Our Contracted Romance

Chapter 4: 'Please, Make It Stop'

The car pulled into a quiet, gated compound—nothing like a normal hospital. The building was white, sleek, and silent, with tinted glass and uniformed guards stationed at every corner. It looked more like a research center than anything else.

Jonas stepped out first and opened Mara’s door.

“This way,” he said gently.

Inside, everything smelled clean—too clean. The lights were soft, the floors shining. A nurse in pale blue scrubs approached them immediately.

“Miss Mara?” she asked.

Mara nodded.

“This way, please. We’ve been informed of your arrival.”

Jonas gave her an encouraging look.

“I’ll be just outside. It won’t take long.”

Mara followed the nurse down a narrow hallway into a private room. The equipment was neatly arranged, everything modern and almost intimidating in its perfection.

“We’re just running a standard set of tests,” the nurse explained brightly. “Bloodwork, vitals, then a booster injection. Nothing to worry about.”

Mara sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm her nerves.

The nurse worked quickly—checked her temperature, pulse, blood pressure.

“All normal,” she said.

Then came the injection.

The nurse prepared the syringe and pushed the needle gently into Mara’s arm. At first, it burned a little—nothing unusual.

But within seconds, a tight, strange sensation spread through her chest.

Then sharper.

Her breath hitched.

Her fingers curled against the mattress. “I… I don’t feel—right…”

The nurse looked up, surprised.

“Where exactly?”

“My chest,” Mara whispered, pressing a hand against it. “It… hurts. And my head… feels light…”

Her vision tilted—just slightly—but enough to frighten her.

The nurse froze for half a second before straightening.

“Do you have any known allergies?”

Mara shook her head weakly. “No… not that I know of…”

Her breath came out uneven, her chest tightening again. The room felt too bright, her heartbeat loud in her ears.

The nurse immediately pressed a button on the wall.

“Doctor Chen to Room 3. Now.”

Footsteps echoed down the hall.

Jonas’s voice followed, sharp with concern.

“Mara? What’s happening?”

The nurse tried to stay calm.

“She’s reacting to the injection. We need the doctor.”

Another wave of pain shot through Mara’s chest and she gripped the bedsheets, eyes squeezed shut.

“Please,” she whispered, voice trembling. “Make it stop…”

Jonas didn’t wait for the doctor to arrive.

The moment he saw Mara clutching her chest, her breathing uneven and her face paling, he pulled out his phone with a speed she had never seen from him before.

He stepped aside just enough to give the nurse space, but his voice was sharp, urgent—nothing like his usual calm.

“Mr. Vallin,” he said the moment the call connected. “We have a problem.”

Mara could barely make out the crackle of the voice on the other end, but she heard the tone—cold, clipped.

What kind of problem?

Jonas glanced at her, eyes tight with worry.

“The injection they administered—she’s reacting badly. Chest pain, dizziness, possible allergic shock. They’re calling the doctor now, but—”

Why was that injection given without my approval?

The CEO’s voice sharpened, almost dangerous.

“I don’t know, sir,” Jonas answered quickly. “I’m handling it. But you need to be aware—she’s not stable.”

Another wave of pain hit Mara, and she gasped softly. Jonas turned toward her, face tightening.

“She’s getting worse,” he added into the phone. “Do you want me to pull her out of here?”

There was a long pause.

Then Mr. Vallin’s voice dropped to a tone Mara had never heard from anyone—steady, controlled, but carrying something like… fear.

Do not leave her side, Jonas. I’m coming there myself.

Jonas exhaled, relieved. “Yes, sir.”

He hung up and rushed back to Mara’s side, placing a steadying hand on her back as she tried to breathe through another sharp stab in her chest.

“Mara, stay with me,” he said quietly but firmly. “The doctor is on the way. And Mr. Vallin is coming.”

Her eyes fluttered open weakly.

“He… he’s coming here?”

Jonas nodded once.

“Yes. So just breathe. Help is coming.”

She tried—but her chest felt tight and hot, her vision dipping in and out. Jonas squeezed her shoulder gently, trying to keep her grounded.

Outside the room, hurried footsteps echoed closer.

