Chapter 5

The specialist at the elite fertility clinic set a medical file down on the marble desk and offered Sebastian a faint smile.

"Miss Morales's physical condition is exceptional. All her health indicators are perfect, her reproductive system is functioning optimally, and her uterus is in ideal condition to undergo in vitro fertilization immediately. We can schedule the sample collection and embryo implantation as soon as possible."

Seated in the examination chair, Aixa could only clench her fingers tightly in her lap. A bitter feeling gripped her chest. Her womb had just been declared a "valuable asset," ready to produce an heir for the Castello family dynasty.

Outside the room, Sebastian immediately contacted his employer to report the results.

The moment he learned that the woman he had chosen was ready, Fernando Castello Ortega wasted no time. He ordered Sebastian to take Aixa directly to a private civil registry office in Madrid's elite district.

There, inside a closed room far from the media's cameras, a swift ceremony took place.

Fernando arrived with his usual cold, commanding aura and signed the official marriage documents. Aixa's trembling fingers followed, placing her signature beside his.

In less than thirty minutes, a single legal document made it official.

Aixa Morales Vega, a scholarship student from a small village, had become the lawful wife of the most powerful billionaire in Spain.

But Aixa's shock did not end there.

The moment they stepped out of the registry building, Fernando glanced at his watch and looked her up and down.

"Get in the car. Sebastian will collect all your belongings from that pathetic boarding house of yours. Starting this afternoon, you'll be living in my main mansion."

Aixa froze on the sidewalk.

"Living in your mansion? Huh... this soon?" Her eyes widened in panic. "Sir, isn't this only a contract marriage? I thought we wouldn't be living under the same roof. I mean, regarding the IVF arrangement..."

"Heh."

Fernando let out a disdainful snort, cutting her off with a low, mocking laugh.

He stepped closer, erasing the distance between them until Aixa could feel his breath against her forehead.

"You are now my wife in the eyes of the law, Mrs. Castello. Play your role properly. Your job isn't just to lend me your womb. You also need to make sure my mother and the media don't suspect anything unusual about this marriage."

Fernando gently but firmly gripped her chin, forcing her to look directly into his deadly hawk-like eyes.

"Convince them all that I'm not gay, like those bastards out there keep claiming. Convince my mother that I'm a normal man who loves his wife. Understood?"

Aixa swallowed hard.

Fernando's touch felt cold, intimidating every shred of reason she had left.

But for Leo, who was still fighting to regain consciousness in the ICU, she buried her pride and nodded stiffly.

"I understand, Sir."

The journey to the outskirts of Madrid felt like a never-ending nightmare.

Eventually, the black Rolls-Royce slowed as it passed through a massive iron gate guarded by security personnel before circling an extravagant fountain in front of a sprawling European-style mansion.

As soon as the car door opened, Aixa stepped out nervously.

In front of the mansion's grand entrance, more than a dozen neatly dressed servants stood in formation. They immediately bowed in unison.

"Welcome home, Master. Welcome home, Young Madam."

Their voices echoed across the enormous courtyard.

Young Madam?

A strange feeling rippled through Aixa's chest.

She lowered her gaze to her inexpensive shoes and modest clothes, which seemed painfully out of place in such a luxurious setting.

She felt like an intruder wearing a queen's mask.

Before she could calm her racing heart, the mansion's enormous doors swung open.

A middle-aged woman dressed in elegant silk hurried outside. Her beautiful, well-maintained face overflowed with emotion.

It was Mrs. Sovia, Fernando's mother.

Without warning, she rushed forward and wrapped Aixa in a tight embrace.

"Oh, my God... so this is your wife, Fernando? Finally!"

Mrs. Sovia pulled back and held Aixa by both shoulders, her eyes shimmering with relieved tears.

"So my son really is a normal man! He doesn't like other men like those cursed news reports claimed!"

Aixa froze momentarily, stunned by the warmth she had never expected from a woman of such high status.

She glanced at Fernando from the corner of her eye, but he merely stood there with a blank expression, as if leaving the entire performance to her.

Taking a deep breath, Aixa forced her voice to remain calm.

According to the terms of the contract, she had to lie to protect her husband's reputation.

"Yes, Auntie... forgive us if this seems sudden," Aixa said, forcing a gentle smile onto her pale face. "Actually, Fernando and I have been dating for the past two years. We intentionally kept it secret from the public and our families because I wanted to finish my studies without media interference."

Hearing such a smooth and polite explanation, Mrs. Sovia's eyes sparkled even brighter.

Then her expression suddenly shifted into a playful pout.

"Hm? Don't call me Auntie! You're officially my daughter-in-law now. Call me Mom."

Mom?

That single word struck the deepest corner of Aixa's heart.

Ever since her mother had passed away years ago, she had never imagined hearing that word again, especially directed at her.

The corners of her lips trembled.

This time, her smile felt a little more genuine.

"Okay... Mom."

Mrs. Sovia smiled with satisfaction and immediately linked arms with Aixa affectionately, guiding her into the house.

Fernando followed behind them at a leisurely pace, observing how the village girl seemed surprisingly skilled at winning his mother's affection.

But that brief moment of peace shattered instantly.

They had barely stepped into the mansion's magnificent main hall when hurried footsteps echoed from the curved staircase in the corner.

Then came a deep baritone voice that Aixa recognized immediately.

"Uncle, Grandma. What's going on? Why are all the servants gathered outside?"

Aixa's entire body stiffened.

The blood in her veins seemed to stop flowing, and every hair on her body stood on end.

That voice...

The same voice that had insulted her, slapped her, and thrown her away at Velvet Bar the night before.

The voice of her ex-boyfriend.

At that moment, Aixa still had her back to the staircase because Mrs. Sovia was holding her arm.

Mrs. Sovia turned around with a bright smile and looked toward her grandson, who had just descended the stairs.

"Ah, you're home already? Your uncle officially got married today. And now you have a young aunt living in this house!"

Thud.

Aixa felt as though her world had stopped spinning.

Her mind went blank as it processed the familiar male voice.

Her body trembling violently and her heart pounding like a war drum, Aixa slowly turned around.

She released Mrs. Sovia's arm and lifted her gaze toward the man standing on the final step of the staircase.

At the exact same moment, the young man looked toward his uncle's new bride.

The instant their eyes met, both of them froze in absolute shock.

The young man's jaw dropped.

His eyes widened so much they nearly bulged from their sockets.

All the color drained from his face.

Aixa stared at him as he stood there like a stone statue, breathing heavily.

"You..."