Chapter 5

Isabella's POV

My mind raced, scrambling for solutions, for options, for anything, but there was nothing; I had nothing. My savings account held barely just some pennies, not even enough for food.

I haven't really taken any time to save any money since I was working for Daniel all his years; he didn't pay me a salary, but I never complained because he was giving me anything I needed as his wife.

I lifted my gaze to Alexander, who stood watching me with that same controlled, patient expression. He hadn't moved, hadn't spoken, hadn't even seemed to breathe.

I need to help my family; I can't let anything happen to my grandparents and sister.

I shut my eyes for a second and finally opened it to meet Alexander fully, my heart pounding so hard that I could feel it in my throat.

His dark eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that made me feel like he could see straight through to my soul.

"I will do it," I said, the words rushing out before I could stop myself.

"I will be your contract wife, and I will sign whatever you need me to sign and play whatever role you need me to play. But I need your help," I said, while he stared at me.

“Tell me anything; I'm ready to help you,” he said, while I swallowed the leap that had formed in my throat before speaking.

“Well, my grandfather is in the hospital right now, and he needs any emergency treatment, so please, can you help me with the money for his treatment right now?” I asked him, hoping within me that he would agree to it.

"Consider it done," he said with a soft and firm voice as his lips curved into a smile.

I blinked, my mouth still open mid-sentence. "What? You are ready to do it right now?" I asked him, with my eyes widened in disbelief, as I stared at him.

Alexander pulled his phone from his pocket with deliberate calm, his fingers moving across the screen.

"Yes, just give me the hospital account details so I can make the transaction." He requested, and somehow a smile found its way into my face.

"Wait, do you really mean that?” I asked him, still finding it hard to believe it.

“Yes, just give me the details already,” he said.

“One moment, please,” I said, and quickly dialled my grandmother's phone number.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight with a mixture of relief and something that felt dangerously close to gratitude.

“Grandma, text me the hospital account details, and the amount we need to pay before treatment can begin,” I told her the moment she took the call.

“Okay, but where did you get the money?” She asked me with a concerned voice, but I wasn't going to just tell her anything just yet.

“Grandma, please, that's not important right now; Grandpa's life is more important for now, so please just send it,” I blurted out, trying to brush off the questions.

“Yes, right, I will do that right away,” she said, and then the call disengaged.

After a few minutes, my phone peeped with a message. Without any hesitation I gave the details to Alexander, and he did the transaction.

“It's done,” he announced, and immediately relief washed through me; I bet the treatment must already have been started.

"Thank you," I whispered, and the words felt pathetically inadequate. "I don't know what I would have done without you," I said, finding it hard to believe he could really have helped me out.

"You don't have to." Alexander stood up from his seat and moved closer to me, close enough that I could smell his cologne, something expensive and subtle, cedar and sandalwood.

"We had an agreement. You agreed to be my wife, and I agreed to help you, so that's how this works." He said with a soft but firm voice, as he gazed at me.

I nodded, still trying to process everything that had just happened. "So when are we going to get the marriage license?" I asked him, and he cleared his throat before speaking.

"I believe that can wait until tomorrow. But for now, you should go to the hospital with your family. Your grandfather will want to see you when he wakes up," he said firmly.

The kindness in his voice caught me off guard. I looked up at him, searching for the angle, the catch, the hidden price. But his expression was unreadable, as always calm and controlled, giving nothing away.

"You're letting me leave without signing any contract?" I asked him, still finding it hard to believe that he just helps me without my signing any contract yet.

"Isabella, I'm not a monster. You agreed to be my wife, so I have no interest in imprisoning you," he spoke calmly, and somehow I felt a kind of sincerity that I never knew was possible.

"I don't understand you," I admitted, the words escaping before I could stop them. "You're not what I expected." I added, as I looked up at him.

"And what did you expect?" He asked me his eyes narrowing at me.

I shook my head. "I don't know. Someone colder, maybe, or more transactional." I admitted finding it hard to lie to him.

"I'm not entirely without sentiment. Go see your grandfather, Isabella. We'll talk more tomorrow." He said and turned to leave, but stopped halfway.

“I need your contact information. I will call you tomorrow morning by 9am,” he said, and dropped his cellphone in front of me.

I didn't bother to hesitate; he had done a part of the bargain already, and I still needed his help too.

I took his cellphone and put in my contact information and returned it to him. “I guess I will see you tomorrow then,” he said.

