All Chapters of The Christmas Contract : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

171 Chapters

She Needs To Play Her Part

By the time Melody finished getting dressed, her hands were shaking. Not because she didn’t look good, but because she looked too good.The dress Logan had sent fit her like it had been stitched directly onto her body. Soft, flowing fabric that hugged her waist and skimmed her hips without clinging too tightly. Elegant but not loud. Expensive without screaming for attention. The kind of dress that didn’t beg to be noticed yet somehow demanded it anyway.She stared at herself in the mirror for a long moment, barely recognizing the woman looking back at her.Was this really her?Melody Hart, former pastry shop owner who recently got cheated on by the man she was supposed to be walking down the aisle with. Temporarily homeless. And now… a billionaire’s contracted girlfriend, about to attend an art exhibition filled with people who probably had more money in their watches than she had earned in her entire life.“This is insane,” she whispered to her reflection.Her phone buzzed on the dre

A Slice Of Heaven

Melody walked out of her room, looking like a zombie. She couldn't remember when she got back home last night. Everything feels so different. The house, the bed, even the air. Everything was better. Her head was banging so hard and she could barely see where she was going.“Good morning ma'am, the boss asked us not to disturb your sleep.” The voice sounded unfamiliar. “Is there anything you'd like us to get for you?”“Where am I?” Her voice also sounded far and foreign to her. “My head is hurting.”“Please sit, I'll get you something for the headache.” She heard the voice saying.She knew this was a dream, but why was she feeling physical pain in her dream? That's weird. Just then she heard footsteps and someone handed her painkillers and a glass of warm water. She took it and after the drugs she slept off, right where she was sitting.Almost thirty minutes passed, when Melody opened her eyes. Now she could see clearly that this wasn't her friend's house. This was the most beautiful h

Baby Melody

Melody sat on the edge of Tara’s bed, phone pressed to her ear, heart beating just a little faster than usual.She hadn’t spoken to her mother properly since everything fell apart. Since Snowbrook Valley stopped feeling like home and started feeling like a wound she didn’t know how to touch without bleeding.The phone rang once, twice and then she heard her mother's voice.“Melody?”Her mother’s voice came through, warm and familiar, wrapped in that gentle tone that had soothed scraped knees and broken hearts all her life.“Mama,” Melody breathed, smiling before she even realized she was. “Hi.”“Oh thank God,” her mother said, relief clear in her voice. “I was just thinking about you. How are you, my love? Are you eating well? Are you warm? New York is cold this time of year.”Melody laughed softly. “I’m fine, Mama. I promise. I’m warm, I’m eating… and I’m okay.”There was a pause. The kind that meant her mother was listening beyond the words.“You sound… better,” her mother said care

I Have Nothing Good To Wish Them

The grocery bags felt heavier than they should have as Melody wheeled the cart across the parking lot, but it wasn’t the weight of the items inside that slowed her steps. It was her thoughts layered, tangled, refusing to settle. The late afternoon air was cold enough to bite, yet her cheeks were warm, her chest oddly light.That was really thoughtful of Blake.The thought slipped in again, uninvited, settling comfortably where it didn’t belong. She pressed her lips together, almost annoyed at herself. Thoughtful wasn’t something she was used to receiving without a catch. Not anymore. Men didn’t usually do things just to be kind, not in her experience. There was always an expectation, an invisible receipt waiting to be signed.She unlocked Tara’s old Mustang Beetle and carefully arranged the grocery bags in the backseat, making sure nothing would tip over. When she straightened, her reflection stared back at her from the shiny red paint eyes brighter, shoulders less slumped. New York h

Room 417

Tara adjusted the strap of her ID badge as she stepped out of the nurses’ station, the familiar weight of exhaustion already settling into her bones even though her shift was far from over. The hospital was alive in its usual way monitors beeping in erratic rhythms, IV poles rolling past, the faint smell of antiseptic clinging to the air. It was controlled chaos, and somehow, she thrived in it.She glanced down at the patient list on her tablet, scrolling slowly, mentally preparing herself for what lay ahead.Then she saw the name.Room 417, Mr. Bernard Brownmellow. Her shoulders tightened instantly. Every nurse in the hospital knew him, because he was a pain in the ass.If there was one patient Tara never looked forward to during her rounds, it was Bernard Brownmellow. Not because he was beyond help, but because he carried his pain like a sharpened blade, lashing out at anyone who came too close. Nurses rotated frequently when assigned to him, but Tara had stuck it out longer than mo

