His Contract Wife

Chapter 1: An unusual proposal

The hospital never truly slept.

Even at this hour, its white corridors hummed with quiet urgency—soft footsteps of nurses, distant beeping machines, the faint scent of antiseptic that clung to everything like a second skin. Time inside these walls didn’t feel like time at all. It felt like waiting. Waiting for good news. Waiting for bad news. Waiting for something that might change everything.

Laura Bennett stood outside a glass door, her fingers curled tightly around a folded hospital report she had already read so many times the words felt burned into her mind.

Her sister was inside.

Lily.

That name alone was enough to steady her… and break her at the same time.

Laura exhaled slowly, forcing her shoulders to remain straight as she pushed the door open.

Inside, the room was softly lit. Machines blinked in quiet rhythm beside the bed, casting pale reflections across the walls. Lily lay there looking far too small in the oversized hospital sheets, her dark hair spread gently against the pillow.

But when she saw Laura, she smiled.

That smile.

It always did something dangerous to Laura's heart.

“You came back fast,” Lily said weakly, her voice light but fragile.

Laura forced a smile as she moved closer. “I said I would, didn’t I?”

“You always say that,” Lily teased softly. Then, after a pause, she added, “You look tired.”

“I’m fine,” Laura replied immediately.

It was her default answer. Her shield. Her lie.

She sat beside the bed and gently tucked a strand of hair behind Lily’s ear. The gesture was automatic now—something she had done so many times she no longer needed to think about it. But tonight, her hands trembled slightly before she could stop them.

Lily noticed.

“You’re worrying again,” Lily whispered.

Laura shook her head. “No. I’m not.”

But silence filled the space between them, heavy and honest.

Lily stared at her for a moment, then said softly, “I had a dream.”

Laura glanced up. “A dream?”

“I was outside,” Lily continued, eyes brightening a little. “There was sunlight everywhere. And I was eating the biggest plate of pasta I’ve ever seen. Like… so much pasta it didn’t make sense.”

Despite everything, Laura let out a small laugh. “That sounds like you.”

Lily grinned. “You were there too.”

“I was?”

“You were smiling. Not the tired smile you do now. A real one.”

The words landed heavier than they should have.

Laura looked away for a second, blinking quickly. “Maybe one day.”

“Promise?” Lily asked immediately, like she was afraid Laura would take it back.

Laura hesitated.

That hesitation lasted only a second—but Lily noticed it anyway.

“I promise,” Laura said quietly.

But even as she said it, something in her chest tightened painfully.

Because promises required time.

And time was something they were running out of.

A knock on the door interrupted the moment.

A nurse stepped in gently. “Miss Bennett, the doctor would like to speak with you.”

Laura’s body stiffened almost instantly.

She stood. “Is something wrong?”

The nurse’s expression softened in the way people’s expressions did when they didn’t want to say too much. “It’s just an update.”

Laura nodded once and turned back to Lily.

“I’ll be right outside,” she said softly.

Lily nodded, still smiling faintly. “Don’t take too long. I’ll save you some imaginary pasta.”

Laura managed a small smile before stepping out.

The hallway felt colder than before.

The nurse led her a short distance away before stopping outside a consultation room. “He’s in there,” she said gently, then left.

Laura stood still for a moment.

Her hand hovered near the door handle.

Something about this moment felt heavier than usual.

She pushed the door open.

The doctor was already inside, flipping through Lily’s file with practiced efficiency. He looked up as she entered and gave a polite nod.

“Miss Bennett.”

“Doctor,” she replied, voice steady despite the unease creeping up her spine. “Is Lily okay?”

The doctor didn’t answer immediately.

That pause told her everything before he even spoke.

He closed the file gently. “Her condition is stable for now, but we need to move faster with treatment.”

Laura's throat tightened. “Faster how?”

“There’s a procedure we’ve been recommending. It’s more advanced, but also significantly more expensive. Without it, we’re looking at a decline in the coming months.”