“Yes, we will meet tomorrow,” I added, while he just smiled softly and turned around and made his way out, leaving me there.

I didn't know what the future held, and I didn't know what Alexander truly wanted from me or what I would have to become to survive in his world.

But for now, all that mattered was that my grandfather was getting the treatment he needed, and I'm also sure with Alexander, my family will get a roof over their heads again.

But from tomorrow, I would sign my name on a dotted line and become someone else entirely. From tomorrow, I would belong to Alexander Sterling, my enemy.

I don't know if my family will ever forgive me for this decision I have made, but I'm never going to regret doing this to help them.

Chapter 6

Isabella's POV

The morning light streamed through the windows, harshly after a night of almost no sleep.

It painted the hospital room in shades of pale gold, illuminating the sterile white walls and the tired faces of my family members who had refused to leave my grandfather's side.

I had spent hours at the hospital, watching nurses and doctors move in and out of my grandfather's room, checking monitors, adjusting medications, speaking in hushed tones that I pretended not to hear.

The beeping of the machines had become a strange lullaby, rhythmic and constant, a reminder that he was still with us.

But I was glad that my grandfather was alive. And stable, according to the doctor, he was already showing signs of improvement, and all thanks to Alexander.

Even thinking his name sent a shiver down my spine, a part fear, part something else I couldn't quite name. He had paid the hospital bills without hesitation.

And he had saved my grandfather's life, and now, in just a few hours, and I would become his wife. The thought made my stomach churn with a mixture of dread and reluctant gratitude.

I was still dwelling in my little thoughts when the ward's door cracked open, snapping me out of it.

I immediately turned my gaze to the direction of the door, and I saw the doctor walk into the ward fully.

He was a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a warm smile, the kind of doctor who genuinely cared about his patients.

"You all slept here last night?" The doctor asked, as he stared from me to my grandmother, and sister.

"Yes, doctor, we just couldn't leave his side," my grandmother responded, with a low and polite voice.

Her hands were wrapped around my grandfather's, as if she could will him back to consciousness.

"I already told you that he is fine now, and he will wake up soon," the doctor said, while I swallowed hard.

"Yes, but we still can't leave his side," my grandmother told him, but I laughed inwardly.

That was just a lie that she had come up with. The truth is, we didn't have a house, and that was why we all slept in my grandfather's ward last night.

The chairs had been uncomfortable, but it was better than the alternative of sleeping on the streets.

"I understand you, ma, but I think it's high time you all go back to the house and get a change of clothes at least," the doctor said politely.

His eyes flickered to me, and I wondered if he could see the exhaustion etched into every line of my face.

"You are right, doctor, we will do that soon," she responded with a smile plastered on her face.

It was a smile that didn't reach her eyes, a smile that hid the desperation simmering beneath the surface.

I watched as the doctor moved closer to my grandfather, whose eyes were shut, and examined him for a while. He checked his pulse, listened to his breathing, shone a light into his eyes.

"Is he okay, doctor?" I asked after he was done with his examination, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, he is totally fine now," he responded politely.

"But why hasn't he woken up yet?" The question burst out of me before I could stop it, laced with frustration and fear.

The doctor took a deep breath and smiled softly. "That's because he needs a lot of rest. But trust me, he would be awake soon."

"Okay then, I hope so," I said, while he just nodded and smiled as he made his way out of the ward, leaving just us again.

The silence that followed was heavy, with unspoken worries. My grandmother's gaze found mine, and I knew what was coming before she even opened her mouth.

"Isabella, did Daniel say we could come back to the house now?" she asked, with a low but firm voice.

Immediately my heart started to beat rapidly, knowing where this question of hers was going to lead.

"Grandma..." I started, but the words died in my throat.

"Isabella, why aren't you saying anything?" She asked, her gaze still fixed on mine, as she wrapped her hands around my shoulder. Her grip was gentle but insistent, demanding an answer I didn't want to give.

I took a deep breath, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. "The truth is, he didn't say we could go back to the house," I managed to say, with sweaty palms.

My grandmother's face fell, confusion and disbelief warring in her eyes. "But he paid the hospital bills, so I thought you have told him about your pregnancy and you both have fixed everything?" she asked, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"No, Grandma, the truth is..." I was saying when my cellphone started ringing.

The sound was jarring in the quiet room, and I immediately reached for it. An unknown number flashed on the screen and I hesitated for only a moment before answering.

