All Chapters of His One Year Contract Bride : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

NORA“Welcome, Mrs. Nora,” the maid greeted me with a forced smile, her eyes darting nervously toward the floor, clearly startled by my sudden return.I didn’t miss the hesitation in her voice, nor the way her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the tray of food in her hands. It was as if she wasn’t expecting me to be home so soon.“Where is my husband?” I asked, trying to sound casual, though the tension in my chest was anything but.She stiffened, her face blanching just a little. “He… he’s in his office,” she muttered, a quick glance flicking toward the hallway.“No.” I raised a brow, an amused smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Where is Thomas?”Her eyes darted toward the door to the left, and I knew immediately that she wasn’t telling me everything.“Mira.” I addressed her more directly, keeping my voice light but firm. “Where’s Thomas? I have good news for him,” I added, waving the papers in my hand—papers that were about to change everything.Her gaze flickered, and

NORAThe air thickened instantly.I blinked, stunned by the bluntness, the weight of those four words.“We are?” I asked, like maybe I hadn’t heard him right.“Yes,” he said again, calm and firm. “It’s part of the arrangement. Natural conception. No doctors unless necessary. No artificial methods. Just us.”I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “Right.”His gaze never wavered. “You can back out now.”“No,” I said, voice rough. “I said okay.”He nodded once and stepped closer. Not invading, just… present. “Then we’ll begin tomorrow. Tonight, you rest. You’ve been through hell.”I couldn’t argue with that.Ivory appeared at the doorway like she’d been waiting for the cue. She didn’t look surprised—just efficient, already knowing what to do.“This way, Mrs. Wilson,” she said, her voice smooth as silk.I flinched. “I’m not—”“You will be,” Kian cut in.His certainty made my stomach twist. It wasn’t romantic. It wasn’t hopeful.It was inevitable.Ivory led me through the pristine hallw

NORA FEW WEEKS LATER “I want her dressed in something from the new evening line,” Kian said without looking up from his tablet.Ivory blinked. “Excuse me?”Kian’s tone didn’t shift. “Call the design team. Bring a selection here. She needs something suitable for the gala tonight.”There was a beat of silence, thick with tension. Ivory stared at him like he’d grown two heads. “The full collection?”“Yes. Have them here within the hour.”I was sitting on the edge of the bed, towel wrapped around me, still trying to understand how my day had turned from reading in the sunroom to preparing for an elite event with Kian Wilson.“I don’t understand why you’re doing all this,” Ivory muttered under her breath as she zipped up the last garment bag and placed it beside the others on the long leather couch. She didn’t look at me. Her voice was clipped, her movements stiff. “She’s just a surrogate, Kian. This is too much.”I paused at the door of the suite, my hands frozen on the silky robe I was

NORA“Is Kian aware that you are here?” I asked firmly, my voice barely above a whisper, but clear enough to slice through the thick tension in the room.Grandfather didn’t flinch. He folded the newspaper in half and set it down gently. “Right now, he’s spending time with his son and Jessica. You need to let him be, Nora. You’ve had your time.”My fingers curled against the edge of the table.“You don’t have a child with him,” he continued coldly. “That boy, Jessica’s son, is blood. Ours. The Wilson name will not be passed down to anyone outside of this family. We’ve made up our minds.”I blinked at him, my chest tightening.“Do as I say,” he added. “And I’ll make it worth your while. Fifty million.”My eyes narrowed. “Fifty?”He nodded, calm as ever. “Tax-free. Quiet. Your name cleared from all family records. You walk away clean. Free.”I stared at him for a long second. Then reached for the document on the table.The pen was already waiting beside it, uncapped.My fingers brushed i

NORAKian handed me the mic.“Thank you everybody, I appreciate you all for attending this party tonight—”“One more thing.”Grandfather’s voice cut me off. Deep. Heavy.I froze.“Nora,” he said sweetly, like I was a child. “Hand me the mic, darling.”“Sure, Grandfather.” I forced a smile, then passed it to him.He cleared his throat. “I apologize for interrupting, but tonight isn’t only about business. It is also about family. My grandson here is not only the new CEO… he is also now a father. And I…” his eyes glistened, “I am a proud great-grandfather.”Gasps. Murmurs. Heads turned.He gestured, and Jessica rose with her son, walking slowly toward the stage. Cameras flashed, eating it up.My chest tightened.“I am sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, Nora,” Grandfather said into the mic, pretending sympathy.I smiled tightly. “No, it’s fine, Grandfather.”But it wasn’t fine. He was making me look small. Disposable.The press pounced.“So, Mr. Kian has two wives now?” one reporter s