But in Mara’s fading awareness, only one thought pushed through:

The CEO himself… is coming.

The pain tightened like a fist around her chest—hot, crushing, unbearable.

Mara tried to inhale, but it felt like the air refused to enter her lungs. Her vision blurred at the edges, tunneling into darkness. Jonas’s voice sounded distant now, like he was shouting from underwater.

“Mara—hey, Mara! Look at me. Mara!”

His hands were on her shoulders, steadying her as her knees gave out.

Another wave of dizziness hit her so hard she couldn’t fight it anymore.

The room flickered—white, then black, then nothing.

She collapsed.

Her head didn’t hit the floor—Jonas caught her just in time, lowering her carefully but urgently. His voice trembled, raw panic leaking into every word.

“Mara! Mara, stay with me. Damn it—MARA!”

But she couldn’t open her eyes.

She couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t breathe properly.

Everything was dark… except for the muffled, frantic sound of her name being pulled out of him over and over.

“Mara! Don’t do this—come on—Mara!”

Footsteps rushed in. A nurse’s voice cut through sharply:

“Get her on the bed, now! She’s losing consciousness!”

“Her pulse is dropping—prepare oxygen!”

Jonas was still there, his voice shaking:

“Please… please wake up…”

But she slipped deeper, the sounds stretching farther and farther away.

The very last thing she heard—faint, almost like a memory—was Jonas whispering desperately:

“Don’t leave… he’s almost here.”

Her body finally surrendered.

The darkness swallowed everything as she completely fainted, her limbs falling limp in Jonas’s arms.

The nurses rushed her onto a stretcher, voices sharp and overlapping.

“Pulse is unstable—get the oxygen mask now!”

A cold mask was pressed over her nose and mouth, the hiss of oxygen filling her lungs for her since she couldn’t.

“Prepare the counter-reaction injection! She’s allergic to the first one—now!”

Someone held her arm still; another needle slid into her skin.

A hot sting followed—then a spreading heaviness, forcing her deeper into unconsciousness.

Jonas stood beside the bed, breathing hard, fear written all over him.

“Will she be okay?” he asked, voice cracking.

“She will,” the doctor answered quickly. “The reaction was severe, but this injection will stabilize her. Keep the oxygen steady.”

Machines beeped beside her—slow, uneven, then gradually smoothing out.

Her fingers twitched slightly, the first sign she wasn’t slipping further away.

Jonas let out a shaky breath and whispered, almost to himself:

“Good… stay with us.”

But she remained unconscious, breathing only because the mask forced air into her—completely unaware of the chaos around her.

The door slammed open so hard the wall shook.

Vallin stormed in, still in his suit, chest rising and falling like he’d sprinted the entire way. His eyes locked immediately on her unconscious body, the oxygen mask covering half her face, the IV line taped to her hand.

“What happened?” His voice was low, dangerous—more fear than anger.

Jonas stepped back, swallowing. “Sir… she had a severe allergic reaction to the injection. They didn’t check her chart properly. She collapsed before we could stop it.”

Vallin’s jaw tightened, fury flashing through his eyes like lightning.

He moved closer to the bed, stopping right beside her. His hand hovered over her arm—hesitating, fighting himself—before gently touching her wrist, as if confirming she was still warm.

“How long has she been out?” he demanded.

“Seven minutes,” the doctor replied softly. “She’s stabilizing now, sir. Her vitals are returning to normal.”

Vallin exhaled, the breath shaky. His expression was fierce, but there was something else underneath—something he would never admit.

He turned sharply toward the staff.

“Who administered that injection?”

All the nurses froze.

[ Flashback — One Hour Earlier ]

The private hospital was quiet when Mrs. Vallin stepped into the doctor’s office, her heels clicking sharply against the tiled floor. She didn’t sit—she stood tall, arms crossed, chin raised as if the very air around her wasn’t worthy of sharing her space.

The doctor, already nervous under her gaze, cleared his throat. “Madam Vallin… you asked to see me?”

She waved a manicured hand dismissively.

“Yes. The new girl is coming today. My husband’s… little project.”

Her tone carried distaste, like saying the words left a bad taste in her mouth.

