CHAPTER 13
1597 Words
Back in his room, Earl sat quietly at the edge of his bed.
The room given to him inside the Castillon residence was bigger than any place he had ever stayed in before. The bed alone looked large enough for three people. The soft lights along the walls gave the room a warm and calm feeling. Outside the tall glass window, the night was peaceful.
But inside Earl’s mind, everything was restless.
He leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop remembering what had just happened earlier.
That moment with Meave.
The moment when he almost kissed her.
His heart started beating faster again just thinking about it.
It felt strange.
Exciting.
And somehow… real.
Earl slowly covered his face with his hand.
He could still remember how close their faces were. The warmth of her breath. The softness of her skin when he touched her cheek.
For a moment, it felt like the world had stopped moving.
And the strangest part was that it felt natural.
Authentic.
As if that moment was something he had been longing for all this time without even realizing it.
He slowly sat up again and rubbed his face.
“Ugh…” he groaned softly before letting out a deep sigh.
He fell back onto the bed again, staring at the ceiling like a man trying to understand his own heart.
“How could I tell her that I will accept her contract?” he muttered to himself.
The thought kept repeating in his mind.
Meave had offered him something unbelievable.
A contract marriage.
In exchange, she would help his father with the best medical care possible. She would give him the financial security he had always struggled to achieve. And he would only need to do two things.
Help her with her treatment.
And accompany her son, Emman.
It sounded simple.
Too simple.
But accepting that contract meant something bigger.
It meant stepping into the world of the most powerful woman in the city.
It meant living inside the Castillon empire.
And somehow, Earl did not feel afraid of that.
What frightened him more was something else.
His heart.
Because deep inside him, he already knew the truth.
He wanted to accept it.
Not only because of the money.
Not only because of his father.
But because of her.
He slowly turned his head and stared at the empty wall.
Meave’s face appeared again in his mind.
Her serious eyes.
Her calm voice.
And that rare moment when she looked vulnerable in front of him.
Earl sat up again and scratched the back of his head.
He did not know what to do next.
Then suddenly—
His phone vibrated beside him.
The sudden sound broke his thoughts.
He grabbed his phone and looked at the screen.
A message notification appeared.
The moment he saw the name, his expression changed.
Kennah Muller.
His ex-wife.
Earl felt a strange heaviness in his chest as he opened the message.
“I won’t divorce you! Never!”
That was all the message said.
Earl stared at the screen quietly.
For several seconds, he did not move.
He slowly lowered the phone.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
“Why…” he whispered softly.
Why was everything so complicated?
Why couldn’t he even make a simple decision about his own life?
Why was it that choosing what made him happy always felt impossible?
He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.
His fingers tightened around the phone.
Kennah had already made it clear.
She would not divorce him.
Not now.
Maybe not ever.
And Earl knew exactly why.
It was not because she loved him.
It was because of pride.
Because of power.
The Muller family was one of the strongest families in the city.
To them, divorce meant humiliation.
They would rather keep him tied to Kennah forever than let him walk away peacefully.
Earl clenched his jaw slightly.
For a moment, a dangerous thought crossed his mind.
Maybe he could force her.
Maybe he could fight the Muller family in court.
Maybe he could expose things about their marriage.
But the moment that idea appeared, it quickly faded.
Who was he, anyway?
Just an ordinary man.
A man with no power.
No influence.
No wealth.
And he would be going against one of the biggest empires in the city.
It would be like walking straight into a storm with nothing but his bare hands.
Then another thought entered his mind.
His daughter.
The image of his little girl appeared in his head.
His heart softened instantly.
If he fought the Muller family, his daughter would suffer.
She might hate him even more.
She might grow up believing he destroyed their family.
Earl closed his eyes tightly.
Everything felt impossible.
Then suddenly…
The contract appeared in his mind again.
Meave’s contract.
A contract marriage.
His eyes slowly opened.
“There’s something wrong with that…” he murmured to himself.
He sat up straight.
“It would be ashamed to accept the contract when I'm not divorce yet.” he said quietly.
Even if Meave was willing to help him, he could not start something built on dishonesty.
She deserved to know the truth.
Everything.
Earl grabbed his phone again.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he took a deep breath and dialed her number.
The phone rang.
Each second made his heart beat louder.
Finally—
The call connected.
Meave answered.
Her voice was calm and gentle, even through the phone.
“Mr. Valerio… Do you need something?”
Earl opened his mouth.
But suddenly, he felt nervous.
“Uhmmm…” he hesitated.
He rubbed his forehead as he tried to find the right words.
Then he took a breath and forced himself to continue.
“It’s about the contract.” He continued.
“Alright. I’ll arrange everything, Mr. Valerio. You don’t have to worry about it.” Meave replied calmly through the phone.
Earl held the phone close to his ear while sitting on the edge of his bed.
For a moment he hesitated again. He was not used to asking things from people like her.
“Uhmmm… Are you still feeling unwell?” Earl asked carefully. “What do you want me to do?”
There was a short silence on the other line.
Then Meave answered quietly.
“Nothing. Just talk to me.”
Earl blinked.
He did not expect that answer.
“Talk?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Her voice sounded softer now.
Earl scratched the back of his head and looked around his room as if trying to find something interesting to say.
“Well… I don’t really know what to talk about,” he said with an awkward laugh.
“Anything,” Meave replied.
So Earl started talking.
At first, it was just simple things. Small stories about his childhood. About how he and his father used to live in a small apartment. How they sometimes had to share a single meal for the whole day.
Then he talked about school.
About how he studied hard because he believed education would change his life.
Sometimes he laughed while remembering old moments.
Sometimes his voice became quiet when the memories were painful.
And through the phone…
Meave simply listened.
She rarely interrupted him.
She rarely asked questions.
But she was there.
Listening.
The conversation went on longer than Earl expected.
Minutes passed without them realizing it.
Then suddenly Earl looked at the clock on the wall.
His eyes widened.
“We’ve talked for almost an hour now,” he said with surprise.
He let out a small laugh.
“And for almost an hour, I’ve talked a lot of nonsense.”
Meave quietly responded.
“They’re not nonsense.”
Earl fell silent.
“They’re your past,” she continued calmly. “And I’m listening.”
Earl did not know why, but hearing those words made his chest feel warm.
For a moment he did not speak.
Then he said softly, “You keep listening… but I’ve never known yours.”
There was silence again.
This time it lasted longer.
Then Meave spoke.
“You should get some sleep already, Mr. Valerio.”
Her tone returned to its usual calmness.
Earl smiled faintly.
“Alright.”
He slowly leaned back against the pillow.
“Good night.”
“Good night,” Meave replied.
Then the call ended.
Inside her room, Meave slowly lowered the phone.
She remained sitting quietly on the edge of her bed.
A moment later…
She realized something.
She was smiling.
It was a small smile, but it was real.
She stared at the phone in her hand.
Earlier she believed her condition might become worse if she talked to him for too long.
Her body usually reacted strongly when she stayed emotionally close to someone.
But tonight…
Nothing happened.
Her breathing was calm.
Her chest was steady.
No sudden discomfort.
No panic.
She slowly looked at her hands.
“My haphephobia is getting worse…” she murmured to herself.
Then she shook her head slightly.
“Perhaps… that’s what the doctor said to me.”
Her eyes softened.
But deep inside, she knew something else.
Earl’s presence was somehow… different.
Meanwhile, the night quietly passed.
Morning arrived at the Castillon residence.
Soft sunlight entered through the tall windows of Earl’s room.
Earl slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment he felt confused.
Then he noticed something strange.
There was someone beside him on the bed.
Earl quickly sat up.
“Eh?”
- Writer
