A Bride by Contract
1759 Words
I stared at the contract, but it wasn’t the ten million dollars that broke me.
It was my grandmother’s name flashing across my phone.
“Grandma?”
Her voice was weak.
“Marisol… where are you?”
My heart dropped.
“I’ll explain later. Are you okay?”
There was a long cough at the other end.
“I’m at the Hospital.”
I shot to my feet.
“What happened?” I stammered.
“It’s nothing serious.”
I knew she was lying. She always lied whenever she didn’t want me to worry.
“I’m coming now,” I said, my voice sharp.
Before she could stop me, I ended the call and rushed toward the office door.
“Miss Reyes.”
Damien’s voice stopped me. I turned around.
“My grandmother is in the hospital.”
He looked at me for only a second before pressing the button on his desk.
“Evelyn.”
His assistant walked in immediately.
“Prepare the car.”
“I don’t need…”
“You do.”
“I can take the bus.”
“It will take forty-five minutes.”
He looked at his watch.
“My driver will get you there at twelve.”
I opened my mouth to refuse. Then I remembered I had only forty-three dollars left inside my purse. Pride didn’t pay hospital bills.
“Thank you,” I said in a firm yet gentle tone.
The drive felt endless. I kept calling Grandma. She didn’t answer. Every terrible possibility filled my head.
By the time I reached the hospital, I was already crying. I couldn’t hold the tears back anymore.
Immediately, I entered through the entrance door. The nurse at the reception recognized me.
“You’re Mrs. Sofia Reyes’ granddaughter?”
“Yes.”
“Please follow me.”
I almost ran because Grandma looked smaller than I remembered. She smiled the moment she saw me.
“There you are.”
I grabbed her hand.
“You scared me.”
“I’m still alive.”
“Don’t joke.”
“I’m old. Old people joke about these things.”
I tried to smile.
It didn’t work.
The doctor entered a moment later.
“Miss Reyes.”
“Yes.”
“We’ve been trying to contact you.”
“Is she okay?”
He looked at my grandmother before speaking carefully.
“Her heart condition has worsened.”
The room became silent.
“We recommend surgery.”
“Then do it.”
The doctor hesitated.
“It requires a deposit.”
“How much?”
He told me the amount. Everything inside me froze. My heart raced. It was more money than I had earned in two years.
“There has to be another way.”
“I’m sorry.”
He left us alone. I slowly sat beside Grandma’s bed.
“I’m sorry.”
She squeezed my hand.
“For what?”
“I couldn’t even keep my job.”
She frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“I lost it.”
“And Victor?”
I looked away.
“We’re over.”
She didn’t ask another question. She simply pulled me into a hug.
“My girl.”
That was all it took. I broke.I cried harder than I had yesterday. Harder than when Victor threw me out.
Harder than when I lost my job because Grandma had nothing. Yet she was comforting me.
After she fell asleep, I walked into the hallway. My phone buzzed. It was an unknown number.
I answered immediately.
“This is Graham.”
“I remember.”
“My client asked me to check on your grandmother.”
I blinked.
“He asked?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t know why that surprised me. Powerful men weren’t supposed to care about strangers.
“How is she?”
“She needs surgery.”
There was silence Then
“I’ll inform Mr. Ashford.”
“No.”
The word came out too quickly.
“I don’t want charity.”
“It wouldn’t be charity.”
“It feels like it.”
“Miss Reyes.”
His voice remained calm.
“My client doesn’t make emotional decisions.”
“What does that mean?”
“If he helps you, he’ll expect something in return.”
I understood everything immediately. The contract.
I looked through the glass window at Grandma sleeping peacefully, Then I remembered the hospital bill.
My eyes widened as I breathed heavily. The answer became painfully clear.
The next morning I returned to Ashford International. Evelyn welcomed me with a warm smile.
“I hope your grandmother is feeling better.”
“She’s trying.”
Evelyn nodded gently.
“I lost my mother to heart disease.” Her voice shook.
I looked at her in surprise.
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
It was the first time someone inside this building felt human. She quietly handed me a cup of coffee.
“You look like you barely slept.”
“I didn’t.”
She smiled sympathetically.
“Neither did Mr. Ashford.”
That surprised me.
“Him?”
“The board kept him here until three in the morning.”
