ONE YEAR CONTRACT : MARRIED TO A COLD STRANGER BILLIONAIRE

Chapter 2: The AgreementAbby sat nervously in the waiting area of the government counseling office, her fingers twisting the strap of her worn handbag. The past few days had been a whirlwind after her first meeting with Luke at the café. Her autoimmune disorder had flared badly, leaving her joints swollen and painful, but the doctor’s warning kept ringing in her ears — the surgery could not wait much longer.The door opened and a middle-aged counselor named Mrs. Reynolds stepped out. “Abby Thompson and Luke Harrington? Please come in.”Abby stood, heart pounding. Luke was already there, leaning against the wall in his usual impeccable suit, expression cold and unreadable. He gave her a brief nod but said nothing as they followed the counselor into the room.Mrs. Reynolds explained the program clearly. “This session ensures you both understand the terms. You must live together in the provided apartment and maintain the appearance of a married couple during random home inspections. Any

Chapter 4: The Night BeforeAbby sat on the edge of her bed in the apartment, staring at the hospital bag she had packed the night before. Tomorrow was supposed to be the day of her surgery. One surgery. One chance to finally stop the pain that had been slowly destroying her body.But everything had changed in the last twenty-four hours.Her daily observation visit yesterday had taken a frightening turn. After a new set of scans and blood work, Dr. Patel had called her in with a serious expression. “Abby, the inflammation has spread more than we anticipated. We now need to perform two separate procedures — one on your joints and another to address the damage to your organs. We can’t risk doing only one. The second surgery will follow a few days after the first if your body stabilizes.”The news had hit Abby like a punch. Two surgeries. Longer recovery. More risk. More money.She had come home exhausted and terrified, barely able to speak to Luke about it. He had listened in silence, t