Months.

The word echoed in her mind like a warning bell.

“How much?” Laura asked quietly.

The doctor hesitated again, and that hesitation hurt more than any number could.

He told her.

Laura did not react immediately.

Not because she didn’t understand—but because she understood too well.

It was more than everything she had. More than everything she could get in time. More than anything she could borrow, beg for, or work toward.

Her hands slowly curled into fists at her sides.

“There has to be another option,” she said, voice tighter now. “Something slower. Something cheaper.”

The doctor shook his head gently. “Not if we want the best chance.”

Silence fell.

Laura stared at the floor for a moment, then nodded once.

“I understand.”

But she didn’t move.

Because understanding didn’t help.

Understanding didn’t save anyone.

She stepped out of the room, the weight of the conversation pressing down on her shoulders like gravity had suddenly doubled.

And that was when she noticed him.

At the far end of the corridor.

A man stood near the hospital entrance, dressed in a dark tailored coat, his posture calm in a way that didn’t belong in a place like this. He wasn’t rushing. He wasn’t worried. He simply stood there, as if observing something invisible to everyone else.

Adrian Kingsley.

She didn’t know his name yet.

But something about him felt… different.

Laura looked away quickly, focusing instead on getting back to Lily. She didn’t have time to wonder about strangers. She didn’t have time for anything that wasn’t survival.

But Adrian had already seen her.

More importantly—he had already heard her.

He had been passing by the consultation room when the doctor’s voice carried through the slightly open door. At first, he hadn’t intended to stop. Hospitals were filled with conversations that didn’t concern him.

But then he heard her voice.

Not loud. Not dramatic.

Just… steady.

And exhausted.

He slowed.

Then stopped.

And listened.

By the time she left the room, Adrian had already processed what most people would have ignored.

A problem.

A deadline.

A number too large for her to carry alone.

He watched her walk past him without noticing him at all.

And for reasons he didn’t bother analyzing yet… he turned slightly to follow her with his eyes.

Later that evening, the hospital grew quieter.

Laura sat beside Lily again, holding her hand gently as her sister drifted in and out of sleep. She tried not to think about numbers. Tried not to think about deadlines. Tried not to think about fear.

But fear had a way of sitting beside her, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

At some point, Lily’s breathing evened out completely.

Asleep.

Laura carefully adjusted the blanket and stood up, stretching her stiff shoulders.

“I’ll fix this,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

Then she stepped outside the room.

The corridor was emptier now.

Colder too.

She didn’t notice the man waiting at first.

Not until a voice broke the silence.

“Miss Bennett.”

Laura froze.

She turned slowly.

Adrian Kingsley stood a few steps away now, closer than before. His presence was calm—but heavy in a way that made the air feel tighter.

“How do you know my name?” she asked cautiously.

“I heard your conversation earlier,” he said simply.

Her body went still.

Of course.

Her first instinct was anger—but it was quickly swallowed by exhaustion. She didn’t have energy for strangers, especially ones who overheard private conversations.

“If this is about the hospital privacy—”

“It’s not,” he interrupted.

That stopped her.

Adrian studied her for a brief moment, expression unreadable.

Then he spoke again.

“I have a proposal.”

Laura blinked once. “A… proposal?”

“Yes.”

Something about the way he said it made her uneasy.

She folded her arms tightly. “I think you’re mistaken. I’m not interested in anything right now.”

“It’s not what you think,” he replied calmly.

A pause.

Then, without changing his tone at all, he added—

“Marry me.”

The world didn’t stop.

But it felt like it did.

Laura stared at him, unsure if she had heard correctly.

“…What?”

Adrian’s gaze didn’t waver.

“One year,” he said. “A contract marriage. In exchange, I will cover your sister’s full medical treatment plus compensation.”

For a moment, all Laura could hear was the distant beeping of machines behind her.

And the pounding of her own heartbeat.

Because suddenly…

The impossible had just taken shape in front of her.

And it had spoken her name.