Chapter 6

Ava’s POV

For 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 of person I need,” he replied. “You don’t have connections. You don’t have power. You won’t interfere in my life.”

I swallowed hard. “And after that?”

Dominic looked at me like the answer was obvious. “After what?”

“After the marriage,” I said, forcing the words out. “What happens?”

“It lasts for as long as I need it to,” he replied calmly. “You will live in my house, act as my wife in public, and follow the rules I set.”

I let out a slow breath.

Of course there would be rules.

“And in return,” he continued, “your sister gets the surgery. Everything will be taken care of.”

My chest tightened at his words.

Fifteen million.

He said it like it was nothing. Like it was just another number. Something easy. Something small.

“But this is marriage,” I said slowly, trying to make him understand. “It’s not something you just exchange like this.”

“That depends on how you see it,” he replied without hesitation.

I looked down at my hands resting in my lap.

This felt wrong. Everything about it felt wrong.

Marriage was supposed to mean something. It was supposed to be love, trust, and choice. Not a deal. Not something traded for money.

I was still trying to find the right words when my phone suddenly rang.

The sound made me jump.

For a second, I just stared at it, my heart beating faster.

Then I saw the name on the screen.

Doctor Mary.

Fear rushed through me immediately.

I picked up the call with shaking hands. “Hello?”

“Ava, where are you?” her voice came quickly, and something about it made my chest tighten.

“I’m at the hospital,” I answered. “What happened? Is my sister okay?”

There was a short pause.

“No, she is not okay.” The words hit me instantly. I felt it in my chest, sharp and heavy.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice already breaking.

“Ava, listen to me carefully,” she said. Her tone was calm, but there was urgency behind it. “Your sister’s condition is getting worse, and it is happening very fast.”

My fingers tightened around the phone.

“She is not responding the way we expected,” the doctor continued. “We are doing everything we can to stabilize her, but it is not working.”

I shook my head slowly, my vision starting to blur. “No… that’s not possible. You said she was stable.”

“She was,” Doctor Mary said. “But things have changed.”

My breathing became uneven.

“How much time do we have?” I asked.

There was a pause on the line.

That silence scared me more than anything.

“Ava,” she said finally, “if we do not begin the transplant immediately, you are going to lose her.”

The words echoed in my head.

Lose her.

“No…” I whispered.

“We have a possible donor ready,” she added. “Everything is in place. But we cannot move forward without your approval and the payment. There is no more time to wait.”

Tears filled my eyes.

“I need you to come now,” she said. “This is your last chance to save her.”

The call ended.

I slowly lowered the phone, my hand still shaking.

For a moment, I could not hear anything.

Everything felt quiet.

Then the words came back again. You are going to lose her.

My chest tightened painfully, and I struggled to breathe properly.

I lifted my head slowly and looked at Dominic.

He was already watching me.

Like he already knew what the call was about.

“What happened?” he asked.

My lips parted, but it took me a moment to speak.

“They said… she’s getting worse,” I said, my voice weak. “If we don’t do the surgery now… I’m going to lose her.”

The words felt heavy as they left my mouth.

Dominic did not react immediately. He just sat there, looking at me.

Then he leaned back slightly and tapped his fingers on the table.

Once.

Twice.

The sound felt loud in the silence.

My heart was racing. I wiped my tears quickly, but more kept falling.

“I don’t have time anymore,” I whispered.

He did not interrupt me.

He did not comfort me either.

He just watched.

Waiting.

The weight of everything pressed down on me at once.

My sister lying in that hospital bed.

Her weak body.

Her quiet voice. The way she always smiled at me like everything would be okay.

I could not lose her.

I looked at Dominic again.

He was still calm, still quiet, still waiting for my answer.

Everything came down to this moment.

My life, my freedom Or her life.

I swallowed hard, my hands trembling.

“I…”

The word got stuck in my throat.

I tried again, but my voice failed me.

Dominic tapped his fingers on the table again, slow and steady.

My chest rose and fell as I struggled to breathe.

I opened my mouth to speak—

And still, no words came out.