A Wife For Him Hearts Under Contract

Two Months

The house was still as,

Daniel sat cross-legged on the edge of his dining table, a newspaper open in front of him, one hand holding his usual morning cup of coffee.

His hair was still messy from sleep, and he hadn’t bothered changing out of the navy T-shirt and sweatpants he’d thrown on after his shower.

The article he was reading had nothing to do with work but everything to do with escaping it.

Then, the front door flew open.

“Dano!” a familiar voice roared from the hallway. “Dano! Dano!”

Daniel sighed, setting his mug down. “I’m right here,” he called out, loud enough for his voice to travel. “God, what now?” he asked himself,

Just as Henry his father stormed into the room, nearly tripping over the rug at the doorway.

His eyes were wild, his blazer was half-off one shoulder, and in his hand was a white envelope he clutched like a winning lottery ticket.

“I told you!” Henry said breathlessly, waving the envelope in the air. “I said it, didn’t I? I told you there was a possibility, and now… now we know!”

Daniel blinked, still seated. “What are you talking about?”

“Just look,” Henry said, marching forward and slapping the envelope down onto the table.

“Okay…” Daniel muttered, hesitating before picking it up. “Can you at least tell me what this is first?”

“Well open it and see for yourself.”

Still confused, Daniel opened the envelope and pulled out the sheet inside. He scanned the top line, then stopped cold at the bold letters staring back at him:

Paternity Test Result

Names: Ethan and Elias

Probability of Paternity: 99.9%

His lips parted slightly as he stared at the paper for a long second maybe longer.

“…What is this?” he asked finally, voice low.

“I told you,” Henry said firmly, “those boys are your children.”

Daniel laughed sharp and disbelieving. “That’s funny, Pa. You’re making jokes now?”

“I’m not joking,” Henry snapped. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

Daniel shook his head, holding up the paper. “This? This could’ve been printed by anyone.

I don’t even know those kids hell, I don’t even know their mother in that s****l way other than the fact that she just recently started working in our company.”

“Exactly,” Henry said. “Because you don’t remember.”

Daniel looked up, eyes narrowing stop pa don’t start.”

“I will start,” Henry said. “Because you need to face it. Six years ago you remember that night, don’t you?

Daniel’s throat tightened, and he slowly stood.

“You left early,” Henry continued. “Said you had a headache. You never came home. Hours later, we got the call car accident. You were unconscious for almost two days.

And when you woke up, your memory of that entire week was foggy.”

Daniel ran a hand through his hair, pacing now. “I remember the accident. But I don’t remember... I didn’t sleep with anyone. That’s not”

“You don’t know that for sure,” Henry cut in. “Because you can’t know.

You barely remember anything from that night.”

Daniel turned, frustrated. “So you’re saying I might’ve had a one-night stand with some random woman, and just what? Knocked her up and forgot about it?”

Henry didn’t flinch. “I’m saying it’s not impossible. And that test confirms it.”

Daniel stared at the paper again. “But this... this doesn’t mean anything.

Maybe someone’s lying. Maybe she planned this.”

“She didn’t even know we took the test,” Henry said calmly.

“First of all, Pa… don’t say we you’re the one who took that test not me Daniel replied sarcastically.”

But henry didn’t flinch as he gave a slow shrug. “Fine i took the damn test. So what

Then Daniel shook his head and turned away, pacing.

“This is insane dad what do you expect me to do with this information now? Frame it and hang it in the hallway?”

Henry walked around the table, closing the distance between them.

“Well I expect you to do what needs to be done.

Those boys belong in this house, Daniel with you and it’s also time you start acting like a father to them.”

Daniel turned sharply, scoffing. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’ve never been more serious.”

“I hate kids, dad I can barely stand them in the same room,” Daniel snapped. “They’re loud, messy, clingy.

I mean, did you see the way they were talking to me the other day? They were so rude,

“Well maybe it's because you were acting rudely too” Henry shot back, raising a brow.

Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “You always do this.”

“Do what?” Henry said dryly.

“Push your unfinished business on me.

Like I owe it to you to fix whatever you think went wrong.”

Henry stepped in, calm but firm. “This has nothing to do with unfinished business.

This is about blood, Daniel our blood.

And those boys deserve to know where they come from.”

Daniel shook his head. “You can talk all you want, Pa.

But I’m not doing it.

I don’t want kids in my space. I’m not some fairytale father waiting for a redemption arc.”

Henry went silent for a beat… then smirked.

“Well then,” he said casually, “forget about that little thing you’ve been asking me for.”

Daniel froze. “No.”

“Yep.”

“You’re not serious.”

“I’m dead serious.”

“Pa, don’t do this right now. Don’t bring that into this,” Daniel warned.

“Oh, I will. And I just did. You want full control of the new wing? You want the board to sign off your expansion pitch?

Well, I want my grandchildren under this roof two months, Daniel I give you two months to bring them into this house or forget about it”

Daniel took a slow step back. “Dad you can’t blackmail me like this.”

“ Well I can and I just did Henry responded with a scowl.”

“This isn’t business, Pa!”

“It’s family and around here, family is business.”

Daniel’s voice dropped. “And what about their mother? You think she’s just going to hand them over because I show up with a suit and a last name?”

Henry smiled. “Where’s the legendary Blackwood persuasion if you can’t convince a single mother?”

“That’s not how this works.”

“That’s exactly how this works,” Henry replied, his voice low. “Unless you’ve lost your edge.”

Daniel glared at him, chest rising and falling.

Henry walked toward the door, picking up the newspaper Daniel had dropped then he turned over the front page casually, like nothing heavy had just been said.

“Two months,” he repeated. “Get them in this house. Or you can kiss that project goodbye.”

Daniel said nothing.

As Henry walked out without another word.

And the house fell quiet again.