BENEATH THE CONTRACT BRIDE

which Emma felt like she was dangling. Adrian's gray ocular orbs

reiterated, voice

ooth but Emma was not in any mood of listening to his cool indifference. Clenching fists, she felt the desperation in

twitch at the corners of his mouth. "Fix it now?" he as

to help, then help." I need that money today for m

ker of amusement that splashed across his face. Emma wa

riatingly self-assured, "your father's m

led sharp

mma now groped into her handbag with a heart beating a little faster to get to h

Ch

jar in shock, but before she could say something,

ow was already closed, and the beautiful car was alre

r buzzing cell phone. Waves of emotion cam

emotion from her. She quickly answered th

ted to let you know that your father's surgery has received approval, pa

But how? Who..." She caught herself, re

ymous donor or mira

oice of Dr. Chad started to sound far aw

say in exactly that weak voice.

ared at her phone,

really, Adr

ite-knuckled on the steering wheel. The city lights were a

r should be calling

g more than a mere surgery issue. Adrian had come into her life with the

ll that overwhelmed her. Her legs were heavy, and as she wa

lieved as well as excited as she

mbrace. "What happened

face was streaked with tears but glowing with hope. "Some NGO came in and paid

her gut. An NGO?

" she said weakly

hat wonderful? No idea who they are, but I'm just so g

ck in her throat. How could she explain that the man who'd paid for their father's surgery wasn't some benevo

aid, her voice straine

nsed something was off. "By

again, still holding on to her s

.." Sophia reaches out to touch her shoulder. "Now we

d could no longer be stopped. Sophia mistook this for tears of r

ey were everything she had lost, every sacrifi

r was going to undergo surgery in the end

ed in heavily, senses deadened. She stared at the cold, sterile, white w

man to whom the attraction of power seemed to wield itself as

phone, expecting a call or a mes

esn't care about the storm raging in Emm

silence, and her throat

would have ever admitted. It was not a miracle but a transactio

d agreed to his terms, but she would not let him completely control her

the price of this bargain w

, maybe even her princip

er father to come out of surgery. Wait for her to digest the gravity of

ther find herself or soon be finding