Novel-novel oleh Zelly

Izzy’s POVEach chicken breast, soaked in rich curry, was deeply satisfying.My stomach growled with the first bite—it was like my unborn child wanted to snatch it straight off the plate. The crispy, spiced aroma wrapped around me like a warm blanket.One bite turned into another, and before I realized it, the plate was wiped clean.Then, my eyes lifted—and met his. Jordan.He looked stunned. His eyes and expression didn’t even bother to hide it.I grabbed the glass of orange juice and blinked at the emptiness. It was gone. I must’ve downed it while eating.“Are you satisfied now?” Jordan asked, a mocking smirk tugging at his lips.I nodded and rose to my feet.The moment I stood, it felt like the food was circulating through every corner of my body.Damn, it was so good.I let Jordan take the lead—after all, he knew the way.“Settled?” Roshan asked as we entered the study.“Yes,” I responded.I took the contract booklet and began flipping through—my mind alert, my brain engaged.“Rul

ROSHAN There she was, standing right in front of me, just as I expected.Her eyes bored into mine, like I held the key to her survival. She was the perfect candidate for this—educated, well-mannered—though we’d had a rough night.I studied her closely, feeling Jordan’s gaze on me.Why was he even here?He cleared his throat, breaking the silence.“Come in,” he said, acting all welcoming, like he owned the study.“And you are?” Isabella asked, her gaze shifting from me to him.Her attitude—so imposing, yet sharp, intellectual.“Have a seat,” I said, finally breaking the silence.She hesitated but then sat down, her posture rigid.“I’m Jordan. His right-hand man,” Jordan introduced himself, still recovering from the shock of her presence.“Nice to meet you too,” she replied, a smirk spreading across her face.“Now, straight to business,” I said, my voice calm but firm. “This is the contract. Read through it carefully and sign where due. Your payment is outlined, along with other guidin

IZZYStepping out of the ICU, I found Mr. Khan waiting outside. I informed him that I was leaving before walking away.I hailed a taxi to the café where Roshan had proposed the contract marriage.I know you must be wondering why, but I have no other choice. I can’t let my aunt die—she’s all I have.The drive to the café was a blur. When the car finally came to a stop, I paid the chauffeur and hurried inside to retrieve Roshan’s business card, which I had left behind.When I reached the table where we had sat, it was empty. The waiters must have taken the card when they cleared the table. I approached one of them and asked about it. He directed me to the manager, who had taken possession of the card.“Good day, I was directed to you by one of the waiters regarding a business card that was found on table four earlier today,” I said to the manager.“Oh yes, you can have it,” he replied, extending the card to me.I took the card from his hands with a grateful smile.Taking a few steps awa

IZZYI sat still, his gaze locked onto mine—like he could hear my thoughts.“I see the shock on your face—it’s impossible to hide,” he said, reclining into his chair.Of course.I’m stunned. The father of my unborn child is proposing marriage.“If I may ask, why do you need to marry me?” I probed, my fingers making air quotes.He smirked, his gaze still locked onto mine as he responded. “I need a wife, and you need money for your Aunt Willow’s treatment.”How did he know that?My stomach dropped. He isn’t just offering me marriage—he’s using my desperation as leverage.“Don’t beat yourself up. I did my research,” he deadpanned. “I need a wife, and you need money.”“You expect me to marry you just because I’m desperate?” I gritted my teeth.Roshan exhaled, his fingers tapping against the smooth, polished tabletop. “I expect you to agree to this because it benefits us both. We sign a contract, stay married for a year, and then go our separate ways.”A contract marriage?Oh boy, could my

IZZY. I stared at my bank account balance. My gut churned. The figures were a cold, unforgiving red. I was so broke, it wasn’t even funny. Two days. It had been two days since the nursing home informed me that I needed to pay fifty thousand dollars for Winnie's surgery.And I was no further along on finding a solution than I was that night.Instead, I was underpaid. Overworked. Cheated on. Pregnant. And now, I was going to lose the one person I had in my life. Could things get any worse? Literally on cue, Hannah's sharp heels clicked on the office floor, each stomp getting louder. I sighed. Here we go.Hannah was beside my desk, arms crossed, lips pursed into that classic smirk. "Did you finish the projections report?"Shit.I shut my eyes for a brief moment. I had completely forgotten.I sighed and looked up. "I— I haven't had a chance to do it yet. I've been juggling a lot—“"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Hannah interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Just do it. I've been waiting, and y

ROSHAN. I was in a foul mood.The kind that made people scramble out of my way as I stalked into the towering headquarters of Armen Corps.I was already on edge after losing two hundred thousand dollars because some incompetent manager at one of the branches had screwed up an important deal. Now, my entire day was ruined, and I was itching to tear into someone. As I strode through the marble-floored lobby, Jordan fell into step beside me, effortlessly matching my pace. My Chief Operating Officer. My right-hand man and, arguably, the only person in the company who could speak to me without watching his words. “You’re late,” Jordan said, glancing at his Rolex. I grunted. “Bad morning.” “I figured,” Jordan replied dryly. “Your face looks like you’re about to kill someone.” I didn’t bother denying it. Jordan exhaled. “You might want to reel it in. The board wants to see you.” My scowl deepened. “What now?” “They didn’t say,” Jordan shrugged, adjusting his suit cuffs. “But

