Romans de Shindara Orovieh

Ava’s POVFor a moment, I could not breathe. I just stared at him, hoping I heard him wrong.“Marry you?” I repeated slowly.He did not look away. “Yes.”My heart started beating faster, but not in a good way. This was not what I expected. Not even close.“I don’t understand,” I said. “What do you mean… marry you?”“It’s simple,” he replied calmly. “A contract marriage. You become my wife, and I take care of your sister’s treatment.”My fingers tightened on my lap. This was not simple.I shook my head slightly. “You’re joking.”“I don’t joke about things like this.” His voice was steady, serious. There was no hesitation in him at all.“But… why me?” I asked, my voice softer now. “You don’t even know me.” He leaned back in his chair, still watching me.“I don’t need to know everything about you,” he said. “I just need someone suitable.”Suitable, that word did not sit well with me.“I’m not… anyone special,” I said. “There are so many women out there. Why me?”“You’re exactly the kind

Ava’s POVI knew it was too early to tell Dominic everything.I needed to calm myself first and try to act normal, even if it was just for a few minutes. If I rushed into begging him immediately, it would only make things worse. I had to start with something simple, something calm, and then slowly find a way to talk about my sister.But not like this.My eyes moved to the men sitting quietly around him. They were not speaking, but their presence filled the space. It made it hard for me to relax. I felt tense just sitting there.Dominic noticed.“They won’t hurt you,” he said calmly. “They are only here to protect me. You don’t have to be nervous. Just ignore them.”I nodded slowly. “Okay.”But it was not easy to ignore them. They were right there. I could feel their presence even when I was not looking at them. Still, I kept quiet because I had no right to complain.I was just a stranger sitting across from a powerful man, hoping he would save my sister.Dominic leaned back slightly a

Dominic’s POVI paused at the door before walking in, the room was quiet. For someone who was supposedly very sick, everything looked a little too perfect. The machines were on, the bed was arranged neatly, and my grandfather was lying there with his eyes closed like he was on his last breath.I stepped inside slowly and closed the door behind me.“Are you going to keep pretending,” I said calmly, “or should I call a real doctor this time?”No response.I walked closer to the bed, my hands slipping into my pockets. “Three days,” I added. “You’ve been ‘dying’ for three days now. That’s a new record.”Still nothing.I stopped beside him and looked down at his face. “If you don’t open your eyes, I’m leaving. And this time, I won’t come back.”A second later, his left eye slowly opened.“There you are,” I muttered.He frowned at me. “You have no respect.”I let out a quiet breath. “And you’re faking an illness to get my attention.”He pushed himself up slowly, clearly not weak at all. “If

Ava’s POVFifteen million dollars.The number kept repeating in my head, over and over again, like something I could not escape from.After Doctor Mary explained everything my sister’s condition, how serious it was, and how urgent the surgery had to be she paused for a moment before leaving the room. Then she looked at me and said something that made my heart sink.“Ava, I understand that fifteen million dollars may be too much for you,” she said gently. “But you need to find it quickly. It is the only way to save your sister.”And then she left.Just like that.She walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts… and that number.The moment the door closed, something inside me broke.I slowly sank into the chair beside the bed and covered my face as the tears came. I cried without holding back, my whole body shaking as everything hit me at once.Fifteen million dollars.Of course she was right.That kind of money was not just a lot for someone like me. It was impossible.Ev

Ava’s POVI ran a shaky hand through my hair as I stood in front of the door, trying to steady myself.It was just a door but for some reason, it felt heavier than anything I had ever faced.I took a deep breath and pushed it open without knocking.The moment I stepped inside, everything around me seemed to stop.My sister.She was lying on the hospital bed with her eyes closed, completely still.Too still.“No…” The word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.My chest tightened painfully as I walked closer to her. She looked so weak, so fragile, like all the strength in her body had disappeared.This was not how she was supposed to look.This was not my sister. Tears filled my eyes immediately, and I could not hold them back anymore.“I’m sorry…” I whispered, even though I did not know what I was apologizing for.A soft hand touched my shoulder, and I flinched slightly before turning around.A woman in a white coat stood beside me, holding a notepad. Her face was calm and ki

Ava’s POVI let out a tired groan as my phone rang again. The sound was loud, sharp, and very distracting.It had been ringing again and again for the past few minutes.“Seriously…” I muttered under my breath.I ran a hand through my slightly messy hair and carefully placed the hot comb back on the counter so I would not burn anything out of frustration. The salon was already getting busy, and the last thing I needed was to lose focus now.The phone kept ringing.I glanced at my handbag, and a strange feeling settled in my chest. My younger sister knew I worked late on Fridays. She never called me during work unless something was wrong.And it was not even eight yet.Something felt off.“Mr. Daniel!” I called out, raising my voice a little as I reached for my phone. “Can I take this call quickly? It might be urgent!”From across the salon, he did not even turn to look at me.“Don’t take too long, Ava!” he said. “We are very busy tonight, and Tina is not here yet!”I pressed my lips to