The Billionaire Contract Bride

"Hold my hand! Hurry!" The orphanage caretaker stretched her hand toward Emily through the thick smoke. Emily ran forward, tears streaming down her face. Behind her, the flames spread across the old building. Children screamed. People shouted. The entire orphanage was in chaos. "Miss Emily!" one of the younger children cried. Emily turned around immediately. The little girl was trapped near the staircase. Without thinking, Emily rushed back. "Stay there!" she shouted. The fire crackled loudly. The heat burned her skin. Emily grabbed the little girl's hand and pulled her toward the exit. Just as they reached the door, part of the ceiling collapsed. Boom! The explosion sent a wave of heat through the hallway. Emily pushed the little girl outside. "Run!" The child stumbled away safely. Emily tried to follow. Suddenly, thick smoke entered her lungs. She coughed violently. "Help...".Her vision blurred. "Please..." Everything turned dark. Daniel Drake was driving toward a business meeting when he noticed the crowd. Smoke filled the sky. His driver slowed down. "Sir, it looks like an accident." Daniel looked outside. His eyes widened. The orphanage was on fire. Without hesitation, he opened the car door. "Sir!" his driver shouted. Daniel ignored him and ran toward the building. Firefighters were arriving, people were rushing everywhere. Then he noticed someone lying near the entrance. A young woman. Covered in soot unconscious. For some reason, his heart tightened. "Miss!" He knelt beside her. No response." Call an ambulance!" The firefighters were already overwhelmed. Daniel didn't wait.He's lifted her into his arms. "Hold on." Minutes later, he was speeding toward the nearest hospital. Silvercrest Private Hospital. Daniel stood anxiously outside the emergency room. The doors finally opened. A doctor walked out. "Doctor?" "She's stable." Daniel immediately relaxed. "Thank God." "The patient suffered smoke inhalation and severe shock. Fortunately, she arrived in time." Daniel nodded. "When can I see her?" "In a few hours." The doctor paused. "Are you a family member?" "No." "Friend?" "No." The doctor looked confused. Daniel was confused too. He barely knew why he was still there. He had never waited for a stranger before. Yet he couldn't leave. Several hours later. Emily slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a white ceiling. The second thing she noticed was the silence. No children laughing. No caretaker calling names. Nothing. Her heart dropped. "The orphanage..." Tears immediately filled her eyes. She sat up. "The orphanage!" "Easy." A calm male voice stopped her. Emily turned. A tall man was sitting nearby. His expensive suit looked completely out of place in the hospital room. "Who are you?" "My name is Daniel Drake.” Emily frowned. Daniel? The name sounded familiar. "You saved me." He nodded. Silence filled the room. Then Emily remembered everything. The fire. The children. The smoke. The screams. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's gone." Daniel didn't know what to say. "The orphanage is gone." Emily covered her face and cried. "It was all I had." For the first time, Daniel saw how lonely she truly was. Not because she was poor. Because she had nobody. After several minutes, Emily finally calmed down. "What is your name?" Daniel asked gently, Emily Rose "Do you have any relatives?" Emily shook her head. "No." Her voice trembled. "My parents died when I was little." Daniel's expression softened. "I'm sorry." Emily forced a smile. "I learned to live with it." But her eyes revealed the truth. She never had. Three days later. Emily was discharged. She stood outside the hospital carrying a small bag. Everything she owned was inside it. The orphanage no longer existed. She had nowhere to go. Daniel noticed the sadness in her eyes. "What are your plans?" Emily lowered her head. "I don't know." For the first time in years, she felt completely lost. Daniel thought for a moment. "I own a guest house." Emily looked up. "You can stay there temporarily until you figure things out." Her eyes widened. "Really?" "It's only temporary." Tears filled her eyes again. "Thank you." Weeks passed. Emily slowly adjusted to her new life. The guest house was comfortable. Daniel made sure she had everything she needed. But he never crossed any boundaries. Sometimes he checked on her. They shared dinner, sometimes they talked for hours. At first, Emily was nervous around him. Daniel Drake was one of the youngest billionaire CEOs in Australia. Meanwhile, she was an orphan with nothing. Their worlds were completely different. Yet Daniel never treated her differently. One afternoon, Emily volunteered at a local children's center. Daniel happened to see her. She spent hours helping the children read books. She laughed with them. Played games with them. Comforted a little boy who had been crying. Daniel watched quietly. Something inside him shifted. It wasn't her beauty. It was her heart. Despite everything she had lost, she still cared about others. For the first time, Daniel found himself smiling without reason. Months later. Emily had become a regular part of his life. Whenever Daniel had a difficult day, talking to her made everything better. Whenever Emily felt lonely, Daniel was there. One evening they sat on the balcony together. The sea breeze brushed against their faces. "Can I ask you something?" Daniel said. Emily nodded. "What keeps you going?" Emily looked toward the ocean. "For a long time, I thought my life was unfair." Daniel listened carefully. "But if I keep looking backward, I'll never move forward." Daniel stared at her. She was stronger than she realized. And at that moment, he knew. He was in love with her. Not because she was beautiful. Not because he had rescued her, but because she made him want to become a better person. The following weeks became torture. Daniel wanted to confess. But fear stopped him. What if she rejected him? What if she saw him only as a friend? Michael laughed when Daniel finally admitted his feelings. "The great Daniel Drake is scared of a woman?" "Get out." Michael laughed harder. A week later, Daniel finally made a decision. He organized a private dinner. Nothing extravagant. Just close friends and employees. Including someone special, Vivian Harrington. The friend Emily had been searching for ever since the orphanage fire. When Emily arrived at the venue, she froze. Flowers decorated the room, soft music filled the air. "Daniel?" Daniel smiled nervously. Before he could answer, another voice spoke. "Emily." Emily turned. Her eyes widened. "Vivian?" The two women rushed toward each other. Tears filled their eyes. They embraced tightly. "I thought I lost you," Emily whispered. Vivian smiled sadly. "I'm still here." But behind her smile, pain lingered. A pain Emily didn't notice. Not yet. Because her attention quickly returned to Daniel. The man standing in front of everyone. The man whose eyes never left hers. And the man who was about to change her life forever.