The moment Selena agreed, everything moved too fast.
Jace made a call, his voice cold and businesslike. "Prepare the documents. I want them ready in thirty minutes… yes, marriage contract included."
Selena stood there numb, as if the floor beneath her had disappeared. She didn't even realize she was still crying until Jace suddenly held out a handkerchief.
"Clean your face."
His voice wasn't gentle. It was an instruction.
Selena hesitated, then took it. "Thank you."
"I'm not being kind," he said bluntly. "I only need you presentable when we sign."
Her chest tightened.
Right.
This wasn't love.
It was business.
Inside the Hospital Office..
A private room had been arranged. Two lawyers waited with solemn expressions. Papers were spread across a polished wooden desk.
Selena's heart pounded as she stepped inside. Everything felt unreal.
"Miss Ward," one lawyer said, "this contract outlines all responsibilities, confidentiality requirements, and the duration of your marriage to Mr. Ariston."
Marriage.
The word felt heavy.
Jace stood beside her, silent and unreadable.
Selena tightened her fists and sat down, scanning the contract.
Her eyes caught a clause.
Clause 4: No emotional involvement.
Her throat closed.
Another one:
Clause 6: Public appearances required.
She swallowed.
And then:
Clause 9: No physical intimacy unless mutually agreed.
Her cheeks flushed instantly.
She looked up sharply. "Why… why add this?"
Jace's expression didn't change.
"It protects both of us."
The lawyer cleared his throat. "One more thing. Upon completion of the three-month marriage, Miss Ward will receive a settlement—"
"I didn't ask for money!" Selena blurted.
Everyone froze.
Jace turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"You're refusing compensation?"
She nodded, tears burning her eyes again. "I just… want my mother to live."
For the first time, something flickered in his gaze—something she couldn't read.
The room went silent.
Jace spoke softly, but with an intensity that made her breath hitch.
"Your innocence is either stupidity… or purity. I haven't decided yet."
Selena looked away.
Signing the Contract
Her hands trembled as she signed the papers.
Each signature felt like giving away a piece of herself.
When she was done, Jace took the pen and signed with smooth, confident strokes. His name looked powerful beside hers—like two worlds colliding.
"You're mine now," he said quietly, lifting the final page.
She stiffened. "Only for three months."
He smirked slightly, leaning in just enough for his breath to brush her cheek.
"We'll see."
Her heart faltered. Was that a threat… or something else?
The Surgery Begins
Minutes later, nurses rushed her mother into the operating room. Selena stood outside, hugging herself tightly.
Jace stood beside her, hands in his pockets.
"You don't need to watch," he said. "The doctors are the best."
She blinked up at him. "Why me? Out of all the women in the world?"
He looked down at her, eyes dark and unreadable.
"Because you needed saving," he said simply.
"And I needed a wife. Ours is a clean transaction."
A clean transaction.
So why did his voice sound like it held secrets?
When the nurse called her name and told her the surgery had begun successfully, Selena finally breathed.
She turned to Jace. "Thank you."
He didn't respond right away. Instead, he took a step closer—so close she felt the heat of him.
"Rule number one," he murmured.
"When we're in public, you obey me completely. No arguments."
Selena frowned. "And when we're alone?"
He smirked.
"Don't test me, Mrs. Ariston."
Her heart flipped painfully.
This man was trouble.
Cold trouble.
Dangerous trouble.
And for the next three months…
She belonged to him.