Contracted Hearts

Meet Frans

"Thank you, Miss," said Ella after being escorted by the employee in Frans' office to his room.

Now Ella found herself standing in front of the door to the CEO’s private office.

"You're welcome, I'll be going now." Ella returned the employee's smile before turning her attention to the tightly closed brown door in front of her.

Her hands were nervously clasped together, holding the business card Frans had given her. They were cold from her anxiety.

"Huff! I hope I made the right decision," Ella muttered, taking a deep breath before raising her hand to knock on the door.

She knocked three times, and then a man's voice from inside invited her to enter.

"Excuse me," Ella said softly before she paused, taken aback by what she saw inside.

'Oh my God,' she thought, quickly looking away when she saw Frans with a woman on his lap in his office chair. That woman was none other than Frans' girlfriend, Harley.

But unlike Ella, Frans and Harley seemed unbothered when they saw her enter the room.

'Who is she? Is she Mr. Frans' girlfriend? If he has a girlfriend, why did he offer me a contract marriage?' Ella wondered, as Frans had yet to explain his reasons for the contract marriage offer.

"So, you came. Have you decided to accept my offer?" Frans asked, making Ella lift her head.

"Um, yes, Sir." Though she sounded slightly hesitant, Ella still agreed to Frans' question.

"So, this is the woman you mentioned, darling?" Harley asked, giving Ella a once-over that made her uncomfortable.

"Yes, darling," Frans replied calmly and gently, smiling at his girlfriend.

"Could you sit on the sofa for a bit? I need to talk to her," Frans continued, still in a soft tone.

Harley huffed and rolled her eyes. "Fine! But your choice is very plain, Frans. She's not a good match for you, even for a contract marriage," she said, emphasizing the last two words while giving Ella a disdainful look.

Frans smiled. "It's not a problem, darling. It's just a contract marriage, right?" he responded casually.

Ella, on the other hand, was holding herself back from leaving, secretly gripping the side of her dress tightly.

"Whatever." After her curt response, Harley got off Frans' lap and moved to sit on the sofa still in her boyfriend’s office.

Frans sighed softly and turned his attention to Ella, who had been standing near the door. Harley, meanwhile, was fiddling with her phone but listening closely to the conversation between her boyfriend and Ella.

"Please, have a seat," Frans ordered, his voice flat and firm.

Ella nodded obediently and awkwardly sat in the chair across from Frans, separated only by his desk.

"So?" Frans prompted, waiting for Ella to speak.

Her hands were still clasped nervously, her emotions a mix of uncertainty and urgency, struggling to voice the words she had prepared the night before.

"About yesterday, when you offered me a contract marriage, I agree to it, Sir, as long as I get whatever I ask for," Ella said smoothly, even though she was secretly sweating nervously as she looked at Frans' expressionless face.

Frans gave a slight smile. "Alright, whatever you want, I'll grant it. What exactly do you want, Miss?"

"Ugh! What a gold digger!" Harley interjected from the sofa with a sneer.

"Be quiet, darling," Frans admonished gently, giving his girlfriend a thin smile. Harley complied, though she looked annoyed.

'Gold digger? I'm not like that, I'm just desperate,' Ella thought to herself, denying Harley's words.

"So, what do you want?" Frans repeated his question.

"Pay off all my debts and cover my brother’s medical treatment until he recovers," Ella replied, and Frans nodded immediately.

"Alright, I agree. You can even ask for more if you want, as long as you can win my family's approval for our pretend relationship," Frans responded, making Ella nod hesitantly.

In short, they both agreed to the terms of the one-year contract that Frans had prepared, and Ella signed it. Frans had already prepared everything even before getting her answer.

"I'll introduce you to my family next time, so be ready!" Frans stated firmly, concluding their important conversation.

"I’ll transfer the money to your account shortly," Frans added.

"Thank you, Sir. If that's all, I'll take my leave," Ella replied and left Frans' office.

****

By noon, Vico's surgery had just begun. Ella, waiting outside the operating room, anxiously bit her nails. She was worried about her brother's condition and feared the operation might not be successful.

"Dear God, please let Vico's surgery go smoothly," Ella whispered, praying in the silence of the hallway outside the operating room.

Tap tap tap

The sound of hurried footsteps didn’t distract Ella from her focus on the operating room door. She was still deep in thought, praying for her brother with an anxious heart.

"Ella."

The voice calling her name finally made Ella turn toward the sound. She saw a woman a year younger than her running into her arms.

"Shanne, you're back from Los Angeles?" Ella asked, returning the woman's hug.

The woman's name was Shanne, Ella's best friend who was always there for her. "Yes, Ella, I went to your house, but you weren't there, so I came straight here since you told me about Vico's condition," Shanne replied, her face filled with worry.

Ella nodded in understanding. Her friend was very kind and considerate, having helped her many times before. That's why Ella didn’t want to ask Shanne for help again, even though Shanne was wealthy and could afford Vico’s medical expenses.

"How's Vico now?" Shanne asked.

"He's in surgery," Ella replied wearily, prompting Shanne to guide her to sit down.

"Stay calm, everything will be fine, and Vico will recover soon," Shanne said, hugging and gently patting Ella's shoulder.

"What about the cost? Should I pay for everything, El?"

Ella fell silent at Shanne's words, unsure of what to say to her friend.