Pizza O'clock

Tara’s eyelids felt like they weighed a hundred pounds as she trudged up the stairs to her apartment. After almost twenty hours of back-to-back shifts at the hospital, she could barely stand, let alone think about preparing a proper meal. Every muscle ached, and her stomach grumbled with the kind of emptiness only a long day of relentless work could bring. All she wanted was a quick bite and then her bed. Just sleep.She flicked on the kitchen light and trudged to the fridge, expecting to find the usual bare shelves that reflected her chaotic lifestyle. But the moment she opened the door, she froze.The fridge was brimming. Milk chilled in its container, fresh fruits neatly arranged, rows of yogurts stacked like tiny towers, leftovers from a feast she hadn’t even been invited to yet, and enough snacks to satisfy the cravings of a small army. Her jaw dropped.“Oh my God…” she breathed, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet apartment.“Melody!” she called out, astonished, almost laugh

The Card Reader

Tara woke up without an alarm for the first time in what felt like forever.The realization alone made her smile before she even opened her eyes. No buzzing phone. No rushing to throw on scrubs. No mentally preparing herself for a twelve-hour shift that would stretch into sixteen or even twenty four. Just silence, warmth, and the faint smell of coffee drifting in from the kitchen.She stretched lazily, rolling onto her side and burying her face into the pillow for a few more seconds. Her body still ached, but it was the dull ache of exhaustion that came after survival, not during it. Today, she was off. Completely off.When she finally dragged herself out of bed and padded toward the kitchen, she found Melody already up, dressed casually in a loose sweater and leggings, standing at the counter with a mug in her hand.“Morning, sleepyhead,” Melody said, grinning.Tara squinted at her. “Why are you awake before me?”Melody shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. My brain won't shut up.”Tara poure

Too Early For Regrets

Brandon knew something was wrong the moment he walked into the house.The lights were on, but the place felt different. He almost always wasn't looking forward to coming back home and facing Claudia. It was early for regrets. He dropped his work bag by the door and loosened his tie, his shoulders aching from another long day. Snow Brook Valley was calm at night, but tonight everyone was outside to light the town’s Christmas tree.He was supposed to join them, but Claudia already said she won't be going because she wasn't feeling too well. He knew the only reason she didn't want to go was because she wasn't a fan of mingling with the locals.The living room was a mess.Empty ice cream bowls sat abandoned on the coffee table. Crumpled napkins littered the couch. A shopping bag lay tipped over near the door, its contents spilling out carelessly. Brandon frowned.“Claudia?” he called.His eyes landed on her.She was sprawled across the couch, curled slightly on her side, fast asleep. Her

An Invitation To Dinner

Melody was in the kitchen when her phone rang.She had one sock on and the other missing, hair pulled into a loose bun that was already giving up, flour dusted lightly on the counter from earlier. She wasn’t baking yet, but she’d been going through her mental checklist, opening cabinets, checking dates, counting ingredients the way she always did when she ran her business. She wanted to make sure she had everything before she started baking.The ringtone startled her. She wiped her hands on the side of her leggings and glanced at the screen. It was Logan.A smile curved her lips before she could stop it.She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”“Hey,” Logan said warmly. “I was starting to think you forgot about me.”She laughed instantly, the sound light and unforced. “That’s funny coming from someone who disappears into meetings for hours.”“Okay, fair,” he admitted. “But still. I haven’t heard from you in a while. I just wanted to check in. You know… you’re my girlfriend now.” That

Self Righteous Hypocrite

By the time Melody pulled the sugar cookies out of the oven, the entire apartment smelled like a bakery.Warm cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, comfort wrapped in heat. The sugar cookies were already cooling on the counter, lined neatly on parchment paper, their white snow icing slightly cracked in places, just the way she liked them. She stood for a moment, hands on her hips, breathing it all in.This was her favorite part. Not the eating, but watching her work, with so much pride. Since she got here, she hasn't been baking a lot but with the way she feels right now, it would be her new everyday routine.She wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and glanced at the clock. She still had time, but not enough to linger. Carefully, she turned toward the living room.“Tara?” she called.Tara appeared almost immediately, already dressed down in sweatpants, her hair wrapped in a scarf. “Yeah?”“Can you watch the pie for me?” Melody asked. “It needs maybe ten more minutes. Please don’t let it burn.

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