The Ruthless CEO's Contract Bride

The vibrating ring of her mobile phone beside the bed jolted 'Linin' awake from her reverie. Her grogginess vanished instantly when she saw the hospital's number. The screen glowed in the dim darkness of her small, cramped rental room.

"Is this Ms. Linin?" The voice on the other end, a nurse, sounded urgent.

"Yes, it is."

"Mr. Thana has been admitted to the hospital. His condition is very critical and requires immediate surgery."

When she heard the words 'father' and 'critical condition,' it felt like a sledgehammer striking her heart. Linin nearly collapsed, her voice trembling. "What... what happened to my father!?"

"A ruptured cerebral artery. If he doesn't have surgery immediately, he might not survive."

BOOM!

Linin's entire world shattered in an instant. Her father... the only anchor in her life was about to leave her? She had only recently been through the worst period of her life. Her family had gone bankrupt, her father's business had been completely swindled, and even her mother had vanished with some secret.

Her small feet carried her swiftly to the hospital. The atmosphere of the emergency room made her heart pound. Her father lay motionless on the bed, his body covered in tubes and wires, his face alarmingly pale. The attending doctor approached with important documents.

"The surgery cost is approximately five million baht. If he doesn't have surgery tonight, his chances of survival are very low."

Five million baht!

A colossal sum Linin never thought she'd have to face. It was an amount she had no way of finding right now. All of her family's assets had been seized. She was left with only her body and her breath.

Large teardrops fell, splashing onto the floor. "Doctor... isn't there any other way?"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Linin," the doctor replied calmly.

Despair gripped Linin's heart tightly. She walked out of the emergency room in a daze, the pressure so intense it was almost suffocating.

Just as she was about to sink into darkness, a deep, cold voice she hadn't heard in years sounded behind her. "You want the money to save your father, don't you, Linin?"

Linin spun around. A tall, imposing figure in a dark suit stood before her. His sharp eyes stared at her coldly, as if piercing through her very soul.

'He'... the man who should never have re-entered her life...

'Phupha', the influential young CEO, who, in the past, had been involved in an incident that caused her to disappear from his life with a great secret.

"Mr.... Phupha!" Linin gasped in surprise, mixed with fear in her eyes.

Phupha smirked, but his smile was full of unreadable emotions. "I have an offer for you... an offer you can't refuse."

Linin looked at him, confused, her heart filled with worry and turmoil. Old feelings she had tried to forget surged back.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Marry me for one year in exchange for five million baht to save your father's life," Phupha said calmly. His eyes remained cold, yet there was an unspoken meaning in them that Linin couldn't grasp. It was like vengeance... or something much deeper.

Linin's eyes widened. His offer almost stopped her breathing. Marriage? With this man? How could she, when she had a secret she had hidden from him for four years... a secret that was wandering not far from this very hospital?

Linin's breath hitched. She knew she had no other choice. Her father's life was in his hands.

She had to accept this offer, no matter the reason... even if this marriage would drag her back into the nightmare of the past and potentially expose the secret she had kept hidden for four years.

That secret was... her son.

This was the only choice she had left: to save her father's life and to protect the only secret she had.