"Hello, where are you?" Alexander's voice came from the other end, making me freeze, my feet going numb.

"Hello, Isabella, are you there?" He asked, snapping me out of it.

"Y-yes, I'm here," I managed to say.

"Okay, so please answer my question, it's almost 9am," he said. His voice was still low but firm as usual, the voice of a man who was used to being obeyed.

"I'm still in the hospital with my grandfather," I managed to say, as I swallowed hard.

"Okay, I'm coming to pick you up now," he said, and disconnected the call before I could say anything else.

I stared at the phone in my hand, my mind racing. This was it, the moment I had been dreading and anticipating in equal measure.

"Isabella, was that Daniel? And what did he say if it was him?" My grandmother asked me with a hopeful gaze.

The hope in her eyes made my chest ache. She still believed Daniel would come to his senses, that he would take us back, that everything would return to the way it was.

But I knew better. "It's not Daniel, and I need to go somewhere right now," I said, standing up from my seat.

My legs felt weak, my body heavy with exhaustion. But I couldn't afford to rest.

I made my way into the bathroom in my grandpa's ward and had a quick bath, the cold water shocking my senses awake. I scrubbed at my skin as if I could wash away the dread that clung to me like a second skin.

When I came out, my cell phone beeped with a message. I grabbed it without any hesitation and read the message: I'm here. Don't keep me waiting.

I turned to my grandmother. "Grandma, I will be right back, but please take care of Grandpa," I said, and turned to leave the ward.

But she stopped me before I could take any further steps. "Isabella, where are you going?" She asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.

I turned to meet her gaze. "I will explain everything to you when I return, Grandma. Trust me," I said.

She stared at me for a long moment, searching my face for something I wasn't sure I could hide. Then she nodded, her shoulders slumping with resignation.

"Be careful," she whispered.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and made my way out of my grandfather's ward.

As I walked down the stairs in the hospital, I could feel my heart pounding with each step. The sound echoed in the stairwell, a drumbeat of anxiety that grew louder with every floor I descended.

I couldn't believe that I was actually doing this right now. But I didn't have a choice. And all of this was because of Daniel. If he hadn't betrayed me, I wouldn't have made this mistake.

But is it a mistake? A small voice whispered in the back of my mind. He saved your grandfather, maybe this isn't a mistake, maybe this is salvation.

I pushed the thought away, I couldn't afford to think like that. I finally walked out of the hospital, the morning sun blinding. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the light, and then I saw him.

Alexander was standing beside a black car in the parking lot, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. He waved to me immediately he noticed me, grinning from ear to ear.

That grin made my stomach flip. It was too confident, too knowing, as if he could see right through me and knew exactly how terrified I was.

I took a deep breath and walked closer to him. "Are you ready to be married?" He asked, while I took a deep breath.

"I don't have a choice here," I responded, while he just chuckled. The sound was low and warm, and it sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine.

For a moment he just stared at me, his dark eyes sweeping over me with an assessment that made me feel exposed. I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around myself, to hide from his penetrating gaze.

"Anyways, you look tired. Didn't you sleep well?" He asked, while I just took a deep breath.

A part of me actually wanted to just rant out everything to him, but I composed myself.

"I didn't sleep much," I managed to say, while he stared at me.

"Why?" He asked, his eyes narrowed.

"I was at the hospital all night," I responded.

"Did your grandfather's condition get worse?" He asked, his gaze meeting mine.

"No, not at all. He is better, but just that he hasn't woken up yet," I explained, while he released a breath he was holding.

"Okay, that's a relief, but you shouldn't have stayed up so late. You are pregnant, remember," he said, reminding me of something I didn't want to think about, especially not right now.

"Yes, I know, and you don't have to remind me," I said, my face twisting into a fake frown.

"I won't have to if you just do the right thing," he said, while I just watched him as he continued. "I don't know how you see this baby, but this baby is very important to me, and the safety of my baby matters."

"The baby doesn't belong to you alone, so I care about the baby too. Just drop the lecture already," I told him.

He nodded, before speaking again. "Get into the car, We can't afford to be late," he said with a soft but firm voice, as he opened the car door for me.

I got in, the leather seat cool against my back. The car smelled like him woodsy and expensive, a scent that was quickly becoming familiar.

The car drove off, and I couldn't help but feel my heart beating rapidly as we approached the magistrate's office.

This is it, I thought. I'm officially getting married to my enemy, and there's no turning back now.