Married For His Grandmother’s Last Wish

"Where is she?" Daniel Chen barked into his phone, pacing in front of the registry office entrance.His assistant Julia had assured him everything was arranged. The woman from the matchmaking service would be here by nine sharp. It was now nine twenty, and there was no sign of her."I'm trying to reach her now, Mr. Chen," Julia's apologetic voice came through. "The agency isn't picking up either."Daniel ran a hand through his hair, frustration mounting. He had exactly four hours before he needed to be at his grandmother's bedside with a wife in tow. Four hours to fulfill the promise he'd made to the woman who'd raised him after his parents abandoned him to chase their Hollywood dreams.His grandmother Eleanor had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer two months ago. The doctors said she had weeks left, maybe days. Her dying wish was simple: see her grandson married and settled before she passed.Daniel had tried to explain that marriage wasn't something you rushed into, th

The ceremony itself was surprisingly quick. Daniel had already reserved a private room, and the registrar seemed unsurprised by the lack of guests or celebration. They must see all types, Mira thought.She stood beside Daniel, very aware that she knew virtually nothing about the man she was about to marry. He was tall, probably six feet, with the kind of confident posture that came from a lifetime of privilege. His dark suit was expertly tailored, his shoes probably cost more than her monthly rent. But his eyes, when they briefly met hers during the ceremony, weren't cold. Just careful.The registrar pronounced them husband and wife, and just like that, Mira Walsh became Mira Chen."Congratulations," the registrar said warmly. "Would you like a moment?""We need photographs," Daniel said, pulling out his phone. "My grandmother will expect them."Right. This was all for his grandmother. Mira had nearly forgotten that part in the surreal rush of the last half hour.They stepped outside

Eleanor Chen was smaller than Mira had expected, her frame diminished by illness but her presence still commanding. Despite the IV line and monitors, despite the obvious exhaustion in the lines of her face, her dark eyes were sharp and assessing."Grandmother, this is Mira," Daniel said, and Mira was startled by the gentleness in his voice. With his grandmother, the careful businessman facade dropped away entirely. "Mira, my grandmother Eleanor.""It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Chen," Mira said, moving closer to the bed."Eleanor, please. We're family now." The old woman's eyes crinkled at the corners. "Let me see the ring."Mira extended her hand, and Eleanor took it in her own, her grip surprisingly strong. She studied the platinum band, then looked up at Mira with a knowing expression."Platinum. Practical and enduring. That's my Daniel, always choosing substance over flash." She released Mira's hand and patted the edge of the bed. "Sit with me, child. Let me look at you properly."

Mira waited until she heard Daniel's footsteps fade before allowing herself to truly look around. The bedroom was beautiful in an impersonal way, like a high-end hotel suite. Nothing about it suggested anyone actually lived here.She walked to the closet he'd mentioned and opened the door to find a space larger than her entire apartment bedroom. One side held Daniel's clothes, all neatly organized by type and color. The other side was completely empty, waiting for her things.Her things. She barely owned enough to fill a fraction of this space.Her phone buzzed in her purse, and she pulled it out to find seventeen missed calls from Ethan and twelve text messages. She deleted them all without reading them. Whatever he had to say, she didn't want to hear it.There was also a message from her supervisor at the library asking if everything was okay. Mira stared at it for a long moment before typing a response requesting an emergency leave of absence. Family situation, she wrote. Will expl

The clothes Mrs. Kim had selected were beautiful and clearly expensive. Mira chose a simple navy dress that looked professional without being too formal. It fit perfectly, which meant someone had guessed her size correctly.She didn't want to think about how they'd managed that.When she emerged, Daniel was waiting by the door, typing on his phone. He looked up and something crossed his face, too quick for her to read."You look nice," he said."Mrs. Kim has good taste.""She does." He pocketed his phone. "I should warn you. My grandmother will have seen all the news coverage. She'll want to know why we didn't tell her sooner about our relationship.""What do we say?""The truth. We wanted to wait until we were certain. When her health declined, we decided not to wait any longer."Mira nodded, practicing the words in her head. She'd always been a terrible liar. Her mother used to say her face gave away every secret.The drive to the hospital was quiet. Daniel seemed lost in thought, h