Before I could respond, Damien’s office door opened.
“Miss Reyes.”
I walked inside. He was already working on three laptops. Several files were spread across his desk.
The phone rings every few minutes. He looked exhausted but somehow still perfectly composed.
“You came back.”
“I did.”
He slid the contract toward me again.
“You’ve made your decision?”
“I have one question.”
He leaned back.
“Ask.”
“If I sign. My grandmother’s surgery. Will you pay for it?”
“Yes.”
“No hidden conditions?”
“You will become my wife. And that’s all?”
“For one year.”
I looked into his eyes. People said eyes revealed character. He revealed nothing. That scared me.
“I don’t understand you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Why help me?”
“I already answered that.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You said you trust me.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“I know enough.”
His answer only made me more suspicious. Nobody offered ten million dollars to a complete stranger. Nobody. Something didn’t add up.
I looked down at the contract again. There had to be another reason.
Maybe he needed someone easy to control. Maybe he was hiding something. Maybe this entire marriage was more dangerous than it looked.
If I signed. I’d be stepping into the world of one of the richest men in the country.
People like him didn’t survive by being kind. They survived by keeping secrets. I quietly made a decision.
If I accepted, I’d find out what Damien Ashford was really hiding without letting him know.
“There’s another issue.”
Damien’s voice interrupted my thoughts. The moment shattered.
“What?”
He handed me a tablet. A news article filled the screen.
ASHFORD INTERNATIONAL CEO SECRETLY SEEKING A BRIDE?
Below it were dozens of comments. Some claimed he was dying while others believed a wealthy family was forcing him into marriage.
Someone had leaked confidential information again. It has gone viral across all the social media platforms.
“This is bad.”
“It will get worse.”
“Who’s leaking it?”
“I intend to find out.”
The way he said it sent a chill down my spine. He wasn’t angry. He was calculating.
He already knew somewhere inside his own company was betraying him.
A knock interrupted us.
Attorney Graham entered.
“There is another complication.”
Damien looked up.
“What now?”
“The board has nominated another marriage candidate.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“A woman from the Sterling family.”
One of the country’s wealthiest families.
“They’re insisting she would strengthen the merger.”
Damien’s face became expressionless.
“And if I refuse?”
“They’ll delay the vote.”
Graham hesitated.
“There is more.”
“The Sterling family have already announced the engagement of several investors.”
“What?”
“They’re treating it as if it’s already agreed.”
I looked between them.
“So…”
“They’re trying to force your hand.”
Damien nodded once. Exactly. Then he looked at me.
“If you walk away now…”
“I’ll marry her?”
“No.”
His voice turned cold.
“I’ll go to war.”
Something about those words made the room feel smaller. This wasn’t just about marriage anymore. It was about power.
My phone buzzed again. It was another text message notification from Victor.
I heard you’re begging rich men for money now. You’re exactly where you belong.
A second message arrived.
By the way, your grandmother’s hospital account has been frozen.
I stared at the screen in horror. My breathing almost stopped.
“What?” I screamed out in terror.
I called the hospital immediately. The billing office answered.
“I’m sorry, Miss Reyes.”
“Our system shows someone filed a legal dispute against your grandmother’s payment records.”
“What does that even mean?”
“The surgery has been postponed until it’s resolved.”
My knees almost gave out. Victor. It had to be Victor. He couldn’t let me go without hurting me one last time.
Damien stood.
“What happened?”
I couldn’t stop the tears.
“He found another way.”
Damien quietly took the phone from my shaking hand and listened to the hospital administrator for less than thirty seconds.
Then he ended the call. Without saying a word, he picked up a pen and placed the marriage contract in front of me.
“I’ll solve your grandmother’s problem.”
His eyes met mine.
“You solve mine.”
My hands trembled as I picked up the pen. The moment my signature touched the paper, Damien signed beneath it.
Attorney Graham witnessed it. Evelyn quietly smiled. The contract was complete. I had just become Mrs. Damien Ashford.
But as Damien reached across the table to shake my hand, his office door suddenly burst open.
A security officer rushed inside, breathing hard. His heart pounding in his chest.
“Mr. Ashford…”
He looked from Damien to me. Then he delivered the one sentence that made everyone in the room go still.
“Someone has just tried to kill your new wife.”
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