Contract Marriage To The Cold Billionaire

The woman sat inside the car, her mind spinning as she struggled to piece together what had happened and where she was. Her vision was blurred, and a throbbing pain in her head made her instinctively touch it, only to find her hand covered in blood. Panic coursed through her as she glanced to her right, seeing her husband seated beside her, his head slumped forward, blood streaming down his face. Fear and desperation engulfed her as she called out to him, shaking him weakly, realizing with dread that the car was in motion. "Gabriel" she screamed, but the vehicle had veered off the expressway and was now hurtling towards a cliff. Their peaceful evening had turned into a nightmare when they were ambushed while leaving for dinner. Her husband, Gabriel had been forcibly pulled from his seat and hit on the head until he lost consciousness. In her struggle to fend off their assailants, she had been struck unconscious as well. In that fateful moment, she grasped the grim reality—they were going to die, their deaths planned to appear as a tragic accident. Fueled by desperation, she fought against her seat belt, shaking her husband in a desperate attempt to awaken him, while the car gained speed, hurtling relentlessly toward the cliff's edge. Whispers of a prayer escaped her lips as she clutched her husband's cold hands, her sobs echoing in the confined space. Their bodies jolted forward as the car collided with the precipice, beginning its downward descent from the bridge. In a fleeting moment, she cast a tearful glance at her lifeless husband, accepting their fate. A final prayer for their daughter, who awaited them at home, escaped her lips. Then she mumbled to herself "I'm sorry, princess. Mom and dad won't be coming home tonight." Tears streamed down her face as the car plunged into darkness, and she succumbed to unconsciousness, taking her last breath. Hours later the blasting of sirens and ambulances rent the quiet atmosphere. Journalist and bloggers rushed to the scene. It was a dark day in the city; City Philanthropist and millionaire Axel Rashford and his wife involved in an accident, pronounced dead at the scene. The following weeks were even more chaotic, the sudden dwindling of the Rashford's company, creditors surfacing and the bankruptcy of the company. Soon what was left for the heir was nothing but a looming huge debt for the adolescent. Years later ASTRID'S POV I stared at my phone in disbelief, my mind reeling from the shocking call I had just received. It was my grandmother, someone I hadn't heard from in over six years. Her urgent request for me to return home to Norway immediately sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't help but sense that something terrible had happened. The fact that she had reached out to me after all this time was a clear indication of the gravity of the situation. Thoughts raced through my mind: Could Emerald.co, the company she had built, be on the verge of bankruptcy? Years ago, I had made a pact with my grandmother, fully aware of her longstanding animosity towards me. My mother had defied her wishes and married my father, an act that had forever tarnished my image in my grandmother's eyes. Grandmother Felicia was an unyielding matriarch, meticulously orchestrating the lives of her children. However, my mother had rebelled against her authority and chosen love. I, as the product of their defiance, bore the brunt of my grandmother's resentment, even after my parents' tragic demise. Desperation had engulfed me as I realized time was running out. My dream college admission hung in the balance, and the burden of my father's debts loomed over me like a dark cloud. With no other family to turn to, I had no choice but to seek help from my only remaining relative: Grandmother Felicia. I had mustered the courage to ask her for a loan, promising to work for her and her company to repay the debt. That was our agreement. I never bothered to inquire about the nature of the work I would be doing. I was consumed by my desperation and willing to do whatever she demanded. She understood my dire circumstances, knowing well that I had no other options. And now, the time had come for me to fulfill my end of the bargain. She had faithfully sent money to support me during the six years I had spent in England. Without wasting a moment, I hastily booked a flight back to my homeland, eager to uncover the intentions behind my grandmother's summoning. The call had left me on edge, unsure of what she had in store for me. Emerald.co was her life, and she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice anything, even her own family, for its survival. Exhaustion washed over me as I sighed, fully aware that my meager salary and savings were nothing compared to the debt I owed her. The looming mortgage added to my mounting worries. I pondered anxiously, racking my brain for a solution, but the answer eluded me for now. All I knew was that I had to meet with her first. As exhaustion took its toll, I drifted off to sleep. When I awoke, we were already preparing to land. I was finally back home in Norway, a place I hadn't set foot in for years. The clock struck 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and with a sense of urgency, I swiftly retrieved my luggage. Time was of the essence, and Felicia had arranged for someone to pick me up from the airport. I was driven straight to the office, as waiting was not a virtue she possessed. Sitting in silence during the car ride, a wave of nostalgia washed over me as I gazed at the familiar streets. Memories of driving along these very lanes with my parents flooded my mind, while my gaze fixated on the newly erected buildings and bustling traffic. The journey to the company was brief, marking only my second visit. The first time had been when I had humbly approached my grandmother to request the loan that had brought me back here today. Sitting in my grandmother's office, I observed Felicia Romerez, a woman of strength and influence. It had been years since I last saw her, yet she appeared timeless, untouched by the passage of time. We sat in silence, her scrutinizing gaze fixed upon me. Finally, she spoke with a somber tone, "Things have taken a turn for the worse, Astrid. I'm in debt. A substantial amount of debt." I couldn't help but feel a mix of surprise and irony. This was the first thing she chose to reveal after our six-year separation. How could Felicia Romerez, the embodiment of success and control, find herself in such a predicament? It almost seemed like a joke, too implausible to be true. Struggling to process the information, I managed to inquire, "Is it your personal debt or the company's?" She sighed, her expression betraying the weight of her burdens. "Both. Your uncle made some ill-fated investments using the company's funds, depleting our personal and corporate finances." I took a sip of water, attempting to compose myself. The amount she mentioned left me choking and gasping. It was an astronomical sum, one that seemed insurmountable. Where would we even begin to gather such a vast amount of money? Panic coursed through me as I wondered how I, a mere college student graduate, could possibly contribute to this colossal debt. Her voice interrupted my racing thoughts. "Do you remember our agreement?" I straightened up, my tone curt. "Of course I do. It has never left my mind." I snapped. A glimmer of hope crossed her eyes. "Well, I may have found a solution," she stated, her voice laced with cautious optimism. "There's an investor who can help us revive the business." Relief washed over me as I mulled over her words. An investor could potentially save us from the brink of financial ruin. However, my grandmother's next sentence shattered that optimism. "But there's a condition," she continued, sliding a thick folder toward me. It was a contract, undoubtedly holding the key to our salvation. My eyes widened as I skimmed the pages, unable to comprehend what I was reading. "A marriage proposal," she clarified, her words hanging heavily in the air. "Okay, what has that got to do with me?" I asked her blankly. That's the condition, a marriage proposal." I stared at her blankly, how does this concern me? "It's your marriage, Astrid" What?!" I snapped standing immediately.