The CEO's Contract Bride

Ava Lin stared at the hospital bill in her hands. 300,000 yuan. Her mother's heart surgery could not wait any longer. "Mom will be fine," she whispered to herself. But her hands would not stop shaking. Her phone rang. It was an unknown number. "Miss Lin? This is Secretary Wang from the Gu Group. Mr. Gu wants to meet you. Today. About your mother's surgery money." Ava's heart jumped. The Gu Group? Why would they call her? One hour later, Ava sat in the back seat of a black Maybach. The air inside the car was cold. The man across from her pushed a file toward her. "The contract, Miss Lin. Sign it if you have no problem." Ava picked up the file with white fingers and opened it. Rule 1: The marriage lasts one year. After one year, it ends by itself. Rule 2: Neither person will interfere in the other's private life. Rule 3: Do not fall in love. Whoever breaks this rule leaves with nothing. A one-year contract marriage. In return, the Gu family would pay for her mother's surgery. All of it. Ava looked up and studied the man for the first time. Ethan Gu. CEO of the Gu Group. She had seen his face in finance magazines. Sharp jaw, thin lips, eyes cold as ice. "Any problem?" he asked. Ava thought of her mother lying in the hospital bed, getting weaker every day. "No problem." She picked up the pen and signed her name: Ava Lin. The moment the ink dried, she froze. Ethan raised his hand to check his watch. On the inside of his left wrist, there was a light scar. It curved like a small moon. Ava's breath stopped. Three years ago, on a rainy night, someone put drugs in her drink. When she woke up the next morning, the hotel room was empty. There was only a note on the nightstand that said "Sorry." And on that man's wrist — a moon-shaped scar, exactly like this one. She had searched for that man for three years. "Mr. Gu," her voice shook, "have we... met before?" Ethan looked at her face for two long seconds. Then he looked away. "Miss Lin, I meet many people every day." He pushed the car door open. "I don't know you." Ava sat still. Her heart beat so fast she thought it would jump out of her chest. He didn't know her? Or... he didn't want to know her? "Let's go." Ethan was already walking toward the marriage registry office. "After we get the license, my driver will take you to the hospital to see your mother." Ava followed him, her hand tight around her bag. Inside her bag, next to her ID card, there was a folded paper. A pregnancy test report from three months ago. She was pregnant. The baby was that man's — from three years ago. And now, the baby's father was holding her hand, walking with her into the marriage registry office. Neither of them knew that from this day on, nothing would ever be the same.