~ Helen’s POV ~Why isn’t he here yet?The clock on the wall ticks a little too loudly, each second stretching longer than it should. My gaze keeps drifting toward the door as if staring at it long enough will make him walk through. It’s already 7 p.m., and it’s not like him to be late.Now that I want to see him even more, he just happens to not be here. My chest tightens at the thought.Maybe work held him back. He has a lot to deal with, after all. Or maybe he’s just too exhausted to make it here tonight. Still… couldn’t he at least come for thirty minutes? Even ten?I know I saw him yesterday, but somehow it feels like I haven’t seen him in weeks. My heart aches with a strange impatience, and I hate how much I’m counting the hours.“You haven’t touched your food. Is something wrong?”Nurse Rava’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. She leans down slightly, her brows drawn in concern, the faint scent of antiseptic following her.“No, nothing’s wrong,” I lie automatically, forcing a

~ Sebastian’s POV ~Shit.Going to the hospital now will only raise Mom’s suspicions. She’ll start asking questions….questions I can’t afford to answer.I glance at the time again. 5:15 p.m. Already too late to make a detour without delaying the rest of the evening. If I ask the driver to divert now, I’ll not only push us behind schedule, but I’ll also have to come up with some excuse for why.I let out a long, controlled breath and sink deeper into the leather seat. The supple material molds against my back, but the comfort does nothing to ease the tension pressing against my ribs.Tomorrow. I’ll see her tomorrow.At least, that’s what I tell myself. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have better control over my day…..less chaos, fewer interruptions.But my heart isn’t buying it. It feels heavier than it should, weighed down by the sharp ache of wanting something I already own…..not tonight, at least.The board meeting took way longer than I expected. From how much this meeting held, it shows tomor

~ Sebastian's POV ~Goodness, this meeting seems to have no end.“If that’s a way out, then probably we’d be in more of a disaster,” Mr. George said, his deep voice dragging the air in the room down with him.My eyes are already exhausted, heavy from staring at the endless files and faces for hours. They crave to see her, but it seems their craving has been shoved to the farthest corner of my day, buried under paperwork and endless opinions.“Mr. Sebastian, this would be a good time for you to draw a conclusion and term tomorrow’s meeting,” one of the board members said, leaning forward like my agreement was the only lifeline keeping him alive.I’ve been quiet all through the meeting, letting them air every concern and conclusion, all directed at me like I’m the only one capable of fixing the entire company’s future in a single evening.But enough is enough. This needs to end now, or I’ll end up losing the only part of my evening that matters.I glance at my wristwatch. 5 p.m. already

~ Helen’s POV ~“Were you expecting someone?” Ashley’s voice echoed softly across the room as she stepped in, her brows slightly raised in curiosity.Yes.Yes, I am.I’m expecting Sebastian.I know it’s not even close to the end of the day yet, but my heart aches to see him. It’s ridiculous how much I miss him already. His presence has this way of filling the air—warm, steady, and unshakable. Without him, the room feels heavier, the silence louder.“No, no,” I lied without hesitation, my voice sounding far too casual.Another tiny notch added to my silent chart of half-truths and unspoken feelings.I hate that I have to lie about things I shouldn’t need to hide. We love each other—so why is there this unspoken rule to keep it in the shadows? What’s so wrong about wanting to see the person who makes my heart feel alive?I can’t even confide in Ashley, she's my only family…..my own sister, but I can't speak of it to her….not really. Not because I don’t trust her, but because I don’t wan

~ Sebastian's POV ~All other meetings for the day, aside from the board meeting, had finally concluded.It felt like I’d been running on autopilot since morning…… one handshake after another, decisions piling on top of each other, and yet, the clock seemed determined to sprint ahead of me. Time, today, wasn’t just moving fast… it was on maximum speed.I barely had a moment to breathe before Mike’s voice cut through my thoughts.“Sir, the board meeting starts in 10 minutes. Should I order lunch for you? You haven’t had anything.”Lunch. Right.Oh.The single cup of coffee I’d gulped earlier in the day had somehow been my fuel all through. No breakfast, no snack, nothing substantial. My stomach gave a faint protest, but I ignored it.“No, no,” I said, waving the idea off. “Once the board meeting’s done, I’ll head home.”Mike’s eyebrows twitched in subtle disapproval…. he knew I had a bad habit of skipping meals when work is paramount….. but he didn’t press the issue.I adjusted my cuff

~ Helen's POV ~My day started off like a gentle whisper in the wind, uncertain but expectant. Dr. Karen came in, her presence calm yet purposeful, ready to help me through my routine. Right behind her, Nurse Rava stepped in, her hands warm and steady as she supported me to my feet. My fingers curled around the cold metal of the walking rail Dr. Karen had brought in with her.Something felt different today.Something felt better.This time, the sharp pangs that used to shoot through my legs were quieter, like echoes fading in a distance. The numbness I used to feel in my knees and feet seemed lighter, like they'd finally remembered how to belong to me again. There was life in them…..real life. Not just a flicker. It felt as though my legs had awakened from a deep, reluctant slumber and were now surging with a kind of strength I hadn’t felt in forever. Twice as strong. Twice as determined.“You're doing well,” Dr. Karen said, her voice rich with approval.Oh, yes I am.That affirmation