Adrian stepped forward calmly.

“You should rest.”

Ethan laughed harshly.

“That’s your response?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“The truth!” Ethan snapped suddenly. “For once in your life, stop hiding behind control and say something real!”

The tension became suffocating.

Lina had never seen anyone speak to Adrian like this before.

Ethan’s eyes burned with years of frustration.

“You push people away before they can hurt you,” he said bitterly. “And somehow everyone still keeps loving you anyway.”

Adrian’s silence only made Ethan angrier.

Then Ethan’s gaze suddenly shifted toward Lina.

And his expression softened with sadness.

“Be careful,” he told her quietly.

Lina’s heartbeat slowed uneasily.

“What do you mean?”

Ethan looked back at Adrian.

“He doesn’t know how to keep people once they become important to him.”

The words hit harder than anyone expected.

Especially Adrian.

For the first time that night, genuine emotion flickered openly across his face.

Not anger.

Fear.

Ethan noticed immediately.

And strangely… he smiled.

“There you are,” he whispered. “An actual human emotion.”

Then exhaustion finally seemed to hit him completely.

His shoulders slumped.

“I’m tired,” he muttered quietly.

Adrian sighed softly before signaling security.

“Take his keys. Prepare a guest room.”

The guards nodded carefully.

As they helped Ethan upstairs, he glanced back once more toward Lina.

“Don’t let him shut you out,” he said quietly.

Then he disappeared down the hallway.

Silence filled the mansion afterward.

Heavy silence.

Mrs. Eleanor wisely disappeared again.

Leaving only Lina and Adrian standing in the living room.

Neither spoke for several moments.

Then Lina finally asked softly:

“Was he right?”

Adrian looked toward the rain-covered windows.

“I don’t know.”

That answer hurt more than denial would have.

Lina stepped closer carefully.

“You’re not your past, Adrian.”

His eyes slowly moved toward her.

Dark.

Tired.

Vulnerable in a way she had never seen before.

“And what if I hurt you anyway?”

The question came quietly.

Honestly.

Lina’s chest tightened.

Because for the first time since meeting him…

The powerful CEO standing before her didn’t look untouchable anymore.

He looked afraid.

Afraid of caring.

Afraid of losing.

Afraid of her.

Without thinking, Lina reached for his hand.

His fingers tightened around hers instantly.

Warm.

Steady.

Real.

“You won’t,” she whispered softly.

Adrian stared at her for one long, dangerous moment.

Then suddenly—

He pulled her gently toward him.

Lina gasped softly as his arms wrapped around her waist.

Not passionate.

Not rushed.

Just… holding her.

As though she was the only thing keeping him grounded.

Slowly, carefully, Lina rested her head against his chest.

And for the first time since this fake marriage began…

Neither of them felt like pretending anymore.