“She’s a bumpkin,” she continued. “Some village stray he picked up. There’s no need to waste time with tests. Just give her the clearance injection and move her along.”

The doctor blinked in surprise. “Madam, we usually run—”

“No tests,” she snapped. “She probably has nothing in her system anyway. The faster this is done, the better. I don’t want her crawling around the mansion longer than needed.”

“But—”

“I said what I said.” She leaned closer, voice dropping into a cold whisper. “My husband doesn’t need to know. Do you understand?”

The doctor hesitated only a second… but that was enough.

Fear won.

“…Yes, Madam.”

She smiled—sharp, satisfied—and turned to leave, her perfume lingering behind like poison.

When they arrived later, the doctor obeyed her instructions without a single test.

He didn’t check her file.

He didn’t ask questions.

He simply injected her.

What he didn’t know… what he should have known…

Was that she was completely clean. There was nothing to clear.

So the injection—meant to flush out toxins—had nothing to bind to.

Nothing to break down.

Nothing to process.

Instead, it attacked her system directly, burning through her bloodstream like fire.

And now…

Hours later…

She lay unconscious, breath uneven, while Vallin sat beside her with a storm behind his eyes—

Still unaware that the woman he trusted most had caused all of it.

“Well?” he demanded.

The doctor bowed his head. “Sir… it appears there was a mistake. The nurse on duty administered the wrong injection without checking the chart. I will deal with her immediately.”

Jonas frowned. He’d been there. He knew which nurse had given the shot—she’d been following the doctor’s order, not acting on her own. But the doctor avoided Jonas’s eyes, refusing to show the truth on his face.

A trembling nurse stood just behind him, eyes wide with confusion and fear.

“Sir, I—I didn’t—” she began, voice cracking.

But the doctor cut her off sharply. “Enough! You were careless. You nearly harmed a patient under my supervision.”

Vallin’s jaw clenched. “She almost died.”

The nurse covered her mouth, tears welling. “I only did what I was told—”

“Security,” the doctor snapped. “Escort her out. She’s dismissed from the hospital immediately.”

Two guards stepped in, taking her gently by the arms.

She began to cry, pleading softly, “Please… I didn’t mean to… I did what you ordered, doctor…”

But the doctor didn’t look at her.

He kept his head bowed toward Vallin, hiding the guilt tightening his shoulders.

Vallin sighed sharply, exhausted, angry, and terrified all at once.

“Get her out,” he repeated.

The nurse was led away, her sobs echoing faintly down the corridor.

Jonas clenched his fists at his side. He knew a lie when he saw one.

But he said nothing—not yet.

The doctor straightened and forced a reassuring tone.

“Sir, she’s stable now. There won’t be any further complications.”

Vallin didn’t respond.

His attention returned to the unconscious girl, his expression unreadable—except for the fury burning just beneath it.

A fury he didn’t yet know was aimed at the wrong person.

Vallin didn’t bother looking at the doctor again.

“Dismissed.”

The word cut through the room like a blade—cold, final.

The doctor bowed quickly and rushed out, leaving Jonas and the silent machines behind. The door clicked shut, and the quiet felt heavier than before.

Vallin exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders refusing to ease. He rested his elbows on his knees, rubbing his forehead with one hand while the other stayed close to her arm, as if guarding her even while exhausted.

Jonas stepped closer. “Sir… shall I arrange transport back to the mansion?”

“No.” Vallin’s voice was low, steady, but there was something strained beneath it. “She stays here until she wakes up. I want updates every ten minutes.”

Jonas nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Vallin looked up, eyes cold but burning. “And find out why the staff here are so careless. I don’t want a repeat of this. Ever.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jonas turned to leave, but before he reached the door, Vallin spoke again—so quietly Jonas almost didn’t hear him.

“…I told them to take care of her. Not to break her.”

For a moment, the CEO who never cared about anyone looked almost… human.

Then the mask slid back into place.

“Go,” he said firmly.

Jonas left, closing the door behind him.

Vallin stayed by her bedside, refusing to move—

A silent guardian beside the woman who shouldn’t have mattered…

But somehow already did.